RINDERPEST (Ger.), Or STEPPE MURRAIN, is a contagious eruptive fever, or exanthema, of the bovine species; sheep, goats, deer, and other allied species occasionally, however, catch it from cattle. It occurs indigenously on the plains of western Russia, whence it has at various tames overspread most parts of the old world. The specific virus from diseased or infected animals is the only source. of cattle-plague; no filth, overcrowding, or other health-depressing cause has hitherto produced it. As in small-pox, scarlatina, and other eruptive fevers, an incubative stage, varying between two and twenty days, intervenes between the introduction of the virus into the system, either by inoculation or contagion, and the development of the characteristic symptoms. These consist essentially of congestion of the mucous and cutaneous surfaces, with a sort of aphthous eruption, and thickening, softening, and desquamation of the super ficial membrane. The disease runs a tolerably fixed and definite course, which is not materially altered by any known remedial measures. It seldom attacks the same individual a second time.
History.—The cattle-plague has been recognized for upwards of a thousand years. It appears to have destroyed the herds of the warlike tribes who overran the Roman empire during the 4th and 5th centuries. About 810, it traveled with the armies of Charlemagne into France, and about the same period is also supposed to have visited England. Several times throughout the course of every century it spread from the plains of Russia over the western countries of Europe, and is stated to have again visited England about 1225. Although occasioning, every few years, great losses on the con tinent of Europe, the plague does not appear to have again shown itself in England until 1714, when it appeared at Islington about the middle of July, was very destruc tive for about three months, but was again got rid of towards Christmas. In 1744, it was in Holland, destroying there, in two years, 200,000 cattle; in Denmark, from 1745-49, it killed 280,000; in some provinces of Sweden it spared only 2 per cent of the horned cattle. It made terrible havoc throughout Italy, destroying 400,000 beasts in Piedmont alone. In April, 1745, the plague was again imported into England, probably by some white calves from Holland, where, as already stated, it had for some time prevailed. It continued its devastations for twelve years, but it is now impossible accurately to discover the losses it occasioned. In the third and fourth years of its ravages, 80,000 cattle were slaughtered, and double that number are supposed to have died. In 1747, 40,000 cattle died in Nottingham and Lancashire alone; whilst, so late as 1757, 30,000 perished in Cheshire in six months. In March, 1770, the disease was brought with some hay from Holland to Portsoy, in the Moray firth; several cattle died, and others, to the value of £799, 12s. 2d., being destroyed, the further spread
of the pest was prevented. By the wars which wasted Europe towards the close of the last and first eighteen years of the present century, cattle-plague was spread widely over the continent, and occasioned, wherever it occurred, terrible losses. Since then, at short intervals, it has spread—always being traceable to its source on the Russian plains—over Poland, Hungary, Austria, Prussia, portions of Germany and Italy, and has extended to Egypt. It has also reached China and Japan.
The British outbreak of 1865-67, like its predecessors, undoubtedly came from Russia. The steamer Tonging, from Revel, brought 331 cattle and 330 sheep into Hull on 29th May, 1865. A portion of the cattle had come from the interior of Russia, where the plague then was, or recently had been; the cargo was rapidly landed, and very hurriedly inspected. Nearly half of the cattle were distributed in various lots to butchers in Leeds, Derby, and Manchester, but, curiously, these do not appear to have left any contagion in their trail. One hundred and seventy-five came to London, remained from the Monday evening until Thursday's market in lairs at York road, adjoining the cattle-market. It was stated, in a leader in the Times of 15th Aug., that rinderpest was seen in the metropolitan market as early as 12th June. Certain it is that more than one lot purchased on 19th June carried the disease to several dairies in and about London. The first cases were mistaken for cases of poisoning, the cows they had stood beside were sent into market, and thus the subtle disorder in a few weeks spread into many dairies both in town and country. Twenty-three Dutch cattle, having stood over for several markets, were sent back to Holland on 2d July, carried with them the contagion, were placed in a field near Schiedam, but soon sickened and died, thus spreading the disease in Holland. During the next six months, plague was repeatedly reimported thence into England. Vntil 11th Aug., 1865, no restrictions whatever were put upon the removal of cattle; diseased and infected animals were freely taken to fairs and markets, were openly traveled by road and rail; whilst the metropolitan market continued every week to send forth infected cases, not onlv to the neighboring counties, but to Southampton, Birmingham, Hereford, Liverpool, Edinburgh, and even to Aber deenshire. As early as 18th July, the pest was brought from London to Huntly by four calves; subsequent outbreaks occurred in the same way. The stamping-out system was. however, early and rigidly enforced in Aberdeenshire, and eight distinct outbreaks were promptly got rid of.