ABSTRACTS
417
Not until the time of the Crusades do we find any amelioration of this condition.
When the Crusaders' horses were decimated by glanders and the crusading army spread
all kinds of disease in their wake, they were forced to take some measures for the
protection of their animals but these consisted mostly of the administration of drugs
and petty surgery and the theory was confined to camp-fire discussions. Nothing was
written at the time and much of the practice must have been illogical and barbaric ;
though the social position of the veterinarian was undoubtedly improved, when even
the nobility deigned to interest themselves in and acquire some knowledge of veterinary
practice.
Not, however, till the time of the Arab invasions of Europe, was there any real
return of scientific knowledge to Europe. The Arabs exercised a profound and bene-
ficial influence on medicine, not only because of their very real love for and interest
in their horses, but because they rediscovered the old Greek knowledge in Byzantium
and returned it to Europe. Islam was for many centuries the home of civilization. The
Abassid Caliphs were patrons of science and art, and encouraged the study of Greek,
Syrian, Hindu and Persian texts. There were also original writers, the two greatest
probably being Abouzacaria and Abour-Bekr, whose book is, even to-day, described as a
' monument to the glory of the horse'. Another writer, the much discussed 'Ippocras
the Hindu ' a native of Sind, was attached to the court of Chosroes the Great of Persia.
Apart, however, from returning the ancient learning to Europe and adding a little to
the knowledge of horse breeding and surgery and enriching pharmacy, they added little
to the sum of knowledge and nothing at all to that regarding cattle medicine.
Plagues and contagions in the Middle Ages.—The Middle Ages suffered incessantly
from plagues and contagious diseases of all sorts. Here are a few indications to give
an idea of their frequency and gravity in all countries.
The sixth century saw the return of the plague of animals and men so often des-
cribed in the ancient world. It desolated Gaul. During the same century rinderpest
ravaged Central and Western Europe and there were further grave outbreaks in A.D.
569-679, 850, 870, 878, 886, 940-42, 1170-72, and from 1223-25. Nearly all bovine
contagions appear to have come from the East and though not of long duration, destroy-
ed enormous numbers.
In 791 A. D., all the horses in Charlemagne's army during his war against the Huns
were stricken with glanders and so many died that he was obliged to interrupt his cam-
paign. In 801 his whole empire was ravaged by the plague which killed both men and
beasts. Here we meet one of the frequent mentions of ' germ warfare ', with the story
of an enemy's sending men out with enchanted powders to spread in cattle pastures.
In 820-24, the great rains and floods caused a terrible sickness which devasted the
Frankish Empire.
Eight hundred and forty, 992 and 1130 A.D. are described as ' periods of gloom,
horror and calamities of all kinds'. They saw twenty deadly epidemics which
attacked men only, six which attacked cattle, two which attacked horses, twelve which
spread through all the animal world and by four of which men and animals were
equally affected.