In Edinburgh, it appeared probably about 9th Aug., was brought from London by some low-priced foreign cows; in six weeks, about 800, or one half the dairy cows in Edinburgh, had died-200 having been buried in one trench. By the end of Jan., four fifths of the dairy cows had perished, but.Edinburgh was reported clear. In Glasgow, the first case occurred on 19th Aug., in a cow scut from Edinburgh. By 30th Sept., 432 eases were reported, and it continued to spread. By the middle of Oct., it was in Mr. Harvey's valuable stock of 800, of which 25 died in one night, and to save further loss, 50 healthy animals were in one day disposed of to the butcher. From Falkirk Trysts, as from Barnet, Norwich 11111, and other large English fairs, the disease was transmitted into freshlocalities. From the autumn trysts, it was carried into Perthshire, Forfarshire, and Fifeshire. Diseased cattle passing along in railway trucks, appear to have spread the contagion over the fields adjoining the line at Thornton, Fifeshire. Into West Lothian it was conveyed in early Sept. by lambs from the Edinburgh market.
The rapid spread of the insidious disorder may be gathered from the fact that, whilst, during the week ending 24th June, 1865, there was only one outbreak at Mrs. Nicholl's dairy at Islington, and 30 animals affected, by 30th Sept. there were 1702 farms, sheds, or other places in which the pest had appeared, and 13,263 animals had been attacked. Three months later, 8252 separate places bad been visited, and 62,743 animals attacked. During six months, the aggregate of cattle attacked was 76,002. During the three months to 30th Mar., 13,443 farms and other premises had been infected, and 147,275 cattle attacked. In Dec., 1865, the fresh cases each week reached 9000; but in spite of remedial and preventive measure:, of orders in council, and restrictions on the movement of stock, the number of weekly cases steadily increased to 15,706 in the third week of Feb. " The cattle diseases prevention act" passed 20th Feb., 1866, and the advantages flowing from the restrictions thus tardily imposed on the trade in cattle, and the slaughter of diseased and infected animals, were speedily apparent. In four weeks, the number of cases was reduced by one half. During the three months ending 30th June, 28,276 cases were reported; during the next three months to 30th Sept., the numbers fell to 2108; whilst, to 29t11 Dec., the three months' cases were but 149; to 30th Mar., 1S67, 89 new cases were noted. Throughout April and May the number of cases continued steadily to decline; but during the week ending 25th May a fresh outbreak occurred in the Finsbury district of the metropolis, and 81 animals died, or were slaughtered to prevent the further spread of the pest. With the exception of an isolated outbreak in Essex, which was promptly stayed by slaughter of the ailing and suspected animals, the country was free of plague during August. The
following are the records of its destructive career during 1865-07: Attacked. Killed. Died. Recovered.
England 223,672 102,740 90,450 21,589 Wales. 8,388 1,180 5,794 1,117 Scotland 46,863 6,263 28,088 10,707 Total 278,923 110,183 124,332 33,413 To this sad total must be added 11,000 cases known to have been attacked and unac counted for, and upwards of 60,000 healthy cattle slaughtered to prevent the spread of the disease. Plague was again imported into Hull in :lug., 187,2; it was brought with cattle from Cronstadt; it spread into several districts of the East Riding, attacked 72 animals, 51 of which were killed, and 21 died. In 1877, an outbreak took place in Germany, but by energetic measures was speedily suppressed without extensive losses.
development of cattle-plague by filth, overcrowding, miasmata, hot weather, or other such causes, is untenable. Faulty hygiene, by lowering vitality, prob ably renders the animal more prone to the attack, and less able to bear up against it, but it cannot originate plague. Like hydrophobia, small-pox, or syphilis, it is developed only by the special virus, which appears to have its habitat on the Russian steppes. This virus occurs abundantly in the blood of every plague-stricken beast, in the discharges from its nostrils, month, or eyes, in the off-scourings from the bowels, probably even in the breath. It may be transferred to healthy beasts by inoculation. A little of the blood or nasal or other mucous discharges of a plague case, if introduced underneath the skin of a healthy cow, develops the disease within a few days. The transference of the virus or contagion from the sick to the sound animal, is not always so direct and evident. As with other catching diseases, the virus may be carried considerable distances in the air; its particles are minute, but they have powerful vitality; it may adhere to the food that has lain before infected beasts; to the litter from the stalls, or even after it has been heaped for weeks; to the clothes of attendants; to the floors, walls, or stalling of build ings; to imperfectly cleansed cattle-trucks. So subtile and potent is the plague poison, and so endowed with the power of self-multiplication and growth, that a very minute portion of it finding access to the blood of a healthy animal of the bovine race increases to rapidly, that to use the words of the commissioners' report, III. p.4, "the whole mass of the blood, weighing many pounds, is infected; and every small particle of that blood contains enough poison to give the disease to another animal." It may gain access to the blood probably through the air-passages, perhaps also by absorption through the mucous surface of the bowels, or even through the skin.