17 



CHAPTER II. 



History of the Introduction of Sheep-pox into 

 England — Experiment of exposing a Sheep to 

 THE Disease — Inoculation with the Ovine Virus, 



On September 4th, 1847, I was consulted by Mr. 

 Statham, farmer, of Datchett, near Windsor, with re- 

 ference to a cutaneous disease of a destructive nature 

 that had broken out among his sheep. I was informed 

 by him that he had purchased fifty-six sheep of the 

 Spanish breed in Smithfield market on the 26th of 

 July. Before putting them with others, he placed them 

 in a separate pasture, with a view to ascertain if they 

 were free from Eczema Epizootica, whicli so fre- 

 quently makes its appearance after sheep have been 

 driven from one place to another. No symptom of tliis 

 disease ha^^ng shewn itself at the termination of a week, 

 the sheep were allowed to mingle with a flock of about 

 two hundred " Downs," which at that time appeared to 

 be in perfect health. 



A few days subsequently, while going over his 

 grounds, Mr. Statham saw one of the " Spanish sheep" 

 standing apart from the others ; and on examining it, 

 he found the surface of its body covered with eruption, 

 which he thought resulted only from the stings of 

 wasps or hornets, and on that account the animal was 

 not removed. 



On the following day several more of the " Merinos" 

 were found to be similarly affected ; and from this time 



D 



