The Plague at Marseilles Consider'd by Richard Bradley (online e book reader TXT) 📕

not carried on by some volatile Insect, that is able to make only such short flights as may amount to such Computations: For the account of the Ancients concerning the grand pestilential Contagions, is very little satisfactory to this Age, who derive it from a blind Putrefaction, from the incantations of ill Men, or from the conjunction of inauspicious Planets.

 

The following Account we have from Dr. Bernard Ramizzini, concerning the Contagion among the Black Cattle about Padua, Translated from Acta Erudit.

In the Year 1712 a dreadful and violent Contagion seiz’d the Black Cattle, which, like an increasing Fire, could neither be extinguish’d nor stopt by any Human means.

This First was observ’d in Agro Vincentino, and Discover’d it self more openly in the Country, spreading every way, even to the very Suburbs of Padua, with a cruel Destruction of the Cows and Oxen. It was also in Germany, in many Places; and is not yet wholly conquer’d.

Of this Distemper, Dr. Ramazzini made a particular Dissertation; in which he inquir’d into the Causes of the Distemper, and what Remedies might be us’d, to put a stop to its violent Course.

It is evident, that this Distemper in Cows and Oxen was a true Fever, from the coldness of the Cattle at first, which was soon succeeded by a violent burning, with a quick Pulse. That this Fever was pestilential, its concomitant Symptoms plainly show, as difficulty of breathing, a Drowziness at the beginning; a continued Flux of a nauseous Matter from the Nose and Mouth, fetid Dung, sometimes with Blood, Pustules breaking out over the whole Body on the fifth or sixth Day, like the Small-Pox; they generally dyed about the fifth or seventh Day.

The Author tells us, that out of a great Drove, such as the Merchants bring yearly into Italy out of Dalmatia and the bordering Countries, one Beast happen’d to straggle from the rest, and be left behind; which a Cowherd brought to a Farm belonging to the Count Borromeo: This Beast infected all the Cows and Oxen of the Place where he was taken in, with the same Distemper he labour’d under; the Beast it self dying in a few Days, as did all the rest, except one only, who had a Rowel put into his Neck.

’Tis no strange thing therefore, if from the Effluvia, proceeding from the sick and dead Cattle, and from the Cow-Houses and Pastures where they were fed, and perhaps from the Cloaths of the Cowherds themselves, this Infection falling upon a proper Subject, should diffuse it self so largely. When therefore this subtile venomous Exhalation happens to meet with any of the Cow-kind, joining it self with the serous Juices and Animal Spirits, ’tis no wonder it should disorder the natural Consistence of the Blood, and corrupt the Ferments of the Viscera; whence it follows, that the natural Functions of the Viscera are vitiated, and the requisite Secretions stopt. For Dr. Ramazzini not only supposes, but asserts, that a Poison of this kind, rather fixes and coagulates, than dissolves the Blood: For beside the forementioned Symptoms accompanying the Disease, the Eye it self is a Witness; since the dead Carcases being open’d while they are yet hot, little or no Blood runs out; those Animals having naturally a thick Blood, especially when the fever has continued so many Days. And he adds, that whether this Plague came first from the Foreign Beast, or any other way, it only had its Effect upon some Animal, in which there was the morbid Seminary or Ground prepared for it.

In the dead Bodies of all the Cattle, it was particularly observ’d, that in the Omasus, or Paunch, there was found a hard compact Body, firmly adhering to the Coats of the Ventricle, of a large Bulk, and an intolerable Smell: In other Parts, as in the Brain, Lungs, &c. were several Hydatides, and large Bladders fill’d only with Wind, which being open’d, gave a disagreeable Stink: there were also Ulcers at the Root of the Tongue; and Bladders fill’d with a Serum on the sides of it. This hard and compact Body, like Chalk, in the Omasus, the Author takes to be the full Product of the contagious Miasma. He adds a Prognostick, believing that from so many Attempts and Experiments, and the Method observ’d in the Cure of this Venom, at last a true and specifick Remedy will be found out to extirpate the poisonous Malignity wholly: He also expects some mitigation of it, from the approaching Winter and North Winds. He does not think this Contagion can affect Human Bodies, since even other Species of ruminating Animals, symbolizing with the Cow-kind, are yet untouch’d by it; nor was the Infection taken by the Air, after the dead Bodies had been carefully Buryed.

As for the Cure of it: From the Chirurgical part, he commends Bleeding, burning on both sides the Neck with a broad red-hot Iron, making Holes in the Ears with a round Iron, and putting the Root Hellebore in the Hole, a Rowel or Seton under the Chin, in the Dew-laps; he also orders the Tongue and Palate to be often wash’d and rub’d with Vinegar and Salt.

