24 SMALL-roX IN SHKKP. 



imi)orters. Some of these purchases have been made 

 directly on the arrival of the sheep, and at all periods 

 of the year ; and he has kept the animals on every 

 variety of food, but no cases of the disease have occur- 

 red in his flock. AVcre it necessary, we could mention 

 many similar focts to support our opinion, that neither 

 the sea voyage, temporary privation of food, excitement 

 of over-dri\ing, nor change of climate, management, 

 or keep, has, separately or combined, been the cause 

 of the malady. 



That variola ovina has appeared in several places, 

 and almost at the same time, cannot be denied : this 

 was to be expected, and may easily be explained. In 

 France and Germany, the best authorities agree in 

 stating that the sheep in some localities, as in the 

 neighbourhood' of Paris, are seldom free from the 

 affection : here, then, is one centre from which conta- 

 gion may extend, and many similar centres may doubt- 

 less be found in the continental states : thus we have, 

 in part, an explanation of the fact that every few years 

 sheep-pox becomes more rife. We have been informed 

 that in Hamburgh market a separate place is assigned 

 to sheep that shew any symptoms of contamination, or 

 which are known to have come from a district where 

 the disease exists ; and we have reason to believe that 

 a large proportion of the sheep exported from Ham- 

 burgh to London are purchased of persons either in 

 the market, or of farmers and others who reside within 

 such a distance as to allow of the animals being shipped 

 by cattle-dealers with but little delay. No surprise 

 can therefore be felt at the circumstance that an affec- 

 tion which, although highly contagious, lies dormant in 

 the Hijsiein for many days, should find its way to this 



