Investigation into the disease of sheep called "scrapie" (Traberkrankheit, la tremblante) : with especial reference to its association with sarcosporidiosis / by J.P. M'Gowan ; with an appendix on a case of Johne's disease in the sheep.

  • M'Gowan, J. P. (John Pool)
Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Investigation into the disease of sheep called "scrapie" (Traberkrankheit, la tremblante) : with especial reference to its association with sarcosporidiosis / by J.P. M'Gowan ; with an appendix on a case of Johne's disease in the sheep. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    knowledge that one can, for instance, see that Youatt (17) (1837), in his description of the “scab,” is really describing two diseases. He says:— Among the diseases of the skin in British sheep the scab stands fore- most in frequency of occurrence and mischief to the wool, the flesh, and the general constitution of the animal. The same disease, or one much resembling it [note the indefiniteness of this and the following], has been known in some parts of the world from time immemorial. It assumes different forms in different seasons and on different animals, and there are several varieties of it. A sheep is occasionally observed to scratch himself in the most furious manner and with scarcely a moment’s intermission. He rubs himself against every projecting part of the hedge, against every post, and the wool comes off from him in considerable flakes. When he is caught there is no appearance what- ever of cutaneous disease. Youatt appears to be quoting entirely from Young’s paper mentioned above, and not to have had any personal ex- perience of the disease. This may explain the want of definiteness in his terminology, and the same lack of experience in the disease would appear to show why Cleeve (18) (in 1840) classed “goggles” with “sturdy.” He evidently has, however, some hesitation in making such a classification, for in a foot- note he says, after having given Vancouver's description of the “oogoles” (in ‘Survey of Devonshire’ (see above, 7)) :— Should I have been mistaken in classing goggles and turnsick under one head, I think the term goggles must be misapplied, and those provincial terms are very confounding. What Vancouver has described appears to me to be a paralytic affection. I recollect the complaint but never heard it named the goggles, the term shrewcroft being commonly used to designate the disease. This quotation is from a prize essay in 1840 entitled ‘ Practical Essay on the Diseases of Sheep, and yet this is all the reference that is made to the disease known and feared at the beginning of the century as “goggles,” “rubbers,” “ rickets,’ &. Taking into account, therefore, the practical silence of Youatt and Cleeve on the condition, it follows that the disease could not have been very prevalent, and yet (showing the perplexing nature of the subject) we have the following in a footnote to Cleeve’s article (p. 297) by W. Humfrey of Boxford, Berkshire :— ». The goggles is a disease of quite a different character [from sturdy].