The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-06 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SA'

character—had acquired, in fact, that mildness
which is often seen at the tail of epidemics.
Another point of difficulty will immediately sug-
gest itself. If rinderpest be small-pox in the cow,
how is it that we do not hear of human beings con-
tracting the disorder by handling the affected animals?
In reply to this it is suggested that the human
race is very generally protected by vaccination.
On the other hand it does appear that the disease
has actually been transmitted to man in a few
cases. Some evenings ainoe a man was presented
I by Dr. QGAIN before one of our medical societies,
who had accidentally inoculated the back of his
hand with matter from the hide of a cow which
had

died from rinderpest. He was examined by
numerous medical men, and their opinion was
that the appearances presented were in-
distinguishable from those characteristic of
cow-pox. It should be remarked, in addi-
tion, and the fact is extremely interesting,
that of late years ordinary cow-pox has been so
rare that it has been difficult to obtain lymph
direct from the cow for the purpose of human
vaccination. As a natural consequence the ma-
jority of the cattle in these kingdoms are unpro-
tected from the invasion of the disease in a more
severe form.

Such are some of the points which have been
evolved in the discussion of this inte-
resting question. Happily we are not confined
to speculations upon the subject which, however
ingenious, are not conclusive. By means of ex-
perimental tests the question can very shortly be
decided. Already measures are being taken for
the purpose, and ere long the matter will pass'
from the regions of doubt into a certainty one way
or another. The means of testing the opinion are
by inoculation and vaccination. If the cattle-
plague be small-pox, cattle which are convales-
cent from the disease should be incapable of
taking small-pox by inoculation, or of being
successfully vaccinated. Cattle which have suf-
fered from ordinary acknowledged cow-pox should
be protected from the cattle plague. Cattle which
are vaccinated from man or with matter taken from
human small-pox pustules should also be protected
from the cattle plague. Lastly, human beings ino-
culated with the matter of the cattle plague should
show characteristic symptoms of cow-pox, which

should be capable of further propagation. This
last test is obviously the most difficult
of application, as it is necessary that
the person experimented upon should be un-
protected by vaccination or previous small-pox.
The other tests, however, admit of trial with but
little difficulty, and there is no doubt that every
care will be taken in applying them.
The public will await with attentive interest the
result of these experiments. If they should con-
firm the opinion that the cattle plague is virulent
small-pox, it may be said that all apprehensions
for the future will be at an end. By simply vac-
cinating every healthy cow, we can count upon
procuring as great an immunity for our cattle as is
enjoyed by the human race. It is as interesting
as it would have formerly appeared paradoxical
that our earnest hope& are now centred upon
proving that the cattle-plague is no other than
that disease which in times gone by was one of
the most formidable enemies of the human race.

OUR CONTEMPORARIES.
(THIS DAY.)

established that it is a inettsr to bell

by the seetral government aloes.
The TergrapA thinks that apart from consideraMoss of
the present emergency, there are grounds for believing that
large towns could at all times be more conveniently supplied
with animal food if it were omtveyed as dead meat than
es live stock. It has been computed that on the average
each head of cattle is deteriorated to the extent of
some fifteen to twenty shillings by the hardships and
, fatigue of the journey to London. Moreover, a carcase is
, of course transmitted much more cheaply than an animal
which has or ought to have room to move, and liquidly re-
quires food daring the transit. The arguments on the
other side would have had far more force a few years ago,
I when the facilities of communication were much lets than
those we now command.