EPIDEMIC VARIOLA IN 6HEEP. 
19 
prone to such attacks, which, in them, oftentimes was the first 
manifestation of illness. Throughout the disorder all exhibited 
great tenderness or soreness of the skin and sensibility to handling, 
shrinking every time the fleece was touched. During the last 
stage they frequently huddled together as for warmth. 
Several modes of treatment were tried, including bleeding, 
purging with neutral salts, administration of castor oil, senna, and 
thorowstocJc* and glysters. In some instances, where the creatures 
were markedly costive, these lemedies gave temporary relief, but 
no more; but in general the alvine and urinary evacuations were 
passed without artificial aid. Blisters also were applied between 
the shoulders and breast, and onions to the throat, and water-gruel 
given along with infusions of mullin, saffron, juniper, etc., with 
injections in the nasal passages of vinegar and oil to promote dis¬ 
charges therefrom. But no satisfactory or permanent results were 
had from any of these efforts. 
A merino ewe, imported in November, lambed on the 27th of 
January, with healthy offspring and good udder of milk. On the 
30th, twelve days after being isolated from her diseased com¬ 
panions, she exhibited signs of indisposition, and soon refused to 
nurse the lamb, though her bag was hard and swollen, as if over¬ 
distended with milk. The lamb died February 6th, the mother 
the day following—twenty-one days after being exposed to infec¬ 
tion. 
In February the disease was first discovered among the native 
sheep. Nine out of tw T enty-two ewes were taken within two days, 
six of which died—one in twelve, one in thirty and one in forty- 
eight hours ; the other three lived nine, sixteen and thirty days 
respectively, the last succumbing only after losing both eyes. An 
autopsy of the last two revealed a suppuration near the base of 
the heart in the first, and purulent infiltration of the lungs in the 
second—a condition found to have occurred in a number that sur¬ 
vived the first ravages of the malady only to succumb to subse¬ 
quent and secondary influences, exhibiting either ulceration of 
♦Probably linseed or linseed oil , which sometimes obtains this designation, 
though formerly a cathartic bolus of many and wondrous ingredients was known 
by this title. 
