4 QUATERCENTENARY STUDIES IN PATHOLOGY 



of contagious diseases which affect the sheep. These diseases of the 

 sheep seem to throw a great deal of side-light on the whole problem, 

 and suggest that, likely enough, many diseases of man, whose pathology 

 is still obscure, may be of intestinal origin, even where no such 

 connection has been suspected. 



The diseases in question have claimed my attention for many 

 years past, first in a private capacity, thereafter under the auspices of 

 the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, and, lastly, since 

 the year 1901, under the patronage of the Board of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries. In the year 1901 the Board of Agriculture appointed a 

 Departmental Committee to inquire into two of the diseases, namely, 

 those known as Braxy (Morbus subitarius ovis) and Louping-ill 

 (Chorea paralytica ovis)^ and our Report on these was issued a few 

 months ago. It gave an account of the work so far as it had gone up 

 to the date of publication (Report on the two Diseases of the Sheep, 

 known as Braxy and Louping-ill. Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, 

 1906). 



To this Report I must refer the reader for details, and meanwhile it 

 is to the relationship existing between these diseases of the sheep and 

 many obscure diseases of man that I would desire to enlist attention. 



The sheep is peculiar in respect of the many contagious diseases to 

 which it is liable, and it is curious that these heretofore have not claimed 

 more attention than has been awarded to them. Thus, there is a large 

 group the members of which are closely related in so far as they are 

 each caused by a specific organism having certain mutual affinities 

 and, apparently, of the same type as that of Tetanus. Several 

 of the group have never up till now been recognised, and those whose 

 characteristics have claimed attention have been investigated only 

 in a perfunctory manner. Previous to the work of the Board of Agri- 

 culture Committee, little was known of most of them which could serve 

 to explain their pathology and aetiology, or lead to their prevention. 



So far as my own observations have demonstrated, the members of 

 the group are comprised in the following : — Braxy (Morbus subitarius 

 ovis)^ Louping-ill or Trembling (Chorea paralytica ovis), Malignant 

 (Edema of the sheep, Blackquarter or Quarter Evil, the disease known 

 as " Struck," and two diseases which, provisionally, I have named 

 Disease " A " and Disease " B." 



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