The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-05 00:00:00

The Cattle Disease.

The following letter, relating to the cattle plague,
was recently addressed to the President of the Royal
Agricultural Society, by the Clerk of the Council :

"Privy Council Office, Whitehall, Aug. 2, 1865.

"My Lord,—l am directed by the Lord President of the
Council to transmit to your lordship the accompanying copy
of an order which has been issued by a committee of the
Lords of the Council, and to request that you will have the
goodness to lay it before the Royal Agricultural Society.
" Your lordship is probably aware that there has lately
appeared in some of the dairies in and near London a disease
amongst the cattle, closely analogous to, if not the same as,
that which has of late years prevailed extensively in Russia,
Austria, and the Eastern parts of Europe, called the cattle
plague, being a species of typhoid fever. The loss of
animals caused by it in those countries has been very
serious. Returns have been furnished to this office by
which it appears that in 1864 159,476 cattle were attacked
by this disease in Russia, out of which 104,714 died.
" The powers vested by law in the Government, with re-
spect to the diseases of cattle, are very limited ; and, more-
over, it does not appear that in countries where the Govern-
ment possess the amplest powers for dealing with cases of
this kind, and where they have exercised those powers
with great vigour, any signal success has attended their
measures. The Lord President therefore thinks that it is
upon the care and circumspection of individuals interested
in the cattle trade that the chief dependence must be placed
for precautions to be taken which may prevent the spread-
ing of this formidable disease.

" It is of the first importance that all farmers, cowkeepers,
or dealers in cattle, when purchasing new stock, should, for
several days, not less than 12 or 14, keep their cattle apart
from the rest of their stock, until, in fact, there is reason to
think that the new purchases are free from this disease.
"If a farmer, cowkeeper, or salesman should be desirous
to get rid of any animals suffering from the disease in ques-
tion, or even any which may have been in close contact
with animals suffering from that disease, it should be im-
pressed upon him, as a public duty, that, at the present
juncturo,he should not send them to markets, or otherplaces,
where they would be brought into contact with other animals
—but should cause them to be slaughtered at once ; and
thus do what ho can to prevent the spreading of the disease.
"Particular attention should be paid to the cleansing of
all yards, sheds, and other places where cattle are kept ; and
this cleansing should be especially insisted upon where there
has been any manifestation of this disease. These places
should be disinfected by the free use of chloride of lime or
other allied compounds. It is also of great importance that
all diseased animals should be as quickly as possible re-
moved to as great a distance from the healthy as circum-
stances will allow ; and all indirect, as well as direct, com-
munication be strictly prevented between them. The animals
which are the most severely affected having at once been
killed and buried, their skins may be preserved to the
owner by being placed in a disinfecting fluid as soon as re-
moved from the body.
" That it is advisable to kill the diseased animals at once
is best shown by the circumstance that it rarely happens
that where the disease is allowed to run its natural course
deaths are at a lower rate than 80 per cent., and also by the
fact that every diseased animal is a continuous source of
danger by disseminating the elements of the infection.
" I subjoin an account of the symptoms, which, accord-
ing to Professor Simonds, of tho Royal Veterinary College,
who has paid particular attention both in this country and
in Galicia, to the disease in question, are the usual charac-
teristics of the malady.
" Professor Simonds states that, with the present amount
of experience, no special plan of medical treatment can be
laid down, but it would appearthat the disease is best com-
bated by a free use of stimulants, conjoined with antiseptic
agents, the strength of the animal being kept up by a liberal
supply of wheat, or oatmeal gruel, boiled linseed, and simi-
lar dietetic agents.—l have, &c., " Annual HELPS.
" The Lord Trodegar, &c."
Description of the symptoms of disease before
referred to :--
"Variations in the earliest indications of the disease
will be manifested, these depending somewhat on the
severity of the attack, but more especially on the circum-
stance as to whether the digestive or respiratory system is
the chief focus of the malady.

