Murrain

The term murrain is also used in some Bible translations relating to the fifth plague brought upon Egypt. Exodus 9:3: "Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain." 's "The Murrain of Beasts" (or "The Fifth Plague: Livestock Disease"), one of his many illustrations for La Grande Bible de Tours (1866). "Pestilence", which is mentioned 47 times in 46 verses of the Bible, can be translated "murrain" by Christian apologists. [Enhanced Strong's Lexicon]. see Psalms 91:3 KJV The word in Hebrew is דֶּבֶר "dever" (Strong's #01698), derived from the primitive root "dabar" in the sense of "to destroy." ==Superstitions==

In some parts of Scotland, force-fire was believed to cure it. In some remote regions of Cumbria, England, and the Isle of Man, murrain is still used as a term for a curse, specifically one placed upon land or livestock. It is believed that the medieval term has, by a process of syncreticism become synonymous with witchcraft. This usage inspired the ATV television play, Murrain, written by Manxman Nigel Kneale, which was broadcast on 27 July 1975 as part of the channel's Against the Crowd drama strand. ==Distemper among cattle in England, 1745–1757==

In those years, acts of the Parliament of Great Britain were passed to "more effectually to prevent the spreading of distemper which now rages amongst the horned cattle in this kingdom". == Notes ==