, 1865-12-19
Post Magazine and Insurance Monitor, Oct. IA.
SANITARY
(Concluded.)

1t is not for me here to discuss the question
of the nature and origin of this plague. But
should there be any persons who are doubling
either that this disease is contagious, or what
are the best steps to be taken to arrest it, I
would urge upon their attention the facts
which have already accumulated on this SUBJ
ject, for the purpose of removing that hesita-
ton in adopting preventive measures which is
as fatal in cattle as in human diseases. In an
able paper read by DR.. w Budd, at the last
meeting of the British Medical association, he
has clearly pointed out the close similarity of
this disease to human typhoid fever, and ex-
pressed his opinion that it is quite as nearly
related to that disease as the smallpox of
the sheep is to the human mall pox. That
it spreads and behaves itself as a contagious
disease, | have had the opportunity of observ-
ing in the parishes of Hampstead and Hendon.
In the now celebrated case of Lord Granville's
COWS at his farm at Golder's Green, Hendon,
the disease appeared in some COWS not belong
ing to his lordShip, but which were kept in a
meadow contiguous to his lordship's farm. The
disease broke out on that farm in the largest
and best ventilated cOWShed of three that con-
tanned altogether 140 cows. Now this cowshed,
which contained at least 1900 cubic feet Of
space for each COW, against a much smaller
space for the other COWS, was the one in which
the disease first appeared. If dirt, Overcrowd-
ing, or want Of ventilation had anything to do
with this disease it would not have broken out
in that shed. But that shed is situate on the
common foot-path from Child's Hill, to Golder's
Green, and men, women and children are con-
tinuaIly passing and repassing that CoWShed
from the meadow in which the COWS were dis
eased. Knowing, as We do, that the excretions
of these animals must contain the poison germs
Of the disease, we can have little doubt as to
how the cattle plague got into that well-kept
and well ventilated shed on Lord Granyille's
farm, Studying this disease from the three
fold point of view of its poison, the means of
its communication, and the predispoSition of its
victims, we are struck at once with the fact
that 1t is not the lambs, or the bullOckS, or bar
rem COWS that are attacked, but it is the mich
COW We cannot fail to see a cause of this
prediSposition in the comparatively unnatural
condition in which the mich COW is kept for the
purpose of obtaining from her milk all the year
round, that gives to her beyond all her congo
ners, the tendency to take this disease. In
such facts as this we may see beyond the law
which devastates our 1ocks-a law maintaining
the integrity and strength of the species by
letting loose OF poisons to destroy the weak and
those which are likely to produce an enfeebled
race. Nay, even further, is not this the great
lesson that we should learn from the epidemic
attacks of these poison fevers are they not
sent to take from us the constitutionally weak
and feeble, so that the race may retain its reign
upon the earth This, however, must be no
excuse for Incidence in doing all We can to
place our race in such a position that it NAV
successfully defy the attacks of poison, and each
member of a community be the p~ossessor of all
the highest physical qualities of his race. But
/ must pass on with the consideration of the