He recommends the Use of Alexipharmicks, and specifick Cordials; and three Ounces of Jesuits Bark, infus’d in ten or twelve Pints of Cordial Water or small Wine, to be given in four or five Doses; which is to be done in the beginning of the Fever, when the Beast begins to be Sick. Or else two Drams of Sperma-Cæti dissolv’d in warm Wine. Again he prescribes Antimonium Diaphoreticum. Against Worms breeding, an Infusion of Quicksilver, or Petroleum and Milk is to be given. And lastly, as to the Food, he directs Drinks made with Barley or Wheat Flower or Bread, like a Ptisane, fresh sweet Hay made in May and macerated in fair Water. In the mean time the Cattle must be kept in a warm Place, and Cloath’d, daily shaking Fumigations in the Cow-Houses with Juniper Berries, Galbanum, and the like. As to Prevention, he enjoyns Care in cleaning the Stalls, and scraping the Crust off from the Wall; Care also is to be taken of their Food, the Hay and Straw not spoil’d by Rain in the Making; and he judges their Food ought to be but sparing: He likewise recommends currying, with a Comb and Brush; with Setons under their Chin, made with a hot Iron run through the Part, and kept open with a Rope put through it.

After which we have the Receipt: Or the Ingredients of a Medicine for the speedy Cure of that mortal Distemper amongst Cows; sent over from Holland, where a like Distemper raged among the Black Cattel.

Recipe Veronicæ, Pulmonariæ, Hyssopi, Scordii, ana M. iv. Rad. Aristolohiæ rotundæ, Gentianæ, Angelicæ, Petasitidis, Tormentillæ, Carlinæ, ana unc. 12. Bac. Lauri & Juniperi, ana unc. 12. Misc. fiat Pulvis.

Bleed the Cow, and give her three or 4 Mornings successively, an Ounce of this Powder, with a Horn, in warm Beer.

If the Cow continues Distemper’d, after the Omission 2 or 3 Days, repeat the Medicine for 3 or 4 Days again.

I cannot help taking Notice likewise of the raging Distemper which was among the Cows about London, Anno 1714. It was so Violent and Infectious, that if one had it, all others that came within Scent of her, or even eat where she Grazed, were surely infected; it seized their Heads, and was attended with running at the Nose, and a very nauseous Breath, which killed them in three or four Days. The Herdsmen would not allow it to be the Murrain, nor could give any Account from whence it did proceed, or could find out any Remedy against it; they only tell us the unusual dry Summer, and the continued East-Winds, were the occasion of it. This Distemper had been for two or three Years before it came to us, in Lombardy, Holland, and Hambrough, to the Loss almost of all their Cattle. The States of Holland caused a Medicine to be published for the Good of those who had their Cattle thus Distemper’d; but having been try’d here, ’twould not Cure one in seven, but rather increased the Infection by keeping the distemper’d Cattle longer alive (by some Days) than they would have been without it. ’Tis remarkable, that no Oxen had this Distemper, but only Milch-Cows, which were more tender than the Males. The Herdsmen to keep their Cattle from the Infection, let them Blood in the Tail, and rubb’d their Noses and Chaps with Tar; and when any happened to die of it, they were burnt, and buried deep under Ground. It began at Islington, spreading it self over many Places in Middlesex and in Essex, but did not reach so far Westward from London as twenty Miles.

The most general Opinion concerning the Cause of this Distemper, was, that the Cattle were first infected by drinking some unwholesome standing Water, where ’tis probable some Poisonous Insects were lodged and bred; the Summer having been extreamly dry, attended almost constantly with Easterly Winds, the Grass almost burnt up, and the Herbs of the Gardens destroyed by Insects; but such as they were, (unfit for Table Use) were given to the Cattle. There was likewise so great want of Water, that many were forced to drive their Cows five or six Miles to it.

The Electuary publish’d upon this Occasion by the States of Holland, was compos’d of most, if not all the Drugs used in the most serviceable Medicines that were made use of against the Plague among Men; most of which Ingredients we know to be mortal to Insects, as strong scented Roots and Herbs; but above all, Aromatick Gums and Saps of Plants; as Rhue, Garlick, Pitch, Tar, Frankincense and Olibanum. These Ingredients are much used in France and Italy to prevent or destroy Infection, by burning them and smoaking such Bodies, Letters, or any other things as are brought from infected Places, after they have made Quarantain, and are not suffered to come on Shore ’till they have undergone this Operation.

It is not against Experience, that Insects can live and encrease in Animal Bodies: How often do we find Men, Women and Children troubled with Worms? What Varieties of those Insects are often voided by them? And how should that be, if they were not either suck’d into the Stomach with the Breath, or taken into it with some unwholesome Food? For they cannot breed in such Bodies from nothing, without either their Eggs or themselves are brought thither by some Accident: For if they were the natural Produce of Animal Bodies, they would then be alike common to all, which we know they are not.

I have been informed, that in the Year 1714, when this Mortality among the Cows was at its height, that towards the End of the Summer, some Farmers brought in fresh Cattel, and turning them into the same Fields, where many Cows had died before, they took the Infection and died likewise; but the following Spring those Fields were void of Infection, and the Cows that were put into them did very well, but what were then put into the Cow-Houses, where the sick Cows had been the Year before, were seiz’d with the Distemper, and died; which seems to inform us, that it was the Effect of Insects, which thro’ the Warmth of those Stalls were preserv’d from the Severity of the Winter’s Frost; but such as were left in the open Fields were destroy’d by the Cold. I have heard that a Woman about Camberwell cured Six in Seven of her Cows, by giving them once a Week an Infusion of Rhue and Ale-wort.

But it may be ask’d, why these infectious Distempers, subject to Men,