SMALLPOX OF SHEEP. 
803 
The infected counties are returned as eighty-two, being a 
slight increase in the number reported in our last issue, but 
the centres of the infection have decreased to the extent of 
about two thousand. 
Fairs and markets in connection with the Irish cattle trade 
have proved prolific sources of mischief, and to this cause and 
the free movement of animals we owe in chief the present 
outbreak. The introduction of the disease into the parishes 
of Anthony and St. Stephen’s, East Cornwall, has been 
traced to some manure which was surreptitiously sold to 
farmers by the bargemen who had been employed to take it 
outside the breakwater and throw it overboard. These per- 
sons are, we learn, to be prosecuted. The disease has also 
been conveyed in some unexplained manner from Tenby, 
Pembrokeshire, to the Island of Caldy. 
Our advices, both from Europe and America, show that 
the disease has nearly ceased in those continents. A few 
centres only now exist in Holland and some other of the un- 
scheduled countries. A cargo of upwards of twelve hundred 
sheep was landed at Harwich from Rotterdam on October 
11th, and among them the inspector detected four animals 
affected with the disease. Under these circumstances the 
whole of the sheep were slaughtered at the place of landing. 
SMALLPOX OF SHEEP. 
The information received from Stettin is to the effect that 
sheep-pox has increased to rather a serious extent since the 
last report. The malady has existed in Pomerania more or 
less from the beginning of the year, and now prevails at 
Liebnow, Labes, and Pritznow, in the consular district of 
Stettin, and at Westhof and Steinhagen, in the Stratsund 
district. We have also reason to believe that the disease has 
existence in other parts of Pomerania besides those named, 
as well as being present in some other of the North German 
states. 
The practice of inoculation continues to be carried out on 
a large scale, the agriculturists having the fullest confidence 
in its protective power against the natural disease, as well as 
that the benign nature of the inoculated sheep-pox rarely 
leads to fatal results. # 
Similar facts were long since established in this country 
with regard to inoculated disease. 
