Most esteemed Sir!

In a chronicle of the principality of Pless, penned by privy counsellor Schaeffer, I found the following case that should be of interest to you.²

At the end of December 1827, the rinderpest broke out in the local district. “The contagion was introduced through Podolian cattle”.³ At the beginning of January 1828 the disease broke out among the cattle of the princely demesne Jaroschowitz, a herd comprising 85 head of cattle.⁴ After 28 had died by 11 January, the remaining 57 were “inoculated with the rinderpest by the order of senior executive officer and senior medical officer Lorinser of Oppeln”.⁵

Of these 57 head of cattle, 51 died within 9 days, the remaining 6 lived. “What is noteworthy about this is that only 2 draught oxen survived the disease and they were of the Podolian race, and that 2 other oxen of the same race, despite having been inoculated twice, never contracted the disease”.⁶

So far the report. The explanation appears simple. The rinderpest originated in the Podolian, Galician,⁷ Hungarian etc. steppes. The cattle there have acquired almost perfect immunity against the disease through natural selection.

Allow me, most esteemed Sir, to assure you of my highest respects, remaining | most devoted | Witte | senior master at the grammar school | of Pless.