The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-26 00:00:00

REPORT FROM PROFESSOR SI3IONDS.

The Clerk of the Council presents his compli-
ments to the Editor of The Sun, and, by the Lord
President's direction, transmits for publication the
accompanying report from Professor Simonds.
Sept. 2a, 1865.

Veterinary Department,
23, New-street, Spring-gardens,
Sept. 25, 1865.
To the Clerk of the Council.

Sir,—l beg to report that, acting on the instructions re-
ceived from you, to investigate without loss of time the
statement received at your office relative to an outbreak of
the cattle plague in a remote part of the county of Norfolk,
supposed to have arisen from cattle having been in contact
with some diseased sheep recently brought to the premises,
I have visited the district in question and inquired into all
the circumstances of the case.

It appears that as far back as the 17th of August Mr. C.
Temple, fanner and merchant of Blakeney, received on his
farm 120 lambs, which he had instructed a dealer to procure
for him for feeding purposes.

The lambs were bought at Thetford Fair on the preceding
day, and were immediately sent by rail to Fakenham from
which place they were driven to Blakoney, a distance of
about ten miles. On their arrival they appeareed to be
fatigued to a greater extentthan ordinary, which was, how-
ever, attributed to the heat of the weather and the exertion
the animals had undergone. •
In addition to this, the shepherd observed that several of•
them seemed unwell, and he remarked to his master that
they did not seem to be a "very healthy lot," and that he
thought it would be better to return them to the dealer
Within a day or two of this time the symptoms of illness
were more marked in all the original cases ; and many more
of the animals had been attacked. On the 24th two of the
worst cases were removed from the field to the farm pre-
mises, and were placed in a shed for treatment, in which
afterwards a cow was put. On the 25th two of the lambs
died, and in consequence of this and of the large number
which were now affected, the whole were brought on the
morning of the 27th into the same yard where the shed
previously alluded to is situated. There is also another
shed, separated from this yard only by some old furze
faggots, into which the cows were driven night and morn-
ing for being milked. The lambs remained in the yard till
the morning of the 28th, when, having had some medicine
administered to them they were returned to the fold, and
never came again near the cows.

While in the yard three died—two on the 27th and one
on the 28th ; and on the following day two others died in
the field. From this time the disease went on, so that by
Friday last, Sept. 22, the day of my visit, 46 had either died
or been killed, and 27 were in a very precarious condition.
On Sept. 7, ten days after the last exposure to the sheep,
a cow gave evidence of being affected with the cattleplague,
this animal being the one which had been put into the shed
occupied by the diseased sleep on the 24th of August. A
second cow was attacked on Sept. 11, and a third shortly
afterwards, which was followed by others, so that by the
IGth all the cows, six in number, a heifer, and a calf, were
all dead.
My examination of the lambs showed that they were
unmistakably the subjects of the plague. The symptoms
agreed in almost every particular with those observed in
cattle affected by the malady, and the post-mortem ap-
pearances wore also identical.
With a view to ascertain the true nature of the changes
produced in the system prior to death I had four of the
lambs killed, and from these I took some diseased parts and
forwarded them to the Royal Veterinary College, without
note or comment. These parts were examined by my col-
league, Mr. Yarnell, who at once recognised the special
changes of structure which are caused by the cattle plague.
The whole facts of the case leave not the least doubt of
sheep being liable to the disease termed the cattle plague,
and that when affected they can easily communicate the
malady to the ox tribe;
and, moreover, that when so con-
veyed it proves equally as destructive as when propagated
from ox to ox in the ordinary manner.
The case is also more important from having occurred in
a place no less than 14 miles distant from any other where
the cattle plague exists, thus placing beyond a doubt the
fact of the malady being introduced among the cattle by
the sheep alone.

I regret to add that this is not a solitary case of sheep
being affected by the cattle plague. I learned that some
sheep were supposed to be similarly affected belonging to
Mr. It. J. 11. Harvey, M.P., on his estate at Crown Point,
near Norwich. This place I also visited, and found a largo
flock of upwards of 2,000 lambs, among which the malady
was prevailing. A large number had been separated from
the diseased, and gave no evidence of the malady. Very
many, however, had died, and the disease was making
rapid progress. I also examined many of the dead, and
found the post-mortem appearances to be identical with
those seen in the other cases spoken of in this report.
In this instance the malady was brought into the estate
by the purchaseof some cattle, which afterwards died from
the disease, and which were unfortunately pastured with
the sheep at the time the disease manifested itself.
The whole matter is one of the greatest importance, and
which I lose no time in submitting to you, for the informa-
tion of the Lords of the Council.—l have the honour to be,
sir, your most obedient servant,
Jas. B. Simoisms.

A.„,T 4
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