75 
IMPORTATION OF CATTLE. 
[Continued from p. 7.] 
By J. T. Hodgson, Finchley. 
Sir,— Many years before the new tariff passed, when abroad, I 
occasionally saw in the public journals the high prices of horses 
and cattle were ascribed to the epidemic that had prevailed, with* 
out it being stated what the disease was, or how it was caused; 
or whether it had been more frequent since the practice of bringing 
cattle from Scotland and Ireland in the holds of steamers. 
The Sherborne Journal, however, states “ that notwithstanding 
the treatment of the leeches and the profession, ninety-five out of 
a hundred died of diseased lungs ; but, that now it is ulceration of 
the tongue and separation of the hoofsand on the 11th December 
an extract of this went the round of the London journals as another 
new disease among cattle “ supposed to he foreign which, had 
the writer described to practitioners in London, Liverpool, Bristol, 
or any other large city, he would have found was known to them 
as an old disease among cowkeepers cows, and as much English as 
foreign. The advertisements of almanacs have, too, the “ new dis¬ 
ease among cattle ” as a puff. 
Under these circumstances (though 1 had intended to have 
dropped the subject when I had given the caution), I feel justified 
in going on with my story. I may thus elicit that from your nu¬ 
merous and abler correspondents, who practise among cattle, more 
valuable statistical information than I can give. 
***** 
As we passed along the Elbe strand, the farmer’s eye caught a 
glimpse of the barges of wheat that was soon to become custom¬ 
house corn in his own country. On the right was the pen of 
oxen, cows, and sheep, for the same destination. Now, how much, 
says he, might be the price of some of these old cows 1 From £2 to 
£3 each.—At what cost have they been fattened in the marshes 
here! From April to November (30 marks), less than £2. —Zounds! 
says he, that is unfair to us, £1 for freight, a trifle for commission, 
and charges. He was in a passion; but his friend reminded him 
of his Manchester goods, which they might take in exchange. 
He,no doubt, was sanguine; it was not my place to make him other¬ 
wise. Now there is not a veterinary surgeon on that jetty to 
examine the thorough-bred colts and fillies imported for Count 
St.-; he would be in a wrong position. Some days after 
they may meet the district veterinary surgeon, when, if any dis¬ 
charge at the nose, he will say to the groom (derRotz) the glanders: 
