Cattle-Plague
any plague by which large numbers of cattle are destroyed. Such plagues have existed at intervals, more or less, in all countries CAUCASIA and in all ages. Among the severer visitations in centuries preceding the 19th may be mentioned a great plague which arose in Hungary in 1711, whence it spread to other countrics, destroying in the next three years about on and a half millions of cattle. A second visitation, which affected England and the W. of Europe, between 1745 and 1756, caused the death of about three millions of cattle.
The name is given in the United States specifically to the disease known as "Texas fever," the scientific name of which is pleuro-pneumonia. Although this pest has from time to time broken out endemically, there has never been any general epidemic here such as has afflicted other countries. The appellation "cattle plague" is also loosely given to another disease among cattle in the United States, which is otherwise known as "lumpy-jaw," a most virulent and incurable affection. Experiments have been time and again ineffectually tried to find a cure for this, though large governmental encouragement has been offered. A rigid examination of cattle is made by government inspectors at all receiving and shipping ports.