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For a number of years past, imported English dogs, especially Fox-hounds and Fox-terriers, have
been found to contract disease and succumb to it, during the first twelve months' residence in this
country. The island of Bombay and that portion of the Presidency below the Gháts has proved a hot-
bed of this disease, but other localities inland have not been free, for at Poona, elevation 1,849 ft., Mhow,
2,019 ft., and Ootacamund, at an elevation of 8,000 feet, several severe epidemics among hounds have
occurred.
SECTION I.
HISTORY OF PREVIOUS OUTBREAKS OF SPONTANEOUS OR ACQUIRED SURRA.
The first records of heavy mortality in imported Fox-hounds are those of the Ootacamund Kennels
in 1869-70. The chief symptoms then noticed were—much distress in breathing and opacity of the
corneæ in some cases. From 1870 to 1883 there was no mortality in the Madras Pack. But in 1884
the Hunt imported ten couples from England, obtained three from His Highness the Mahárája of My-
sore, and with five couples of old hounds, possessed in all eighteen couples at the beginning of June. On
the 8th June one hound was noticed to be ailing and presented constant discharge from the nose, swell-
ing of the throat, &c. This animal succumbed after several weeks, during which time it lost flesh and
became considerably emaciated. At a later period a regular epidemic ensued, and in all fourteen couples
died within three months. The most marked symptoms being—fever, increased lachrymation, swelling
and œdema of the head, throat, limbs and under-surface of the abdomen; a late symptom was opacity of
one or both corneæ. After this loss, the Ootacamund Kennels were rebuilt on a different site, and much
time and money expended over the welfare of the hounds. Up to this time no diagnosis had been made
as to the nature of the disease.*
The history of the Bombay Pack, since 1890, was as follows :—Mr. W. H. Buckland, M.F.H., a lover
of animals, lived out at Bandora, some ten miles from the city, where the Kennels were situated. In
October of the above year, three of the Master's Arab Horses died of Surra, and later in the season a
number of the hounds succumbed to a lingering disease, of which the chief symptoms were fever and
progressive emaciation. On the 19th November 1892, a fresh pack of English hounds arrived in Bom-
bay, and were placed in the Bandora Kennels, and given three weeks to recuperate after their voyage.
Hunting commenced on the 30th November 1892, and was continued up to the 15th March 1893. Up to
the middle of February, the weather was cool and pleasant in the early mornings, temperature between
56° to 60° F.
The first hound to be taken ill was " Noble " on the 11th December 1892. This animal, on several
occasions, arrived back at the Kennels, gorged with carrion, and suffered from paroxysmal fever, &c. It
succumbed on the 10th January 1893. " Nimrod," last hunting day, 11th December, was ill for several
weeks with high fever, swelling of the limbs and under the chest, eventually became blind. Death on
16th February 1893. The following table will show the fate of the hounds, all of which succumbed to
similar symptoms :—
*Under the heading Madras Hounds—A mysterious disease—a short paragraph appeared in the " Morning Post," on December
14th, 1897. According to this correspondent, "the Madras Hunt had met with a sad misfortune, for the whole of the fine pack
of hounds recently imported has, with the exception of a solitary hound, succumbed to an insidious disease, the nature of which
is a mystery." On seeing the above, I communicated with the M. F. H. asking if he would kindly give me further details, for
as the hounds suffered from ' Surra ' during 1884, perhaps the present outbreak might be due to the same cause. In answer to
my letter, the M. F. H. kindly forwarded me the following details.
On the 8th October 1897, five hounds were received from Mysore, and on the 14th of the same month 25 hounds arrived
from England, another following on the 31st. The first animal to succumb was a Mysore hound on the 23rd October, fifteen
days after its arrival in Madras. On the 1st November two hounds died, a Mysore and an English imported dog, 24 and 18 days
after their respective arrivals. Between the 1st November and 9th December, both dates inclusive, 28 hounds died, including
the three animals left from the Mysore lot and 25 English.
According to notes kindly supplied by Veterinary Captain E. H. Hazelton, the duration of the disease, in each case, was
about 14 days. The temperature, taken three times, daily, in nearly every case, reached 105°F. and in no one did it ever fall to
normal or nearly so. No opacity of the cornea, conjunctival petechiæ, swellings of limbs or œdema of abdomen or chest were
observed. The symptoms noted were those of continued fever, with lung complications. The blood was carefully examined
microscopically, during life and after death in the majority of the cases, but no organisms were observed.
The Autopsies were conducted by Surgeon Captain Giffard, to whom I am indebted for the following notes :—
The post mortem, appearances were practically identical in all cases and were:—" Enormous enlargement of the spleen
(3 times natural size) but no hæmorrhages. Tissues firm and dark coloured. Lungs presented numerous small hæmorrhages,
and in those cases in which the animal succumbed to the disease and were not destroyed, small septic abscesses were dis-
covered on section at the seat of the extravasations. The intestines were quite empty and contracted, but no pathological
changes were found."
The symptoms, therefore, were continuous high fever, anorexia, rapid emaciation, accelerated and panting breathing, together
with staggering gait towards the end of the case. Nothing abnormal found in the blood on microscopical examination.
A similar disease carried off some hounds in the Bombay Pack in 1891, and in the Poona Pack in 1894.
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