342 
HERD OF RABID DEER. 
other like dogs, and tear off each other’s hair and flesh, and 
when placed in a state of confinement bite at whatever comes 
within their reach. With these symptoms, the above num- 
ber have already died, and others are continually being 
affected by the disease. Five or six dogs have also died at 
the same place, exhibiting exactly the same symptoms. Until 
recently the disease was not suspected to be rabies, but atten- 
tion has been drawn more particularly to the matter, through 
a child belonging to one of the workmen having been bitten 
by one of the dogs. This caused an alarm, which led to a 
medical gentleman (M. T. Sadler, Esq.) being called in, and on 
investigating the circumstances he has pronounced the disease 
to be rabies , and, in his official capacity of medical officer of 
the Barnsley Local Board of Health, has issued a timely notice 
or caution to the inhabitants, in which he states that there 
cannot be any reasonable doubt that hydrophobia has mani- 
fested itself to a serious extent in the neighbourhood, and he 
calls upon all persons to be on their guard to protect them- 
selves and their families from the infliction of this terrible 
malady.” 
Mr. Cartledge thus writes — 
Sheffield; April 19, 1856. 
My dear sirs, — I very much regret being unable to fur- 
nish you with any important particulars respecting the herd 
of deer said to be rabid. The subject has caused some 
excitement at Barnsley, and the medical men there are much 
at variance in their opinions as to the nature of the disease, 
and of its origin. 
None of the dogs said to have died have been proved to 
have done any harm, nor did the child that was bitten by 
one of them sustain any further injury. I sent my assistant 
over to Stainbro’ to obtain all the information he could, but 
beyond the fact of a number of deer having died under 
some suspicion of their being affected with rabies, he could 
not get any reliable information. It was said that when the 
suspected deer were caught and confined in a shed, that the 
slightest noise appeared to cause much excitement amongst 
them, and they would butt at the sides of the building with 
repeated violence. My own impression is that the disease * 
is not rabies, and this opinion is strongly held by one of the 
disputants at Barnsley, Dr. Jackson. If, however, an oppor- 
tunity serves, I will procure some saliva from one of the 
diseased animals for the purpose of testing the matter by 
inoculation. 
I am, in haste, yours faithfully. 
To Professors Morton and Sjmonds. 
