THE PRESENT EPIDEMIC AMONG CATTLE. 185 
country round lias a gentle undulating surface, intersected by 
small rivulets. The nearest point of the river Nen is eight miles 
distant. The neighbourhood is studded here and there with 
woods, and on the north-east with an extensive tract of woodland 
forest. 
2. — The soil is, for the most part, light and dry, with a 
considerable mixture of black heavy land ; but, on the whole, 
well drained. It is more of an arable than grazing district. 
The previous feeding for some months had been in the straw- 
yard and the stall, and the usual quantity of cattle in the fields 
were foddered with hay when necessary. 
3. — The epidemic first made its appearance in March 1839. 
4. — The weather had been rather rainy. The month of March 
had its usual character and proportion of storms and easterly 
winds. February gave us some fine weather, and less wet on 
the whole than usual ; but all the other winter months, and the 
whole of 1839, were remarkable for the extraordinary quantity 
of rain which fell. 
5 and 6. — The disease first appeared among some fresh-bought 
lots of north-country cows, but we cannot tell whether they had 
caught it on their journey. Afterwards the cattle which lay near to 
roads were most liable to the infection. The above cows had come 
from large fairs. The next two or three lots were either home- 
bred, or had been on the farm many months. There were some 
infected cattle about two miles from the first of these lots, up the 
same valley, and the wind was in the quarter to carry any mi- 
asma to those below them. At the same time, the owner of those 
to whom we are referring had twenty more bullocks in a straw- 
yard in the same direction, about a mile off, and they escaped. 
7. — Not that we know of, as we understand the question ; but 
it frequently occurred afterw’ards, and there is reason to think, in 
many cases, such persons communicated the disease; as we also 
believe that the shepherds who attended diseased cattle commu- 
nicated it to their sheep. Very early, however, after the epidemic 
appeared, shepherds were forbidden to attend cattle, and persons 
who did attend them were kept from healthy cattle as much as 
possible. 
8. — We cannot doubt about the disease being both infectious 
and contagious. Several calves from diseased cows have had 
the disease the first, or second, or third day after their birth. 
Some few have died, but most recovered. Generally speaking, no 
cattle escaped that lay together, and those that were in a neigh- 
bouring yard or close were almost invariably affected. At dif- 
ferent times during the last year, when the disease had abated 
and almost disappeared, it was sure to break out again after any 
