DKGKNEllA'nON OK LYMPH. 123 



renewed from sheep having the natural pock*." Si- 

 milar assertions occm- in the writings of many French 

 veterinary surgeons; but we question their accu- 

 racy, and rather give our assent to the observations 

 of Mr. Ceely, who thus expresses himself on the 

 subject : — 



" It appears," says he, " by the accounts of French authors, that 

 by transmitting the variolous ichor from sheep to sheep, it undergoes 

 eventual degeneration, and becomes effete ; so that a return to the 

 natural disease is necessary. If this be true when great pains 

 are taken to repeat inoculations with lymph in a proper state, viz. 

 clear and limpid, it is a very remarkable and highly interesting 

 fact, and well worthy the attention of the members of the medical 

 and veterinarv professions. We know that care and selection in the 

 transmission of the vaccine, are necessary to prevent degeneration, 

 which has often taken place to the injury of patients and the damage 

 of the reputation of the vaccine ; but we do not see, when proper care 

 is taken to select good lymph and fitting subjects, that such degenera- 

 tion ensues, or we should be in a sad state for want of fresh supplies. 

 I should like to be able to ascertain the truth of the statement made 

 by the French inoculators or clavelizators, and whether it be a con- 

 tingent or an unavoidable degeneration. I cannot help suspecting 

 that the difficulty consists in obtaining the virus before it is too 

 late ; for there certainly is a difficulty. 



" Again, it is said that the virus is not so good from the inoculated 

 as the eruptive vesicles: that is a point of interest. It is very 

 probable that the eruptive vesicles have the lymph less blended with 

 the adventitious purulent products of inflammation excited by the 

 scratch or puncture of inoculation, which will often in man after vac- 

 cination spoil one or more vesicles. After all, I cannot but suspect 

 that these difficulties have been overstated, and might be met where 

 large numbers have been clavelized. Where one or two only are 

 inoculated, as with the vaccine in man, the supply may be lost, or 

 degeneration ensue." 



* Veterinarian, vol. xx, p. 631, 



