The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-22 00:00:00

FUR7HE.R SPREAD OF THE SMALLPO.

IN SHEEP.

(From the _Devizes Gazette.)
The continued spread of this unfortunate and virule°
malady, in a way which bids defiance not only to the laws
of contagion, but every theory which the most scientific
among our veterinary professors have laid down, is a mat'
ter which demands the immediate attention of all floe'
masters; and far their own preservation we hope that, be'
fore another week has passed, there will not be an owner
of sheep in the county of Wilts who will not have enrolled
his name as a member of the association which has Pet
been organised by the leading flockmasters in the count);
" for preventing the spread of small-pox in sheep
affording compensation to those who may sustain lease"
from that special disease."
On Saturday evening, rumours were rife concerning t;
number of separate outbreaks, and on Monday morning v7e
heard that Professor Gamgee (who is still exerting himself
in t• is Deighbourhood) was on his way i .to Berkshire, go
was, however,, soon stopped on his road to inspect the flock
of Mr. I. Dal+, at Avebury, where two cases of confluent
small-pox in the early stage had exhibited themselves. One
of the affected sheep had, it appeared, been seen ailing as
far back as Tuesday the 9th inst., but had not been sepa-
rated until the day previous to Mr. Garogee's visit. There
is therefore great reason to fear that the disease will spread
among Mr Dark's flock (which consists of between 300 and
400), although every care is now being taken to carry out
the system of separation which has proved so benefic;al
Church's
thehFureroacn
ash:
so
Avebury,
at MA ri id bG oi t
td
rnd
Professorine,gws'hfletrk at Horton.
ewe have been seized. Mr. Church is
venting the further spread of the disease, but owes hie
continued misfortunes io one of those "mild" cases
imese
veryorwe e lnaatmc on
nvs
eat
inond :ern:
are so much to be dreaded—we mean oue of those cases 41
which an animal passes through every stage of the disease
unobserved, and so infects a considerable number of

animals without being detected.
It will be remembered, from what has previously appeared
in our paper, that Mr. Church had sold 100 lambs at Ils
fair;lel
out disease in his flock was not recognised until a
fortnigh. after this, though it appears that the shepherd
had observed a lamb ailing on its return from the fair. These
1001ambe of Mr. Church's had been purchased by Mr. gulp
ber , of Langley Farm, Becks; and Mr. Hulbert, unfortty
nately, not knowing the symptoms of small-pox, suffered
several animals to die unheeded amongst his flock of between
three and fur hundred lambs. The destruction
ensued may therefore be well imagined. Professor Gamgeet
on his vLit to Langley Farm on Tuesday, saw twelve cases,
and many more were separated inunediately afterwards.
Of Mr. Lou,eley's conduct we cannot speak too highly'
He has afforded every information to Professor Garage"
and thus all the sheep which Mr. Louseley purchased at
Marlborough Fair on the 22nd of August have been
traced. It appears that he purchased 260 lambs of Mr. S'
99 of Mr. Cundell, of Manton ; 80 of Mr. T. P. Br( 1.714
Neate, of Allcannings ; 100 of Mr. Wilks,
of Baydon ;
of Burderop , 70 of Mr. Looker, of Folly Farm, mark
borough; and 37 of Mr. Brown, of Uffeott. Of these lir.
Neate's 250 were returned on the following day, and ellt
bited the disease within two days after their arrival 5'
Allcannings ; 150 were taken to West Hagbourn (Mr`
Lowelty'e farm); 99 were placed at Mr: Hutchins's g""
Harwei; and 137 at Mr. Bettridge's at Streatley. 11/,,a
stock
which had been mixed with Mr. Neate's infects"'
lambs were, the: afore, it will be seen, separated into three
lots, and have since been carefully watched and kept clear
of all other animals. By these means a great deal (
anxiety, if not of loss, has been saved to the Berkshire tar.

mere.
It is due, too, to Professor Gamgee to say that itis
to his aotivity and energy that a great deal has been
brought to light which would probably never have bee'
known until immense mischief had been caused. It ~,,114
through his instrumentality that the public have br'i
made aware of the existence of the disease at Stanton, and'-
it was a bold determination on his part to have the bodle:
of two animals which had been buried with the small-Pet
upon tLem on Mr. Simpkit,s' farm exhumed, that brotighig
the fact unnsis akeably out, and led to the return of a ape
of lambs (although free from disease), which Mr. SleiP
kins had sold at Wilton fair on Friday lost.

THE COTTON FAMINE AND THE SHIPPING TRAPS,:
—The chairman of the Mersey Dock Board, at the vireet;Ti
meeting on Thursday, stated that the surplus inceni°eo
the estate for the year ending Juno 24, amounted to 03.'
The imports from the United States showed a decrease °a
no less than 1,850,000 bales of cotton alone, as nemPsfeew
with the previous year, and the estate had consequell"
lost about £lOO,OOO in dues which they would have ref
ceived from ships and from cotton itself, to say nothing
the export dues on the same cotton when spun into yarri
cloth. The surplus income had chiefly arisen from the ca."'
trade.