572 SPORADIC DISEASES. 



brain left no doubt in our minds as to the true nature of the 

 disease. Although there was no jelly-like exudate in the spinal 

 canal, the cord itself was inflamed in patches, and the organism 

 could be detected microscopically and cultivated in the usual 

 way. On 1st June a second inoculated sheep died, and on 5th 

 June another died. Thus three out of four inoculated on 27th 

 May died. The fourth remained healthy. 



On May 5 I visited Mr. James E. W. Wallace's farm of 

 Auchenbrack, near Thornhill, and there met Professor Wallace, 

 who takes a keen interest in this question. We found several 

 sheep and lambs affected — some dying, some recovering, and 

 some dead; but Mr. Wallace thought the mortality had not 

 been as great as usual. The symptoms during life and the 

 post-mortem conditions revealed were undoubtedly those of 

 louping-ill. No experiments beyond tube cultivations were 

 made, but it was arranged — Mr. Wallace generously offering 

 to perform the experiment free of expense — to buy about a 

 score of sheep and place them muzzled on that part of the 

 farm where trembling and ticks committed the greatest havoc. 

 The sheep, nineteen blackfaced hoggs, were bought on May 13, 

 and fourteen of them were muzzled and turned out during the 

 day, and described by Mr. Wallace as follows : " 13^!A May. — Will 

 turn out fourteen of the ewe hoggs on the hill on which there 

 is trembling, with the muzzles on, and take them in again in 

 the morning, and driving them to the fields free from trembling 

 to feed during the day. 2%th May. — The sheep have been a 

 week on, and I only see one tick each on three of them. The 

 season being so early, I think the time is now past, as fewer 

 of my own sheep have been affected this year ; but I will go on 

 with the hoggs this week, and then turn them on sound land free 

 of trembling for a while, till we see if anything turns up." On 

 Isc June one of the ewe hoggs died, and was sent to the College, 

 where a post-mortem examination was made, but no trace of 

 louping-ill could be detected. On Gth July Mr. Wallace wrote 

 again as follows : " The blackfaced ewe hoggs I had muzzled 

 and put to the hill to test for trembling have all done well 

 since they were turned out. It was rather late for this early 

 season, so a better result might be got another year. There 

 were not so many ticks and less trembling with me this season 

 than usual, but some places were worse. I did not think the 

 hogg that died, died of trembling, but I thought it better to send 

 you the carcase, as it was one of the lot." 



