Variola : Shceppox. 355 



(oat, bran, linseed, barley, wheat middlings) is good, while for 

 the weak, gruels of oat meal, barley meal, linseed meal, or the 

 same agents dry, may be given. Powdered saltpeter may be 

 given in this (1 oz. to 8 or 10 sheep) and common salt allowed to 

 be licked at will. Drinking water may be given pure, or slightly 

 acidulated with sulphuric or hydrochloric acid, or hyposul- 

 phite or bisulphite of soda may be used as a substitute for the 

 latter. The bowels are usually costive, and may be relieved at 

 first by 3 ozs. of sodic sulphate, and later, if need be, by soapy 

 injections. Often during the course of the disease a sudden 

 access of fever may be cut short by a mild laxative, if that is not 

 contra-indicated by existing diarrhoea. 



Avoid giving heating agents to bring out the eruption. The 

 severity of any case and the danger of complex infection are 

 usually in ratio with the extent of the eruption. 



Lotions of hyposulphite of soda may be applied to the affected 

 parts from the first, and even weak lotions of chloride of zinc 

 after the maturation of the pustules. For the eyes, nose and 

 mouth antiseptic lotions may be called for. 



In the advanced stages, in weak subjects, tonics and stimulants 

 may prove useful. To the mineral acid, quinine (10 grain doses) 

 or gentian (drachm doses) or other bitter may be added for val- 

 uable stock. 



Treatment is only permissible in the case of very valuable 

 animals and when they are surrounded with the most perfect 

 antiseptic precautions, to prevent the escape of the infection. 



Prevention. As in all dangerous infections this must be the 

 preeminent object, and when a new country has been invaded by 

 the disease, no sentiment nor alleged value of affected or exposed 

 animals should be made the warrant for treatment, nor stand in 

 the way of the extinction of the plague by the most rigorous 

 measures. The recovery of an individual flock is never to be put 

 in the balance with the danger to which other flocks are thereby 

 exposed. To avoid smuggling away of exposed animals, and 

 consequent spread of the disease, the loss should be met by the 

 commonwealth and no foolish idea of administrative economy, 

 should tempt a stock owner to endanger the flocks of a whole 

 nation. 



Sheep and goats from countries where sheeppox exists should 

 be absolutely excluded. If, in exceptional cases they are allowed 



