52 
JIEMOIR OF CASIPEIl. 
niclla, and other of the ancients, and so down to ills 
own day. From tliis survey, it would appear, tiiat 
previous epidemics among the cattle had frequently 
occurred. From 1710 to 1719 there was a great 
mortality among them all over Europe ; and again, 
in 1740, when it attracted the attention of such tneu 
as Laneisi, Haller, and Sauvages, and led to discus- 
sions in the Memoires de I’ Academic dcs Sciences, 
and to the introduction of papers in the London 
idiilosophical Transactions. Concerning its nature, 
wo shall only observe, that Camper considered it as 
most allied to the low putrid fever in man. 
Very many were the disappointments before any 
thing was discovered which could at all be regaroed 
as a remedy, for every medicine which was tried 
proved wholly unavailing. Inoculation for the com- 
plaint had been recently Introduced into England, 
but the trials first made in Holland promised very 
small success ; out of seventeen animals inocu- 
lated, only three lived ; and it is therefore not sur- 
prising that the peasantry offered opposition, and in 
some instances became (juite furious against the ex- 
periments. By-and-by, however, it was observed 
that when an animal once recovered, it seldom or 
never became the subject of a future attack, and this 
suggested the idea of inoculating only the calves 
bred from animals that were thus protected. This 
was done, when, having been sedulously guarded 
against all exposure, they were in high health, and 
had underg'one a course of medicine which was sup- 
