36 



attended with very little loss of life, while the animal is secured 

 from a second attack as completely as it would have been if it had 

 taken the malady in a natural way. Inoculation, to be successful, 

 must be performed by a skilled person who is well acquainted 

 with the character of the lymph which should be employed, and 

 the means of introducing it into the animal's system. It has 

 happened on some occasions when inoculation lias been improperly 

 performed, and especially when a bad quality of lymph has been 

 used, that very serious effects have resulted. This, however, by no 

 means detracts from the value of the operation when skilfully done. 



" The inoculated flock will require all the veterinary care 

 which would be given in the case of the animals having taken 

 the disease in the natural way ; and in the event of any of the 

 inoculated animals having the disease in a severeform — which, how- 

 ever, is seldom to be apprehended — it will be desirable to isolate 

 them, in order that they may be submitted to medical treatment. 



" The advantageous results of inoculation are thus summed up 

 in a report which was issued by Mr. Marson and Professor 

 Simonds, in June, 18G4 : — ' It gives security against a second 

 attack of sheep-pox, it limits the period of the existence of the 

 disease in the flock, it mitigates the severity of the malady, it saves 

 the lives of many animals which otherwise would be sacrificed, 

 and it conti'ols the extension of the disease, as one confluent 

 natural case does more to diffuse the poison than probably fifty 

 ordinary inoculated cases would do.' The mortality from the 

 inoculated disease when compared with the natural is on the 

 average as three per cent, in the one case is to Jive per cent, in 

 the other." 



It will easily be seen from the foregoing description and state- 

 ments that small-pox in sheep is like the analogous affection in the 

 human subject — a foul, loathsome, and deadly disease ; and that 

 its introduction am.ong our flocks would be most disastrous. No 

 pains should therefore be spared to prevent such a calamity. 



v.— ACTION SUGGESTED. 



1. — Pleueo-pneumonia. 



Erom what has been said, it will be gathered that the efficacy of 

 inoculaticm for this disease is now thoroughly established in 

 Europe. It has long been so in Australia, and also in South 

 Africa ; and it has latterly been practised with decided success 

 in the United States of America. I would, therefore, suggest, 

 as I have already done on more occasions than one, that a law — 



