The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-01-21


Is the Cattle Plague SmalI-Pox 1--
Curious Medical SpecuIations il
England.
The London Lancet, the leading med
icsl journal in England, contains tn
following
" The report Of Or. Murchison's dis
sections Of the diseased cattle, whiel
appeared N the Lancet as long ago a
August q, showed Clearly that the rim
derpest was not the pathological equiv
Rlent Of human typhoid fever, and We
believe We are correct in stating that
this opinion has been confirmed by ev-
cry subsequent observer From Dr.
Murchison's present communication,
however 1t Is obvious that there exists
q very strong analogy, IL not absolute
identity, between the rinderpest and
smallpox The arguments BY which
this view IS supported deserve serious
consideration It appears that in ali
cases Of cattle plague there is an erup-
ton on the skin, sometimes popular aud
postular, ike that Of variola; at other
times consisting Of hattened vesicles,
Ike those OF cow-pox. The two dis
eases also resemble one another in their
general symptoms aud anatomical le-
sions, in their period of Incubation and
duration, and in their extreme conta~
giousness and cspability Of propagation
by incubation. There are even some
grounds for believing that rinderpest
may communicate cOW-pox to the hu-
man subject, aud the reason why this
accident has not happened oftener may
be due, as Dr. MurohisoR suggests, 10
the fact that most Of the inhabitants
Of this country are projected by vac
cinatiOn.
1t slsO appears that the physicians
who 50 carefully described the cattle
plague in the last century constantly
alluded to the eruption, and compared
II to that of smallpox If the view now
referred to be correct, il is impossible 10 I
over-estimste its Importance. A rene
dy is &c once placed in our hands for /
arrestiug the spread Of the cattle /
plague, which has already come 10 be |
as a great national calamity. |
We prevent the fatal form of small |
pOx in the human subject By inducing /
q mild form Of the disesae through vac |
If rinderpest be q severe
form OF smallpox in cattle, why may it
not also be prevented by inducing in
cattle the mild form Of the disease, or
ordinary cow-pox? This We know can
be done 10y inoculating them with vac
cine lymph, OF with the matter Of hu-
man smallpox.
mo time ought 10 be lost in adopting
DR.. Murchison' s suggestion, to ascertain
whether cattle, after such innOculation
Do proof against the TiH3srpsst In the
mean time, valuable information might
)e obtained from members Of our pro-
ession practicing in those parts of the
country where ordinary cOw-pOx is
Known to prevail Many remarkable |
Instances have been recorded where
Individual cattle or entire herds have
'scsped in the midst OF surrounding /
,estilenoe. Can it be shown this ex.
mptiOn has been due to their having
previously from tine COW pox2 !
{ seems, however, that the ordinary
oW-pox has for some years been diving
iut in this country, so that il has been
iticult to obtain fresh lymp direct
rom the COW, aud thUs the cattle Of
his country are probably less protected
han formerly against the vaFiola in
evere form. If this be 50, there is no
easOn why vaccination should not be
,raoticed as commonly among cattle as
.mong men. The above Investigations
lave been carried out in connection
nth. the experimental inquiries insti-
uted at the instance of the medical
ommittee Of the Cattle Plague Com
Mission Their former recommends
ion as 10 the arrest of traffic in cattle
5 now being urgently pressed on the
government by the farmers at large; |
nd if the views enumerated by Doctor | {
1urchisOn should prove correct, the
alue Of the service Of tie Royal Com
Mission viii be OF the highest national /
Importance Ii