140 . SMALL-l'OX IN SHKKP. 



M. Vitet states, that " in the 26th volume of the 

 Journal Gdnerale de Medicine, conducted by M. Se- 

 dillot, there is an analysis of a report published upon 

 the vaccination of sheep, and the sheep-pox, by a com- 

 mittee of the Agricultural Society of the Department 

 of the Seine and Oise. From their experiments on 

 vaccination, claveUzation, and counter-proofs of all 

 kinds, it appears that vaccination has, in general, pro- 

 duced upon sheep only a local, feeble action, very 

 much inferior to that on the human body. It does not 

 appear ever to have affected the general system of the 

 sheep ; nor to have excited the slightest swelling in the 

 vessels or glands in the neighbourhood of the part ino- 

 culated. But it was found impossible to communicate 

 the vaccine disease to sheep which had had the sheep- 

 pox either recently, or at a distant period ; while those 

 which never had had the sheep-pox were very easily 

 affected. 



" ClaveUzation produces upon sheep an action 

 creating tumours and pustules, rapid in its progress, 

 though characteristical, and accompanied with symp- 

 toms of general affection : the effects of the sheep-pox 

 virus are more disorganizing, and present a more ma- 

 lignant character, than those of the cow-pox virus. 

 On sheep the vaccine disease seems entirely to lose the 

 energy which it exerts on the human system ; there- 

 fore," say the Committee, " we need not wonder at the 

 little advantage we have obtained from endeavouring 

 to resist the sheep-pox by vaccination : but although 

 our attempt has not succeeded in that respect, our at- 

 tention and experiments have not been unproductive of 

 advantage, since they have led us to positive results, 

 ^^hich were the principal objects of our researches, 



