34 THE HISTORY, NATURE, SYMPTOMS, AND 



not at all to be \vondered at that smallpox spread westward. 

 It must not be forgotten that the countries with which we 

 immediately trade were as healthy as our own in the early days 

 of our importation, and it was only when they had to import for 

 our supplies that they suffered and injured us." 



At this particular period the disease committed great ravages 

 in several counties in England, and continued at intervals to 

 attack fresh flocks for a period of seven years before it was 

 eradicated. This country then remained free from any further 

 outbreak until 1862, when it appeared in Wiltshire. This out- 

 break was believed by many to have originated spontaneously. 

 Professor J. Gamgee visited the parts at this time, making strict 

 and most searching inquiries, from which he concluded as 

 formerly, that it was due to contagion. He thus sums up the 

 result of his inspection : — "The outbreak occurred in one of the 

 choicest flocks in Wiltshire. It was exclusively home bred, and 

 consisted of 992 ewes, 9 rams, and 710 lambs. But the district 

 turns out to be one not unfrequently visited by contagious dis- 

 orders, and my attention was specially directed to the peculi- 

 arities of that portion of the country, which renders it liable to 

 invasions of scab and the foot-and-mouth-disease, as well as the 

 sheep-pox. . . . The lowland portion of the Allington Farm 

 is skirted by the canal ; and it is said that the sheep were near 

 this canal when the disease first broke out. I find, however, 

 that the first case occurred amongst a portion of the flock that 

 had been daily to the down for a week. My authority is the 

 shepherd who drove them. I visited the downs repeatedly, rode 

 .across them with gentlemen who knew the country well, spoke 

 to drovers, shepherds, and other persons, and the more I in- 

 quired, the more evidence did I obtain in confirmation of the 

 facts gleaned by me the first morning I commenced my in- 

 vestigation." 



Nature. 



In studying the nature of sheep-pox we shall confine our 

 remarks on it as observed in the flocks and herds of this country, 

 because we are not sufficiently experienced in its particular 

 phases and variations in foreign countries. Indeed, the reports 

 from the various continental authorities are not agreed as to its 

 regular course. One asserts that it is epizootic — originates and 

 spreads rapidly by contagion or infection, while others maintain 

 that it is enzootic, originates spontaneously, and confined to 

 particular districts or localities. It is very difficult to draw 

 the line of demarcation between an epizootic and enzootic 

 disease. But it is sufficient for our present purpose if we 

 understand epizootic when applied to sheep-pox as existing 

 and spreading rapidly amongst the flocks over an extensive 



