20 8 On Inoculating Zheep for the Scab. -^^g* 



by a fimiicir tr.-mfmiirion from the former ? Or, at lead, why 

 miiy we not julljy conckule that the means, employed to prevent 

 or obviate certain clifeaf.'>j In the human fpecies, may alfo, with 

 equal fucCcfs bo cmployeti to obviate anak^^ous difeafes in tlie 

 inferior animals ? It is to this latter point I wilh to direcl your 

 attention ; for ir Uf.zVj is an objccl wortliy tlie attention of the 

 farmer, breeder, ;tnd improver'. 



. As a matter of fpeciilarion, i have for fome time conceived, 

 that the InfeiTtious cutaneous d.ifeafe incident to flieep, common- 

 ly known by the name of ^cab^ v/hich, in fome fituations parti- 

 cularly, and, in general, dclcteiioufiy attacks our flocks, may 

 (upon the principle already advanced) be prevented or confider- 

 ably checked by a procefs iimilar to that practifed in the human 

 fpecies in cow and fmall-pox, viz. by an inoculation with the 

 'uirus of the difeafe. 



Whatever caufc phyiiologifis may atlign, it is an un- 

 doubted fa(ft that infectious maladies are much lefs malignant 

 and deftrudive in their confequences when propagated by ino- 

 culation, than when allowed to 'diHeminate themfelves by natu- 

 ral contagion, which is evinced by inoculated fmall-pox in the 

 human fpecies. Now, as this fa(fl holds as well with regard to 

 one race of animals as to another, we have thus a prefumptive 

 argument in favour of the pofition advanced. The experimental 

 proof is all which is further required to fatlsfy us with regard to 

 the expediency of inoculating fheep for this difeafe : to con- 

 vince us, in the firfl: place, that the difeafe is really milder when 

 propagated in this way •, and, in the fecond place, that the ani- 

 mal is not fufceptible of the infection a fecond time. This more 

 convincing f,-ecies of demonilration i regret not having myfijlf 

 been able to bring forward, as the m^ans of a6lual experiment 

 have not been diredly under my powdr. From this want of ex- 

 periment 1 have delayed communicating thefe ideas to you at an 

 earlier period, averfe as your compilation prcfeiles itfelf to be, 

 to mere fpeculation unfur-ported by i\Qi ; and the fame confider- 

 ation might have deferred them to a later period, had I not acci- 

 dentally found myfelf anticipated in the experiment, by an in- 

 dividual, whofe rank and fituation enabling him to make it on a 

 hrger fcale, rendered it confequently alfo the more decifive. 



In the late Court Gazette from Vienna, there is the following 

 Intimation : — * Among the experiments and difcoveries in rural 

 ceconomy, which, on account of their utility, deferve to be pub- 

 lillied, we mark thofe of the Counfellor flolfmaillre, diredor of 

 the edate and domains belonging to th.e Imperial family. He 

 has on his grounds more than twenty-four thoufand flieep of the 

 ipaiiilh breed, liaving loft, for fome years, a great many of 



them, 



