Scorched-Earth Disease Control

When bureaucrats detect a single ill animal, the whole herd must be killed. How long before it’s like that with people, too? Way back in 1858, Nongqause, a prophetess of the Xhosa Tribe in South Africa, had a vision telling her that all cattle of the tribe would have to be slaughtered, having been reared by contaminated hands. She said she had met the spirits of three of her ancestors, who had told her that the Xhosa people should destroy their crops and kill their cattle. In return, the spirits would sweep the British settlers into the sea. Then their...