biology

Murrain

Murrain is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Murrain rather than just read about it. In short: The word "murrain" (like an archaic use of the word "distemper") is an antiquated term covering various infectious diseases affecting cattle and sheep. The word originates from Middle English moreine or moryne, in parallel to Late Latin morina ("plague"), a probable derivative of Latin mori ("to die").

Key takeaways

Murrain belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Murrain to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Murrain from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The word "murrain" (like an archaic use of the word "distemper") is an antiquated term covering various infectious diseases affecting cattle and sheep. The word originates from Middle English moreine or moryne, in parallel to Late Latin morina ("plague"), a probable derivative of Latin mori ("to die"). The word "murrain", much like the word "pestilence", did not refer to a specific disease but rather served as an umbrella term for what veterinary science now recognises as a number of different diseases with high morbidity and mortality, such as rinderpest, erysipelas, foot-and-mouth disease, anthrax, and streptococcus infections. Some of these livestock diseases can also affect humans. The term "murrain" also referred to an epidemic of such a disease. There were major sheep- and cattle-murrains in Europe during the 14th century, which, combined with the Little Ice Age, resulted in the Great Famine of 1315–1317, weakening the population of Europe before the onset of the Black Death in 1348.

Biblical references 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."

"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".

For at least a dozen years, 1745-1757, a murrain made such tragic inroads upon the cattle of England that the virtual extinction of entire herds was frequently recorded. Within the period of greatest mortality, at least half a million cattle perished from the disease or were killed by official orders.

Notes

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Murrain

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Murrain claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Murrain before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Murrain ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Murrain

In research: Murrain appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Murrain in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Murrain is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Curses, Livestock, Ruminant diseases, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Murrain outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Murrain in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Murrain means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Murrain out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Murrain in simple terms?

Why does Murrain matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Murrain?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Murrain.