190 THE PRESENT EPIDEMIC AMONG CATTLE, &c. 
or empoisoned by miasmata which had escaped from the bowels 
of the earth, not cognizable by our senses, nor detectable by our 
ablest chemists. The change is known only by the effects pro- 
duced on the animal body. 
Epidemics assume different forms and characters, depending 
very much on the locality, the predisposition of the animals, and 
this unknown atmospheric poison. Locality is a great predis- 
posing agent to epidemic diseases. It forms one of the greatest 
obstacles to remedial means ; it proves the greatest annoyance 
to successful treatment, and may possibly have something to do 
with the origin of the disease. Locality often influences the cha- 
racter of disease, and is the cause of some singular train of symp- 
toms, varying with the soil, pasture, and previous management 
of the cattle; but the present disease is little influenced by it. 
It assumes nearly the same character almost universally ; it is 
highly infectious, and also contagious. The disease has been 
communicated to beasts previously sound by butchers, veterinary 
surgeons, and the usual attendants on cattle ; and it has been 
propagated by cattle walking on roads where infected ones had 
previously gone. Its origin, however, is in the atmosphere, and 
its nature and properties far beyond our comprehension. 
It may be conveyed from one animal to another by vaccination. 
I vaccinated nearly one hundred, and the disease seemed very 
much mitigated. I also vaccinated several horses and dogs with 
the virus or matter taken from the diseased cattle ; but it had not the 
least effect. It appears, in its present form, to be confined to the 
cloven-footed animals ; yet we have well authenticated facts of the 
attendants on these diseased cattle being similarly affected, from 
having a sore on some external part of the body, with which some 
of the matter had come in contact, and produced similar erup- 
tions, or sore throat, and considerable constitutional derangement. 
The Symptoms characteristic of the disease are not easily mis- 
taken at the commencement. The animal appears dull — the hair 
stands erect — there is great disinclination to move — an immense 
flow of saliva from the mouth of a ropy consistence, and, on 
opening the mouth, large bladders or vesicles are observed on the 
dorsum of the tongue and membranes of the upper lip and gums : 
these blisters soon burst, leaving unhealthy sores or ulcers — the 
feet become affected with similar eruptions, and very frequently, 
in neglected cases, the claws slough off, which proves a source 
of irritation and pain — the animal becomes seriously emaciated 
during the reproduction of horn to protect the sensitive parts of 
the foot, and support its weight — the udder is occasionally af- 
fected, and the teats are covered with similar eruptions, rendering 
milking a painful operation — the pulse is seldom much accele- 
