340 TIIE EPIZOOTIC DISEASES IN HOUSES, CATTLE, &c. 
ordinarily transmitted witli extreme facility from one individual 
to another. They generally present themselves under the same 
aspect — following one analogous march — offering, occasionally, 
anomalies, the just value of which are not appreciated, or which 
are uselessly magnified into particular species. Finally, they too 
often terminate fatally, especially when they are unskilfully 
treated, which most assuredly is worse than not being treated 
at all. 
“In despight of the labours and researches of many talented 
men, epizootics are, in the majority of works, somewhat badly 
observed, badly known, and badly described. We cannot but 
be surprised at this. Veterinary medicine, although it has made 
some progress, has here advanced but little. Far from being on 
a level with that of man, it languishes ignobly in its course ; it 
succumbs under the influence of prejudice, empiricism, absurd 
routine, and abuses and disgraceful practices of every kind. The 
maladies of animals are often contradictorily classed — the no- 
menclature is vicious and barbarous. This is too much the cha- 
racter of the profession in many of the departments. In its 
schools, however, and particularly in those of Alfort and Lyons, 
very considerable improvement has taken place, and will conduct 
to the most important results, if these seminaries are true to 
themselves and to the profession to which they belong, and if they 
remove every obsolete principle and opinion that can now have 
no relation with the actual state of medical science , properly so 
called, and which is not in harmony with the laws of sound phy- 
losophy. 
“ Epizootic diseases, the ravages of which we find so difficult to 
arrest, owe their origin to certain general causes, to the influence 
of which a great number of animals are simultaneously submitted, 
and which act as modifications of their organization. Thus the 
air — the atmospheric temperature — certain localities — foul and 
vitiated air — the nature and quality of their food — travelling — 
work — accidents of all kinds, are so many causes which, under 
certain circumstances, have power to produce considerable and 
dangerous disease on all the individuals submitted to their influ- 
ence. Such diseases are said to be epizootic. Among these 
causes, constant moisture is one which has the most destructive 
influence, from its effect on the vegetables on which the animals 
are fed. Not only does humidity deprive these vegetables of a 
part of their nutritive principle, by rendering them more aqueous, 
but it deteriorates their very nature. In years in which there is 
much wet during the summer the corn that is reaped undergoes 
a certain degree of germination, which injures its quality. Hay 
•often suffers in the same way from a development of the fermenta- 
