46
Autopsy.— Immediately after death. The body resembles a skeleton ; œdema of limbs and under-
surface of abdomen. Abdominal Cavity.—Intestines very pale, but little change noticeable.
Mesentery
infiltrated and yellow in colour. Stomach healthy, contains a quantity of undigested food. Liver and
spleen present a normal appearance; muscles paler than normal, and not the least trace of adipose tissue
present. Thoracic Cavity.— Four litres of a lemon-coloured fluid, almost transparent. The inferior portion
of the lungs and especially near the apex are the seat of consolidation, yellowish-white in colour in places
and red in others. A limited adhesion of the anterior lobe of the left lung to the costal pleura exists.
At the most dependent parts of the pleural sacs, yellow-coloured false membranes cover the costal
pleura and anterior mediastinum. Lesions of chronic pleuro-pneumonia. On section consolidated areas
of the pulmonary parenchyma, discoloured, presenting the yellow tint of a dead leaf.
Pericardium
intact. Heart normal in size. On section tissues friable and cavities contain red but no white clot.
The blood, yellowish-red in colour, considerably reduced in quantity, coagulates rapidly and the serum
of a yellowish-brown colour quickly separates. On microscopical examination of the blood a large
number of hæmatozoa are observed in active movement. From the aspect and rapid movements; the
observer thinks, the organism much resembles the Trypanosoma Evansi, which causes Surra in India
and Tonquin.
France.
In 1896, M. A. Dr. Legrain* discovered a hæmatozoon, belonging to the class of flagellate in-
fusoria, Genus Trypanosoma, in the varicose dilitations developed on the external surface of the
pericardium of a cow, killed at the abattoir at Bougie, France. This infusorian has not been brought
to notice before in bovines in France.
The author remarks that the Trypanosoma does not sensibly differ from the parasites met with in
fish, frogs, birds, rats, camels and horses, found in the last mentioned in India, Syria and in Egypt.
The parasite in question is an organism formed of protoplasm furnished with a flagellum, a neucleus,
and an undulating membrane and measures about 50µ. The carcass of the cow did not present any
organic lesions, but emaciation and an anæmic condition were marked. The varicose dilitations re-
sembling bunches of grapes alone attracted attention, but these can scarcely be attributed to the pre-
sence of the organism.
Abysinnia.
During the Abysinnian Campaign in 1867, the transport lost a large number of animals from a
disease very much resembling Surra. Veterinary-Colonel I. H. B. Hallen, who was in charge of the
transport animals, some years after his return to this country, recognised the likeness of the disease in
India caused by the Trypanosoma, with that encountered by him in equines during the above cam-
paign. During the march from the sea coast to the high ground of Magdala, strips of country were
crossed where large numbers of flies (Zimb) attacked the animals and caused them much suffering.
German East Africa.
There is reason to suppose that the disease observed in German East Africa is analogous to that
described by Bruce as Tse-tse fly disease or Nagana in Zululand. Professor R. Koch is at the present
time engaged in the study of certain diseases in that regiou, and will no doubt have something to say
with regard to the Trypanosoma found in the blood of animals in those parts.
Zambesi.
The following extract has been taken from Dr. Livingstone's Travels† in South Africa, as it gives
as far as we know the first and best account of the ravages of the Tse-tse fly :—
"We had come through another Tse-tse district by night, and at once passed our cattle over
to the northern bank to preserve them from its ravages.
" A few remarks on the Tse-tse, or Glossina morsitans, may here be appropriate. It is not
much larger than the common house-fly, and is nearly of the same brown colour as the common
honey-bee; the after-part of the body has three or four yellow bars across it ; the wings project
beyond this part considerably, and it is remarkably alert, avoiding most dexterously all attempts
to capture it with the hand, at common temperatures ; in the cool of the mornings and evenings
it is less agile. Its peculiar buzz when once heard can never be forgotten by the traveller
whose means of locomotion are domestic animals ; for it is well known that the bite of this
poisonous insect is certain death to the ox, horse and dog. In this journey, though we were
not aware of any great number having at any time alighted on our cattle, we lost forty-three
* "Trypanosome des Bovides." Re Le Progres Veterinaire, No. 11. 15 Mars 1896, also Recueil Veterinaire, VIII Série,
Tome III, No. 7.
† Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa by David Livingstone, LL.D., D.C. L., 1st Edition, published
in 1857, pages 80—83.