146
SECTION III.
INOCULATED CASES OF SURRA.
A.—Historical References.
On October 5th, 1880, at Dera Ismael Khan, Dr. Evans* inoculated subcutaneously a Pariah dog and
a bitch with four drachms of blood each ; the blood containing the hæmatozoon was freshly drawn from
the jugular vein of a horse suffering from Surra. Dr. Evans states " they were also allowed to drink the
blood and eat the flesh of a horse which died of the disease. The dogs are thin, but they appear in good
health, and I could find no parasite in their blood or anything abnormal. The bitch had a sucking pup
about a month or six weeks old, in good health and free from blood parasites also; he has not been
inoculated, and I have directed the meter in charge not to give him any blood or flesh. The meter
himself eats the flesh of horses which die of Surra after it is cooked and salted and peppered."
On October 16th, 1880, Dr. Evans examined the blood of these three animals, and found a very
large increase of white corpuscles in the blood of the dog, but no parasites. A few hæmatozoa and a
large increase of white corpuscles in the bitch; the blood of the pup, however, was swarming with Surra
parasites, and the animal was thinner, but showed no signs of illness.
Dr. Evans recognised that the experiment " could not be relied upon to prove that the parasite
may be transmitted through the mammary gland with milk," for he had strong reasons for doubting the
meter "who declared the pup had had no blood or flesh."
On October 22nd, 1880, Dr. Evans arrived with the pup in Simla, and further details were publish-
ed with regard to hæmatozoon of this animal by Dr. T. R. Lewis, in a paper entitled ' Forms of the
flagellated organisms in dog's blood.' The pup's blood was further examined on the following dates:—
October 26th, 1880,
„29th „ }
„30th „
November 25th, „
December 3rd „
January 15th, 1881
February 12th „
„ 28th „
March 24th
Simla, Hærnatozoa
„
Calcutta,
„
„
„
„
„
„
present in considerable numbers.
very numerous.
Hæmatozoa absent.
„
„
„
„
„
readily found.
absent.
Do.
Do.
Do.
The condition and fate of this animal is not recorded.
† Steele, J. H., fed a dog on January 13th, 1885, with the flesh of a mule which died of Remittent
fever, and also inoculated the same animal with blood containing the parasites.
The hæmatozoon appeared in the blood on 24th January 1885, on the 28th (16th day) animal was
dull, had a slight cough and exhibited pain when pressed on the loins. She was very feverish, while
the blood contained parasites, and the conjunctivæ became pale in the extreme. She was allowed to eat
portions of all mules which died, but her appetite became very capricious on the 25th February,
"the puppy very dull, feverish and thin, with a swelling on each side of the head, much altering her
appearance, also the left inguinal gland swollen and the body in general so tender that the animal
shrieked when lifted from the ground."
The swelling of head increased, and on March 1st, there appeared œdema of the perinœum, and the
throat and muzzle were of great size.
2nd March, seemed a little better, but it was only a temporary change.
On the 4th, she lay broadside struggling in delirium just as mules generally do, became very
cold and hind quarters much swollen. Death 7 P.M. March 4th, 1885.
Autopsy after 96 hours, stomach not ulcerated.
‡ Gunn inoculated a dog on the 20th September 1887, with material from an animal destroyed on
that date. On September 24th, many parasites were found in its blood, and at a later date the author
observes " that the animal is now quite playful and healthy looking, nose cold, but yet the blood is
crowded more or less with the special organisms, more or less numerous as indicated by the internal
temperature."
B.—Précis of Cases of Inoculated Surra.
Dog I.—A young Pariah, age six months, was subcutaneously inoculated in the right inguinal region
on 28th August 1892, with 0.6 c.c. of blood containing very numerous hæmatozoa, taken from the
jugular vein of Donkey No. II. The original virus was obtained from the Rat (Mus decumanus), and
passed through Horse No. LXVI, and Donkey No. II. On the day following the injection, there was
a small swelling at the seat of inoculation, which further increased until the 3rd September, on which
date the œdema spread from the right groin to the left side of the symphysis pubis. The latent period
occupied five days. 13th, animal's left cheek and lower eyelid swollen, swelling circumscribed, and
doughy on manipulation. 25th, increased lachrymation ; 26th, animal weaker, unable to rise, R. 61,
* Evans, G., M. D., Report on Surra, December 1880, Appendix I.
† Steele, J. H., A. V. D.—Investigation into an obscene and fatal disease among Transport Mules in British Burmah, 1885.
‡ Gunn, Veterinary Surgeon, A. V. D.—" Quarterly Journal of Veterinary Science in India." Vol. V., 1887, page 240.