737 
CATTLE PLAGUE. 
While it is doubtful whether the cattle plague has been 
effectually stamped out in the East Hiding of Yorkshire, it 
would he premature to attempt to write a complete history of 
the outbreak. We may hope, however, that the complete 
extirpation of the pest will shortly enable us to enter into 
details which we now omit, for the sake of adverting to 
certain salient points relating to the introduction and pro¬ 
gress of the malady. 
One thing requires to be stated in reference to the carcases 
of the Russian cattle, which were sent to sea on July 2ord, 
and turned adrift, instead of being sunk, according to instruc¬ 
tions ; i. e. that their appearance on the Lincolnshire coast 
eight or ten days afterwards, which excited some alarm, per¬ 
haps not unnaturally, did not cause much anxiety in our minds. 
The remarkable thing was the process of reasoning by which 
the carcases on the Lincolnshire coasts were connected with 
the outbreak of cattle plague in Yorkshire. No one seems 
to have thought that the plague so introduced should have 
first appeared in Lincolnshire, and thence been traced into 
the East Riding of Yorkshire. 
Very little of professional interest, however, attaches to 
this portion of the subject, and we merely allude to it for the 
purpose of stating that these carcases had nothing to do with 
the introduction of cattle plague into Yorkshire. We make 
this assertion on the fact, which has been clearly demonstrated, 
that the first outbreak occurred rather before than after any 
of the carcases had been thrown ashore, and that it is trace¬ 
able, as are the others also, to the purchase of animals in 
Hull cattle market on Monday, July 29th, and Monday, 
August 12th. 
Accounts, in the main correct, have been freely circulated 
respecting the number of cattle purchased at different markets, 
owners’ names, date of discovery of outbreaks, and other 
matters, which we are not at present concerned with. Our ob¬ 
ject is to indicate the evidence on which we formed the con¬ 
clusion that the disease was introduced in a most simple and 
direct manner from the market at St. Petersburgh into the 
market at Hull, and thence in an equally direct way to the 
three districts of Patrington, Bridlington, and Pocklington. 
It is admitted that Russian oxen bought in the market at 
St. Petersburgh were distributed in small lots to Hamburgh, 
Berlin, Deptford, Hull, Hartlepool, Newcastle, and Leith, 
