On the Sheep- Pox. 



491 



stages of the disease, tlie only hope of saving those less affected is 

 at once to kill the leprous sheep — thus freeing the others from 

 their pestiferous exhalations — and to bury the carcasses, wool and 

 all, in some far-isolated spot. Previously, however, to things 

 having reached such extremity, the attendance of a skilful and 

 intelligent veterinary surgeon may be successful in warding off 

 the catastrophe from at least a proportion of the flock. But as in 

 no case the proverb, * Prevention is better than cure,' can be 

 found more pointedly applicable than in relation to the sheep- 

 pox, I strongly recommend all sheep-owners who hear of this 

 frightful scourge having appeared in their neighbourhood, or who, 

 from living near thoroughfares by which imported sheep are 

 accustomed to be driven, have reason to anticipate the possibility 

 of their sound flocks coming into casual contact with strange, per- 

 haps infected, animals, or the ground which such have passed 

 over, to lose no time in adopting the safe, easy, and often-tested 

 antidote against this justly dreaded disease, which inoculation 

 affords them. 



This is practised in two ways : either regularly from year to 

 year on the lambs, as a preventive of natural sheep-pox, in 

 localities where the disease was formerly of frequent occurrence; 

 or it is resorted to occasionally, when the malady has shown itself 

 in the vicinity, or even in one's own flock (for the premonitory 

 symptoms are always such as must attract the notice of a careful 

 shepherd), and an hnmediate resort to inoculation will not only 

 generally rescue nine-tenths of the still unaffected sheep from all 

 dangerous attacks, but often lighten the disorder to even those 

 individuals of the flock on which symptoms of disease had already 

 manifested themselves. As practice justly weighs more with 

 Englishmen than theory, however plausible, I shall here shortly 

 relate my own experience of the sheep-pox, and the result of 

 inoculation both as a preventive and curative remedy. 



About seven years ago I heard of the disease having appeared 

 in this neighbourhood, and resolved at once to try inoculation, of 

 the good effects of which I had both read and heard from credible 

 sources. On close examination of the flock a few sheep were 

 found to be already infected. These were, however, along with 

 all the others, lambs included, inoculated in the ear, in conformity 

 with the published recommendation of the Austrian Government 

 in Bohemia ; and the result was in the highest degree satis- 

 factory, as we did not lose above one per cent, of sheep, and six: 

 per cent, of lambs. I cannot now recall to mind, whether any ot 

 those evidently infected before inoculation died or not; but I 

 know all did not : and particularly remember that several South 

 Down ewes, which I had shortly before imported from England, 

 and about which I naturally felt very solicitous, had the disease 



