212 CONTAGIOUS DISEASES. 



it were also severe in 1852, and more so in 1853, at which time 

 the practice of slaughtering sheep in or near London put an 

 end to the disease until 1862, when it broke out at Allington, 

 in .Wiltshire. This outbreak was supposed to be of spontaneous 

 origin, as it could not be distinctly traced to foreign sheep. 

 Mr. Gamgee visited the district at the time, and made many- 

 observations, from which he came to the conclusion that " the 

 district turns out to be one not unfrequently visited by con- 

 tagious disorders. . . . The district is traversed in all directions 

 by driftways, so that drovers can pasture their sheep on the 

 downs for days, and go from Bristol to London with the pay- 

 ment of a single toll. There are some notorious dealers who 

 have no farm or down on which to keep their flocks. They pick 

 up odd animals at a low price here and there, and drive over the 

 downs, where they sleep, and move gently backwards and for- 

 wards on the pretext of travelling, but in reality getting food 

 for their flocks. Many instances have occurred of the spread of 

 contagious disorders, such as scab, the foot-and-mouth disease, 

 foot-rot, &c., from these infected flocks passing over the downs 

 along the Wans Dyke." The disease is not readily transmissible 

 to otber animals, but it appears that goats, pigs, hares, rabbits, 

 and dogs are amenable to it. 



These observations of Mr. Gamgee, along with the fact that 

 sheep-pox is one of those diseases which never occur spontane- 

 ously in this country, are to my mind quite sufficient to account 

 for the Wiltshire outbreak. 



The early history of sheep-pox on the Continent of Europe, in 

 some parts of which it is very prevalent, is very confused ; it is 

 certain, however, that it w^as introduced into Western Europe 

 by diseased animals brought across the Eussian frontier into 

 I'oland, Hungary, Prussia, Pomerania, &c. Rammazini states 

 that the malignant affection amongst cattle and sheep which 

 prevailed in 1514, 1599, and 1C91 was small-pox. From his 

 description it is very probable that the disease of 1691, whicli 

 chiefly attacked sheep, was in reality variola ovinte, inasmuch 

 as it was characterised by pustules similar in form, colour, 

 and in the manner in which they went off. When they had 

 died off after the suppuration, they left a black scar, like that 

 which remains after the small-pox. 



Professor Simonda instituted various experiments wliich prove 



