THE CATTLE PLAGUE IN SPAIN. 
265 
a district adjoining that under his command, there was 
spreading a grievous sickness of a contagions character [una 
enfermedad contagiosa), and which was every day sweeping 
off large numbers of cattle. In consequence of this oeeur- 
rence, there was every reason that the introduction of French 
oxen should be absolutely prohibited, and that even the im¬ 
portation of sheep should be forbidden by new and stringent 
measures. On receipt of this intelligence, the Supreme 
Junta, looking wisely at the state of affairs, and being de¬ 
sirous of doing precisely whatever was necessary for the pre¬ 
servation and welfare of the country, urged upon the mayors 
the adoption of the most important steps to this end; and 
there were despatehed, by virtue of these orders, Ignacio de 
Michelena, JuandeOrdoi, and Martin de Lorz, chief vete¬ 
rinary surgeons, to the vieinity of San Sebastian, to investi¬ 
gate and report upon the malady. These maestros albeitares 
having done so, certified before a commission, that the 
malady consisted in a dissolution or softening of the brain 
[una disolucion del cerehro), and they founded their opinions 
on the happy results that had attended the inunction of 
powerful ointments [untura fuerte) on the top of the neck; 
and also because able anatomists had observed, that after 
death there was in the brain a greenish coloured or bloody 
fluid, as if there had been suppuration or gangrene; and also 
that the medullary substance of the horns [la subslancia 
medular de las astas), which was much wasted, contained a 
yellowish matter. The use of aquafortis, and other remedies 
which they preseribed, produced good effects sometimes, but 
in other instances they were entirely useless. So that to 
prevent the spread of the disease, or its introduction into 
other plaees, these authorities endeavoured, in the most 
energetic manner, to persuade the commission that the only 
certain, just, and equitable remedy for extirpating the con¬ 
tagion was to kill the diseased and suspected animals, inter 
them deeply in pits, and compensate the owners. . . . Had 
these salutary recommendations been attended to, and put 
into force in every place where the disease showed itself, the 
great suffering and mortality that attended the epizooty 
introdueed into Spain in 1774 would have been avoided,' 
inasmuch as in many towns and villages there perished every 
head of cattle, so that not one was left; this was the case at 
Andoin, in the province of Alava. Neither did the contagion 
work much less ruin in its progress through Navarre, 
Guipuzcoa, Aragon, the mountains of Santander and those 
of Pas. 
Notwithstanding the precautions taken to lay embargoes 
