Smyrna times., 1866-05-23
MIS- ELAN ECU
ROUNDS WITH A VET"
The Ravages of the Rinderpest.

We have all heard of the rinderpest, or cat
tie disease, but the following gives us a touch
ing picture of the scenes among the various
dairies in England, where the cows have died
off so rapidly 1t was written for sn English
paper:
Il live in one of the midland counties,
where the cattle plague is raging-has ragged,
| should rather say, as it seems now to be dy-
ing out, from the simple reason, that there are
but few beasts lett to be attacked by it; and
going one day last week to my business, which,
| [ may mention, is quite unconnected with ag-
riculture | met gentleman skimmng along
| the frozen road in very light dog cart, drawn
| by beautiful bay. The driver was Mr.. l.,
a veterinary surgeon. A merry looking man,
as busy men often are, who has the supervis-
ion of very large district infected with rim
derpest, and is constantly to be seen flying
about all directions.
"'Where are you going to-day ? inquired.
GO Rounds at + -, he replied an eight
mile drive; it's lovely morning-will you go
with me?'
Il declined the offer, but he detected indie
cision in the tone of my refusal, and unbuttOn
ed the driving-apron, turning it back from the
vacant seat. The temptation was great,
jumped into the dancing vehicle.
60 Emmier whispered my companion affec
tionately over the splash board, and at the
: sound of her name the pretty mare bounded
q away | suffered a slight inconvenience a
first from being partially bonneted by the de
scent at regular intervals OF my drivers Will
on the top OF my hat. | discovered that thi
= was caused by his constantly raising his elboy
| in salutatlOn as he was recognized and greete
> by the people we passed. Sometimes we ha
: to stop at the signal of an upheld finger, to re
!. lieve some friend mind anxious to know 'ho,
3, things were going on; and L thought the IL
ss spector' memory was heavily taxed when h
was called upon to recOllect in moment ho
>" many cows had been lost or saved on all tn
= farms he attended.
"We arrived at length in the neighborhoo
my companion meant to inspect. 1t was h
first visit, it having been previously under ii
% care y Of another inspector, who had signal
failed in his treatment Of the plague for b
had commenced by adopting ridiculous tn
ory, and ended by becoming hOpelessly intox
y Gated. Thus the district had been intrusted
l., who, as he had besides to look after
. large one of his own, found himself almo
" overwhelmed with engagements. On arriviI
at F., little town in picturesque part
the county, surrounded by dairy farms, v
si sought some conductor, who could introdu
"a the inspector to his new sphere of usefullnes
Ip, and found an excellent one in an obliging D
he liceman, who seemed to be on intimate tern
!, with every one in the neighborhood. Und
~, ne his guidance, we drove to farm which lay
Mn short distance beyond the town. My compa
ion, while skillfuly guiding his mare over t
nd difficult road which led to the homestead, leai
h ed from the officer the name and clrcumstanC
le- of the farmer to whom we were going, a
whom we found standing despondently at
eS' door I must here remark, that most OF
ov, farms in this part of the county are held
men in an humble position of life, and cons
i almost entirely of pasture-land, ON which gr
numbers of cows are fed and kept for the
poses of the dairy. ~
Good morning, Mr.. L, said L~
cordially to the farmer sorry to hear you
been so unfortunate. I've Just come 10 II
over your little stock-if you'll allow me-
"'Certainly, sir, he replied; but nave
II \ much left to show you.
'o' "We went to the cow-house the yard,
tered and disused, looked inexpressiby DIRE
Ia, and forsaken; while the numerous empty st;
.sIs- where fve-and twenty healthy cows had st
but short time ago, told their own sad
Of all his beasts, the farmer had only three
naming. Two he showed us, with CLEAN
~ satisfaction in his worn-looking face, cha
each other in a field some distance away. III
had recovered-the third was evidently in
advanced stage of the disease and, at o gla
ct, the inspector saw that its case was a hop,
one. A poor, lean animal, it stood with dr.
A. ing head and quiyering limbs-a touching
1feh ture of misery.
St ",You must kill her, Mr.. -, said L.