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unusual character of the disease was first recognised. The cows first attacked were
standing with some others in a quarantine shed, and had been purchased at the
Metropolitan Cattle Market, on June 19th. It is stated that these cases were not
absolutely the first in the kingdom. These were English cows ; but it is stated that
two Dutch cows, purchased at the same market on the same day, had been attacked
at Lambeth on the 24th. From the quarantine shed the disease passed across the
yard in which the dung from all the animals is placed to the large shed, containing 80
or 90 cows. Several of the cases speedily died, or were destroyed, and a great many
of the cows were sent from the shed to the market for sale. In fact, on the Monday
succeeding the outbreak of the disease, Mr. Priestman asserts that he saw from 200 to
300 diseased cows which had been brought from various dairies. From these centres
in Islington, the disease rapidly spread; but the fact of its existence was kept so
secret between the cow-keepers and the Veterinary Surgeons that it was not until July
7th that I became acquainted with it. I immtfdiately made the necessary inquiries
and took opportunities of studying the disease by personal examination of affected
beasts, both alive and after death. The results of my inquiries I communicated at
once to the Sanitary Committee, and at their recommendation the Vestry appointed
special Inspectors to visit sheds, and report under my direction. From that time I
had facilities for watching the progress of the disease.
At the outbreak of the disease in June, there were in the parish 71 licensed
cow-sheds, (or rather separate establishments), containing an average of 1,317 cows.
By the close of September, 2G of these establishments were quite empty, and the
number of cows in the parish was reduced to 314, distributed among 45 establishments.
Many of the cow-keepers had sent away or sold off their stock, merely from alarm.
The number of cows which I learned up to this time had been attacked with the
disease was 628. The earliest sheds attacked by the disease, after Mr. Nicholls',
were Dennison's, in Swan Yard; Wingroves', in Queen Street; Wingroves', in
Elmore Street; Liddiard's, in Hale Street; and Harvey's, in Duncan Street. After
these it spread generally. The order of attack, as nearly as it could be traced, is stated
in my Table, published in the Appendix to the 2nd Report of the Cattle Plague
Commissioners. By the close of October only 23 establishments were quite empty,
partly because cows had been again brought in as the first panic subsided. The
disease had spread altogether to 40 sheds, (one of them unlicensed), and the total
number of cows that had been attacked was 643.
By the close of Novetnber—when I was examined by the Royal Commissioners—the
disease had appeared in 47 sheds, and there were 23 sheds empty. The
total number of cases had risen to 694, of which 611 had died or been
slaughtered on account of the plague. The number of cows then in the
parish was 314, of which 5 were at that time ill.
By the end of December 48 sheds had been attacked, and 25 sheds out of those
licensed at the Michaelmas Sessions were empty. From the commencement