The abnormal behavior of sheep which is about to be described appeared unexpectedly during experiments with conditioned reflexes which were planned to test the effect of thyroidectomy on the work of the nervous system.1 The first animal was studied with sufficient care to convince us that its condition might be interpreted as an experimental neurosis such as Pavlov observed in dogs.2 We reserved judgment, however, until a similar condition presented itself in a number of animals and it was discovered that there was evidence for interpreting it as a manifestation of an abnormal state of the nervous system experimentally produced.
Two considerations impel us to submit our material to clinicians: First, it seems remarkable that an enduring nervous disturbance can be produced in an animal as simple in its behavior pattern as the sheep by the innocuous procedure of conditioning.3 Second, we had never observed such disturbances
ANDERSON OD, LIDDELL HS. OBSERVATIONS ON EXPERIMENTAL NEUROSIS IN SHEEP. Arch NeurPsych. 1935;34(2):330–354. doi:10.1001/archneurpsyc.1935.02250200090008
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