7 14 Diseases of the Genital Organs 



one week Flook found nine of the old ewes showing great 

 swelling of the vulvae with raw, bleeding sores upon the 

 mucous and cutaneous surfaces of the vulvar lips. An ex- 

 amination of the rams revealed ulcerating sores in the sheath 

 of one and eruptions upon the upper lip of the other. Ap- 

 parently the general health of the animals was not dis- 

 turbed. 



The rams had been marked with color upon the breasts 

 between the forelegs, so that each ewe which was served 

 could be identified. By this means it seemed to be de- 

 termined that two had contracted the disease without coition. 

 Flook suggests that the disease may have been transmitted 

 by the ram which had the eruptions on his upper lip, through 

 smelling of the vulvae of these two animals, or that it might 

 have been caused by flies bearing the disease from one ani- 

 mal to another, since the affection appeared during the 

 month of August. The affected ewes were isolated and the 

 sores dressed with antiseptics. Gradually they all re- 

 covered. 



On the following page of the same journal, Sir John Mc- 

 Fadyean contributes observations made by himself upon an 

 outbreak which he considers identical with that described 

 by Flook. He saw twelve ewes affected in one flock, showing 

 intense inflammation, swelling and tenderness of the vulva. 

 The vulvar musosa was inflamed and some ulcers were pres- 

 ent both on the mucous membrane and the skin. There 

 was a slight purulent discharge from the vulva. As these 

 ewes had been served by a hired ram which had been re- 

 turned to his owner six days previously, McFadyean failed 

 to see the animal. McFadyean attempted to produce the 

 disease experimentally by collecting the discharges upon 

 pledgets of cotton, one of which was introduced into the 

 vulva of a ewe, another into that of a cow, and a third into 

 the sheath of a wether. 



Though two of these experiments proved negative, a swell- 

 ing of the sheath was apparent in the wether two days after 

 the inoculation. This was still further increased on the 

 fourth day and accompanied by a slight discharge. The 



