The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-02-28

but is among us-Famlnc may follow. OIL
| the Rindcrpcst, so fatal to cattle on the CON |
tincmt and IN England. but little L. under
stood among our Western people. IA all
the probabilities are that Il will reach this
western continent the present year,
how important 1t l. that we should ac-
quaint ourselves with its history and
character, whether We have the ability to
control its ravagcs or not. The following
account of this terrible nalndy will be
read with interest
Cattle. like men, have been immcmor-
ally subject to epidemic scourges, which
| equal, if they do not sirpass. In mortality,
| the most fatal of human plaques. The
coincidcnt appearances of these pests among
men and beasts are numerous and suggeS-
tive. In Egypt ~ grievous murrain,"
which smote the cattle, was simultaneous
with the plague which was sent by the God
Of Israel TO soften ;hc heart of Pharaoh.
| llemer Plutarch, Livy and Virgil record
the raVagcs of the cattle plague in their
| day; and we find references to the same
subject, at the beginning of the Christian
era and VeteSiils cnlarges upon the same
| theme, three centuries later.
1t was, again, widely prevalent in the
ninth century, having spread throughout
| Europe from the immense herds of cattle
attending the comnissarat of the armies of
! Charlcmagne. At this day, while the Ash
attic cholera held its murdcrous carnival in
| the abodcs of men, the Rinderpcst COM
| lnenced its rcvels In the farm-yards and
cowshcds of England and continental Eu-
rope The cholera has granted u truce and
! gone into winter quarters; but its more fe-
rocious ally allows no respite; it rclent-
lcssly pursucs its ravages, and from day to
day icarfully cnlarges the area of its desc
49,. A. II.
! iQnartcrlics Il history of the cattle plague
in England, from which we condcnse some
statements. The fourteenth century was
remarkable for the frequent occurrence OF
human plaques. Fifteen times during that
century, did "Black-death'' aud its Kindred
4 plaques ravage Europe, almost always ac-
companied by murrains among cattle. In
lSlSrl9 plague of great intensity attacked
the horned cattle of England. They died
H by thousands, and the herdsmen panic
stricken. fled from their herds, which
roamed wildly about the country carrying
the plague into every district Attempts
10 cJnile the diseased cattle were ineilect-
ual owing to the popular belief that they
could communicate the plague to man.
Notwithstanding IN abundant grain har-
vest, the dcarth Of cattle was severely felt,
and the horrors of famine were added to
those of plaques among men and beasts.
About century later, it again appeared,
in company with the sweating sickness"
Its subsequent appearances were in l7l3,
{ l7i5, when it ragged for twelve years. carry
ing off more than five hundred thousand
head of cattle; aud lastly in l7GS. During
this period IL ragged with still greater intcn-
7 sity on the continent. Reliable statistics
fix the number of cattle carried oil by the
disorders in Western Europe, from I'LL to
l79G, mt two hundred millions. The disease
now prevalent in England-which is per-
tectly identified with previous plaques
made Its first appearance In London in June
of last year. 1t was imported from Gallcia
or Hungary, both of which pcst-infected
: countries send cattle to the London market.
/, The Official description of it, used in the
E Orders in Council, Is rs follows:
: "The cattle show great depression OF the
vital powers; frequent shivering, staggcr-
5 ing gait, cold extremities, quick and short
{ breathing, dropping head, Redeemed eyes,
with discharge from them, and also from
\ the nostrils, OF a mucous nature, raw-look-
t ing places on the inner side of the lips and
+ roof of the mouth, diarrhea or dysenteric
: purging"
/ There is n striking correspondence he
: tween this description and descriptions
! given centuries ago of previous plaques in
| England and on the continent. The most
/. learned scientific researches, combined with
b the accumulated experience of the past
the records of which are abundant-haVe
probable cure or preventive for this Viru-
! lent distemper. Scientific theories and In
Z genious and pcrseverng experiments made
i By Veterinary Surgeons and cattle-breedcrs
! of all grades, have proved yalucless. except
: in demonstrating the fact that the Kinder
e pest can not be cured by any known
:, remedy, aud can only be prevented by the
most secure protection from exposure 10
y diseased cattle. or To other animals, men,
y dogs or even birds, which have used about
I infected places. So contagious is this dis
g order, aud SO long does the coDtagion pre-
I, serve its poisoning properties, that the lit
q ter froni the stalls of animals affected With
Il 1t may spread it by being applied as Ina-
'Flllufe TO pastures.
f5tefi the process of tanning docs not re-
move the injection nom the hides of plague
NJ stricken animals; Il may still be communi-
Gated from the leather Indeed, so subtle
!. Is this poison, so easily does II spread-be-
$ ing taken from the rOails over which sick
v cattle have passed and even horne upon the
Is wings Of birds. or upon the air ltself-and
a 10 teharious Is It's hold that the only known
- preventive Is rarely practicable, The NOR
u tality of the plague varies In different
i, countries, II is ascertaincd that rs II adj
E vanccs fiom the Russian steppos to the
North or West, Its mallgnity increases
Thus in Russia, II kllls lifty per cent. OF
the cattle IL attacks; when II reaches Hum
gary the mortality rises 10 ii(ty-hye per
N cent; and Ia England II Is upward of
ninety per cent
81 Tne VOTE az THE SRSATR-Therc worc
q eighteen votes In the United States Senate
= III favor Of the Presidents veto. If the
H eleven Southern States which shOuld have
been representa- had been there. with their
y Twenty-Five Senator'S there would have