36 



CHAPTER III. 



OviNATION OF A SlIEEP REMARKS ON THE EXPERI- 

 MENT — Case of Natural Variola — Diseased 

 Sheep sold in Smithfield— Communication and 

 Interview with the Board of Trade — Govern- 

 ment Measures — Extract from " The Mark 

 Lane Express" — Quarantine, and Observations 

 on it — Prophylactics — Letter from Capt. J. S. 

 Carr — Seizure of Variolous Sheep — Police 

 Reports — Exposure of a Heifer to Sheep-pox. 



The transmission of variola ovina, both by inocula- 

 tion and by exposure of healthy to infected sheep, 

 being proved by the cases described in the preceding 

 Chapter, it was resolved to adopt a different method 

 from that recorded, of introducing the ovine virus into 

 the system ; for we had to ascertain whether the death 

 of the sheep, in Experiments 2 and 3, depended on 

 the plan of inoculation, or on the matter used for that 

 pui-pose : throughout the progress of the disease the 

 patients' sufferings were so severe, and the fever which 

 accompanied the variolous eruption was of such a cha- 

 racter, as to make us very doubtful of their recovery, 

 even from the commencement of their illness. That 

 this febrile excitation was to be chiefly referred to the 

 matter employed for ovination will, doubtless, be ad- 

 mitted ; yet we resolved to test this by experiment, to 

 satisfy ourselves fully upon the point. It was import- 

 ant to decide on the true cause of these unfavourable 



