478 
CASES OF RABIES IN THE DOG AND SHEEP. 
By S. Lomas, M.R.C.V.S., Disley, near Stockport. 
I forward you the particulars of an outbreak of rabies 
which has occurred in the vicinity of Disley and Marple, 
in Cheshire. 
I have gathered the following information”with respect to 
its introduction in this neighbourhood, which was about the 
14th of March last, when a bull-terrier dog suddenly appeared 
in a farm-yard at Stanley Hall, Disley, and bit a sheep dog. 
The terrier then went through the village of Disley and bit 
two other dogs, which were subsequently destroyed, exhibit- 
ing all the symptoms of rabies. He then appears to have 
left the neighbourhood of Disley, and gone through Lyme to 
Windlehurst, in Marple, where a flock of twenty sheep were 
attacked by him, and nearly all bitten. Thirteen of the 
number bore very evident traces of being bitten about the 
head and neck. Two of them were sadly torn ; one had a 
large piece bitten from its cheek, and the other had its lips 
lacerated to a great extent. The dog was killed soon after- 
wards in Windlehurst. 
About the 15th of April several of the sheep were observed 
to be strange in their habits, and especially to exhibit pug- 
nacious symptoms, by butting at each other. They gradu- 
ally became worse up to the 18th, when four died. On the 
19th eight more were destroyed, and on the 20th my brother 
was called in to make an examination of the flock and report 
to the police. 
He made a post-mortem examination of some of those 
which had died, and found the usual appearances of rabies, 
which, together with the history of the sheep and the symp- 
toms described as observed by the owners and others, con- 
clusively proved the nature of the disease. At the time of 
my brother’s attendance another of the same flock was found 
to present symptoms which, in his opinion, were indicative 
of the commencement of the disease. It died two days 
afterwards. At the present time there are only five sheep 
left of this flock. 
The sheep dog at Stanley Hall appeared “ strange in his 
habits,” as the farmer said, about a fortnight after being 
bitten, at which time he unfortunately broke loose from his 
kennel and bit another dog in the village. He then went 
through Hazel Grove and Bramhill to Cheadle LIulme, where 
he was destroyed. 
