DISEASES OF THE OX AND SHEKP. 311 



by vaccination. The recorded cases are, however, extremely 

 rare, and those few which are really due to this cause are no 

 doubt attributable to some carelessness. 



It is legally enjoined that every child shall be vaccinated 

 within three months after birth. The operation ought to be 

 repeated about the age of puberty, and persons who are liable 

 to be exposed to the contagion of small-pox should be re- 

 vaccinated, unless they have very recently successfully under- 

 gone the operation. The lymph to be used for vaccination 

 should on no account be taken from persons who are either 

 known to be diseased, or suspected to be suffering from any dis- 

 order, nor from pocks which are ill-developed or purulent, nor 

 from those produced by re-vaccination. Good lymph is yielded 

 by normal pocks from about the fifth to the eighth day after 

 inoculation, and that of later date should never be made use of. 

 The vesicles are to be punctured with the point of a lancet, care 

 being taken to avoid bleeding, and the fluid which exudes may 

 either be used at once, or preserved in capillary glass tubes. 

 The vesicle should not be squeezed. Lymph may be diluted 

 with glycerine in the proportion of about IJ parts of that fluid 

 to one part of lymph. 



Vaccination is generally performed on the upper and outer 

 part of the upper arm. Groups of parallel or crossed scratches 

 or fine punctures may be made, so as to allow of a little oozing 

 of the blood. This latter is to be wiped away, and then the 

 surface is to be anointed with the vaccine lymph. If the lymph 

 has been preserved in the dry condition, it is essential that it 

 should be first well moistened with a little water. If no result 

 follows the operation, it should be repeated. 



Our readers will see that though cow-pox is not a disease of 

 very great importance in its relation to oxen, it is still one of 

 the utmost interest and moment, when looked upon from the 

 standpoint of the welfare of the human race. As we have inti- 

 mated, the probability is that the virulent disease known as 

 small-pox of man, when communicated to cows by the medium 

 of milkers or by inoculation, loses a great deal of its power for 

 mischief — indeed, to such an extent that when again inoculated 

 upon man it merely gives rise to transient symptoms, which, 

 however, protect against small-pox. 



We now come to the consideration of *' Small-pox in Sheep " 



