HISTORY OF CONTAGIOUS AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES. 
567 
“ The sheep began to tremble and soon became so weak 
as to lie down, though they continued eating; they had no 
geding.” The head and neck often were swollen up, which 
was thought a very bad sign. The pregnant sheep generally 
aborted, or, if not, had “ ubera flaccida ” and “ defectum lac- 
tis.” The beautiful white wool turned into a dirty, dark 
color as if filled with sand. In this condition death set in in 
four days, or, at the most, in seven days. 
On making an examination considerable water was found 
between the hide and flesh ; the viscere were inflamed; the 
gall was large in some, in others small; the lungs were in¬ 
flamed and sometimes even rotten, and the heart was weak 
and flaccid. This disease was very contagious and was often 
carried about from one place to the other by the shepherds 
in their clothes. Colerus thinks it the result of unhealthy, 
hot weather. In 1714 the “ flying cancer” raged among the 
sheep in some parts of France and also the pox there and in 
Italy, The society of Geneva physicians (Reflections sur la 
maladie du gros betail par la soc de med. de Geneva, 1716) 
has left an accurate description of this disease, called in 
France clavean, clavin, or clavelee. They report that about 
five per cent, of the cattle died, and that no remedy was 
known that was of any use. 
In Silesia and Bohemia, after a very hot and dry summer 
in 1718, different kinds of diseases broke out among domestic 
animals. 
Kanold reports that the scourge was very widespread 
among the horses in one district. This sickness affected the 
tongue, which became full of pustules and holes, hindering 
their eating. In several districts the sheep commenced to 
cough. In the districts of Frebnits it was reported that the 
acorn-swine in the woods were affected with a sort of scourge 
which was very fatal. In the district of Medzibor, during 
the month of July an epidemic arose, boils breaking out on 
the neck and choking them ; if these were opened in time 
there was hope of saving the animal. In 1719 the pox broke 
out among the sheep in the same countries and also hydro¬ 
phobia between i72i-’24. 