" As soon as the affection declares itself, the animal
ceases to take any kind of food, and in most cases even
refuses water. Rumination is suspended ; and the animal
stands with its head drooping and the ears drawn back. If
made to move, it shows great prostration of strength, and
frequently staggers as if about to fall. The skin is hot in
places, and often remarkably so between the limbs, the hind
ones in particular. An exudation early takes place from
these parts,and is succeeded by cracks and sores. The hair
is staring, especially along the upper part of the neck,
shoulders, and back. The extremities are cold, even at the
commencement of the disease—and in a latter stage, the in-
creased heat of the surface of the body gives place to a re-
markable coldness, especially along the course of the spine.
" Tears trickle from the eyes, which are red and expres-
sive of suffering, and a watery discharge flows early from
the nostrils. There is a continuous increase of these secre-
tions, which become more or less purulent in the advanced
stage of the malady. The mouth is hot, red and furred,'
often presenting here and there raw-looking spots, espe-
cially on the inner side of the lips and along the roof. The
breath is faitid. The respiration is increased, and gene-
rally accompanied with a moan in the advanced stages. A
slight cough is also present in some cases. Tho pulse is
quick and weak, and scarcely to be felt, excepting at the
heart, even at the commencement of the disease.
" The bowels are sometimes torpid at the outset, but
diarrhoea., leading to dysentery, mostly follows, the evacua-
tions being slimy, liquid, and a dirty yellow colour, occa-
sionally tinged with blood. Tenespus is likewise present
as a rule. Slight tremours of the Muscles of the shoulders
and thighs are to be observed in some cases, and so also in
an emphysematous condition of the skin along the upper
part of the back. In milch cows the secretion of milk is
quickly arrested, a remarkable diminution in the quantity
taking place, as one of the early indications of the attack.
As the disease advances towards a fatal termination, the
prostration of the vital powers becomes more marked, the
breathing short, quick, and more painful, the alvine eva-
cuations foetid and more slimy, and the surface of the body
deathly cold. The animal will sometime] sink as early as
12 hours from the commencement of the attack, but in
many cases the disease will be protracted to the fifth or
sixth, and occasionally to the eigthth or ninth day.
" The period of incubation of the disease seems to vary,
the majority of animals sickening on the 10th day after ex-
posure to the infection, but some have been attacked on the
seventh day."

THE AUTOGRAPHIC MIRROR, in its new and com-
pactor form—still flourishes. The current number
(5 of the New Series) is a charming specimen. The
contents of it are singularly varied. Here is the
signature—simply the signature, nothing more—of
Louise d'Orleans, the first wife of King Leopold I
Here, again, is a long letter of Sir Walter Scott's!
Now we have a rapid scrawl under hand of
Francis Jeffery, the great Edinburgh reviewer—
now a more legible one from the pen of Henry
Hallam the eminent historian. Here is a pass card
to one of his amateur theatrical performances,
pencilled by Charles Dickens, Actor, Manager,
Novelist, Philanthropist, all in one ! Here is a missive
penned by that grandest of literary charlatans (great
foronce in his bizarre career asithe author of Monte
Christo) Alexandre Dumas. The most interesting
autograph in the whole number by reason of its
delightful effect as a revelation of character, is the
fac simile of a long epistle written by the hand of
David Garrick. Two great modern composers—
Felix Mendelssohn and Giacomo Meyerbeer—are,
besides the foregoing celebrities, contributors, also, to
this new number of The Autographic Mirror, other-
wise L'Autographe Cosmopolite. The same may be
said of two celebrated singers, one of England, the
other of Italy—both of them dead and gone—
John Braham and Louis Lablache. To crown all,
there is a fragmentary specimen of the handwriting
and autograph of Adelaide, Marquise de Grille,
better known as Madame Ristori.

ABD-EL-KADER AT., THE BRITISH MUSEUM.—
Yesterday afternoon, about half-past one, the readers o
the British Museum were startled by the apparition of an
Arab chief and numerous attendants parading the reading-
room. The Arab chief was the illustrious Abd-el-Kader,
who arrived, accompanied by the French Consul. The
Emir and his suite on arriving at the museum proceeded to
the offices occupied by Mr. Panizzi, the chief secretary. By
this gentleman the party were conducted over the various
departments of the museum, and the Emir expressed his
astonishment and delight at what he saw—notably the
Egyptian department,
izt which he spent a long time. -