REPORT AS TO VACCINATION OF SHEEP. 
629 
In this communication Mr. Overman is bold enough to 
assert that the 1260 sheep, belonging to his late father, were 
not operated upon by Mr. Wells with fluid from a bottle ; 
but were vaccinated with lymph obtained from the sheep 
which had been vaccinated with “points.” 
Mr. Overman has evidently taken up this position, finding 
the other—“the bottle vaccinations”—untenable; but, most 
unfortunately for him, sheep do not, ivhen vaccinated, yield 
any lymph for further vaccinations, as is the case with the 
human subject, and therefore it is impossible for the 1260 
sheep to have been thus done. 
Neither time nor inclination admits of my continuing a 
public correspondence with one who, like Mr. Overman, has 
shown himself so completely ignorant of the subject of vacci¬ 
nation of sheep, and at the same time so little scrupulous of 
dealing with assertions as if they were facts, thus misleading 
the flock-masters of this country on the important question 
of protecting their sheep against the ravages of smallpox. 
I am, Sir, your obedient servant, 
Jas. B. Simonds. 
Royal Veterinary College ; 
Aug . 5,1864?. 
REPORT OE EXPERIMENTS MADE UNDER DIRECTION OE 
THE LORDS OE THE COUNCIL AS TO THE VACCINATION 
OE SHEEP, AND AS TO THE INFLUENCE OE SUCH VAC¬ 
CINATION IN PREVENTING SHEEP-POX. 
By James F. Marson, Esq., F.R.C.S, Resident Surgeon 
of the Smallpox Hospital, and 
Professor Simonds, of the Royal Veterinary College. 
In the year 1842 an Act of Parliament was passed to 
allow the importation of foreign cattle and sheep into 
England upon the payment of 20 s. per head for cattle, and 
3s. per head for sheep; the importation of foreign cattle and 
sheep having previously been prohibited. As the numbers 
imported under this arrangement were found to be but com¬ 
paratively small, the duty in 1846 was altogether removed. 
The immediate effect of this free importation was, that in one 
year the number of sheep sent in was more than four times 
as many as had been during the previous three years and 
eight months which directly succeeded the alteration of the 
law. 
