312 THE DISEASES AND DISORDEUS OF THE OX. 



above mentioned. This disease is known scientifically under 

 the name of Variola ovina. On this subject a treatise by Pro- 

 fessor James B. Simonds, sometime Principal of the Royal 

 Veterinary College, Camden Town, London, N.W., was pub- 

 lished in the year 1848. From this valuable work we have 

 gathered many of the observations which follow. 



This very destructive disease occurs in most parts of the 

 Continent, where it frequently assumes an epizootic character. 

 The first outbreak in England was probably that of the year 

 1848, when the disease resulted from the importation of infected 

 animals from abroad. 



Rammazini records that at Modena, in 1690, the season was 

 cold and moist, and that the distemper of that year attacked 

 all the people who lived in the country, and spread among all 

 kinds of animals, killing great numbers after a few days' illness. 

 A discharge appeared on the thighs, neck and head, resembling 

 the pustules of small-pox ; and most of the animals which had 

 this appearance lost their eye-sight, and those which did not die 

 lost flesh. He spoke of this disease as being the small-pox, the 

 pustules being similar in form, colour, mode of suppuration, and 

 disappearance. This epidemic continued in 1691, attacking 

 chiefly the sheep. 



In Picardy small-pox broke out in the year 1746, and con- 

 tinued up to 1792, destroying hundreds of sheep every year 

 during that interval. Moreover, Rabelais and Joubert mention 

 the occurrence of clavelee (sheep-pox) in France in the sixteenth 

 century ; and since then, in many parts of that country, there has 

 been great destruction among the flocks, particularly in 1816. 

 Hurtrel d'Arboval affirms that since it was first observed this 

 disease has broken out as an epizootic at intervals of about 

 twelve and a half years or so, and Captain Carr has recorded 

 that small-pox of sheep often appears in difl'erent and widely- 

 separated localities of Germany. Sheep-pox is supposed by 

 many to have originally come from Asia, and, in like manner 

 with small-pox, to have gradually extended from Asia to the 

 continent of Europe. 



On September 4th, 1847, Professor James B. Simonds was 

 consulted with reference to a destructive skin disease which had 

 broken out among the sheep of Mr. Statham, a farmer of Dat- 

 chett, near Windsor. He had bought fifty-six sheep of the 



