42 s:\[\r.r,-rox in siikf.p. 



l)otli fat and store cattle are sold, many variolous sheep 

 were often to be seen. 



The necessity for the adoption of some means to 

 prevent the free intercourse of healthy witli unhealthy 

 animals, and thus to cjet rid of one source from whence 

 sheep-pox would spread, determined us at once to put 

 the Government in possession of a knowdedge of 

 these facts ; and a letter was forwarded to the au- 

 thorities at the Board of Trade, stating that a malady 

 similar to small-pox in the human subject had of late 

 attacked the sheep of this country, and destroyed a 

 considerable number in every flock where it had ap- 

 peared ; that it w^as very contagious, and would spread 

 far and wide unless isolation of the diseased animals 

 was enforced ; a necessity for which was shewn by the 

 circumstance that infected sheep were often exposed 

 for sale in Smithfield market. We also added, that, 

 from the information we had received, there could be 

 no doubt tlie affection was introduced by certain 

 Merino sheep exported from Tonningen and Hamburgh. 



The Government promptly attended to this commu- 

 nication, and an interview wdth the authorities of the 

 Boards of Trade and Customs took place, at which 

 Dr. Southwood Smith and Professor Sewell also at- 

 tended ; various prophylactic measures were proposed 

 and discussed ; but some of the most effectual of them 

 were abandoned, in consequence of the practical diffi- 

 culties which would interfere with their adoption. 



At this meeting, however, a more careful examina- 

 tion of all imported sheep by veterinary surgeons, duly 

 appointed as inspectors, was determined on, so as to 

 preclude any animals in a positive state of disease being 



