Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-09-29
Cattle Plague of the Old World.


its way steadily and relentlessly from its
Oriental home to the countries Of the
West, another pestilence, apparently one
Of the plaques of ancient Egypt, "the
murrain Of CATTLE" is preceding it, appar-
emily to "prepme the way, aud make the
paths straight"
A year ago, it was in Egypt, and a
million seven hundred thousand cattle
persisted from the herds of that country.
Passing around the Mediterranean, it
made its way norihward into Russia and
the countries on the Danube, Poland,
Silesia, Gallica. Hungary, Austria, Bo-
hemia and Morava were visited and de-
populated of their cattle with astonishing
rapidly. In the eagerness to avoid to-
tai loss, the owners Of neat stock, sold a
large number OF their animals to be trans
ported TO Hamburg and thence to Eng
land.
A correspondent of the London Times
writing from Vienna under date of Au-
gust 7tb, says that it is called the Lung
enseuche, or pulmonary disease, and dis
courses concerning it as follows:
"The first symptoms of pneumonia pc.
corum episoOtios tgpyosa, are doleful-
ness and feeblenes', with difficulty Of
breathing. The animals stand with their
heads hanging down; their ears are pen
dulous, their eyes fixed. The inner skin
of the nose is pale, the inner bart OF the
mouth is Shiny the body, hcrIs, ears
and legs are cool, the skin is dry, and
the hair rough and hristIy. The fl s.
stage of the malady, during which there
is little or no fever, lasts from fortnight
to three weeks. The symptoms during
the second stage, are feverish movements,
violent shiverings exacerbation toward
evening increased difficulty 10 breath
ing, with dry, hollow, spasmodic cough.
In very many cases there is no cough
during the first stage of the malady,-I
The appetite is generally good, though
tho animals ruminate bat little. The
COW gives as much milk as usual, but il
is thin, and of blush color. AS the
malady progresses, the animals get very
weak and faint; sometimes they are cold
the hair on the back and withers stand on
end; the eyes are red and wide open,
the neck aud head are stretched out, the
excretions are partially suppressed
The second stage, during which there is
still chance that the animal may be
saved, lasts four or FIVE days. The third
stage, during which the fever assumes
putrid form, need not be described, as it
invariably ends in DEATH"
Such murIains have occurred over and
over again in Europe, and an infectious
distemper is supposed TO prevail perma-
nently among the vast herds which are
pastared in Siberia and on the steppes of
Asia. 1t depopulated the pasturages of
the continent in the time Of Theodosius
it followed Charlemagne back from Den
mark, and made havoc of the French
herds it scourged Europe in the years
8l7, in 1928, and again in 1925. The
worst instances Of all, however, occurred
from l710 to 1717. On that occasion
the steppe-murrain passed by way Of
Tartary, Russia and Poland, all over the
West and in the first three years 1909
900 oxen persisted.
In 1745 it prevailed in New Zealand
in 1870 Holland lost in one year, 375.
AL of her horned cattle and in 1894 it
followed Napoleon into Italy, and Pied
mont alone paid for bis march with three
million head. Faust, in the FeuiHe du
CuitiUateur, estimates the loss to France
and Belgium, between 1913 and 1896
at the enormous total o. 100000 ami
mails. In 1906, when the Cossacks Of
the Don mustered on the Vistula, their
bullocks brought the pestilence again,
and Schwarnzenberg' invasion of France
at the head of the allied forces 10 1912,
imported it.
1t is related that in 1745 the same pes
thence crossed the sea in parcel Of dis
tempered hides from Zealand, which were
forbidden sale there, and should have
been buried but covetous knave sold
them for leather and the plague struck
the cattle and spread from Essex all
over the Kingdom. On that occasion it
ragged for twelve years, hut lot till the
third year did the government take up
the matter so seriously as to order that
every infected animal should be Instantly
destroyed, and in this way alone $4,000
were killed and paid for, while at least
100000 died of the malady.
In 1747, 10000 persisted in Noting
hamshire and Leicestershire, and 10000
in Cheshire within six months. Dele ]