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SECTION IV.
REMARKS ON SOME SYMPTOMS OF SURRA IN ANIMALS, FOLLOWING INOCULATION OF
SOILED RAT'S BLOOD.
ANALYSIS OF THE PRINCIPAL SYMPTOMS.
(a).—Morbid Phenomena referable to the skin.
(1) Eruption.—In the course of this investigation we have observed a number of cases of urticaria,
the rash appearing somewhat suddenly, and as a rule disappearing in the course of twelve hours. In
one case, however, a second attack took place lasting three days, and in the case of a second animal
which was submitted to the arsenical treatment, the eruption appeared four times in one hundred days.
The following is a short account of the cases observed, placed under the different groupings.
Subcutaneous inoculation with soiled Rat's blood.
Horse No, IX.—On the morning of the third day of the disease an urticarial form of eruption
appeared, involving the skin of the whole body, together with œdema of all fore limbs. On the follow-
ing morning no sign of the rash was visible. The temperature which at 8 A.M. registered 38°C., four
hours later had risen to 40.5°C., and six hours from the first record being taken reached a maximum
of 41.4°C. The hæmatozoa which were only few in the blood on the day prior to the appearance of
the skin eruption, were very numerous during its persistence, but were absent on the day following.
Forty-eight hours after the first appearance of the rash the temperature had fallen to 37.2°C. (or
4.2°C. equivalent to 7.56°F.).
Horse No. LXII.—Concurrently with the first appearance of the hæmatozoon in swarms in the
circulation an urticarial eruption was observed, which at first involved both sides of the nose and head,
but later extended to the skin of the throat, neck, shoulders and fore-arms, thence over the chest and
abdomen to the thighs, both inner and external aspects. There was also œdema of all fore limbs.
On the following morning the eruption had entirely disappeared. The temperature which had been
gradually rising for the previous forty-eight hours, attained a maximum of 40.6°C. at noon, during the
height of the eruption, but on the following morning had fallen to 38°C.
Rat's blood on two occasions, negative results, subsequent inoculation with Horse Surra blood.
Horse No. XIII.—This animal was inoculated twice with soiled rat's blood, containing hæmatozoa,
but followed by no result, except swelling at the seat of the infections. Seventy-six days after the first
operation the animal was inoculated with Horse Surra blood. On the fourth day of the disease an
urticarial eruption appeared over the posterior and inner side of the thighs and the near shoulder. This
faded in the evening. Again on the 15th day of the disease the eruption made its appearance, involving
the neck, fore-limbs, shoulders and abdomen. On the 16th day the rash faded, but became more
marked on the following day. The hæmatozoon on the first occasion was very numerous at the time
of the eruption declaring itself, but the temperature which had attained a maximum on the day pre-
viously, was then on the decline 39.6°C. On the second occasion the urticaria developed on the first
day of the third paroxysm of Surra, just after an intermission lasting three days. During the three
days the organism was present in numbers noted as few, few, and numerous respectively. The tem-
perature oscillated in the periods during which the rash was present between 39.6°C. and 38.2°C.
Horse No. LVIII.—This animal was inoculated with blood taken from the heart of a rat, contain-
ing very numerous hæmatozoa, result negative. After 41 days, re-inoculation was performed with
Horse Surra blood. On the second day of the disease an urticarial eruption involving the head and
neck was first observed. Later the rash involved the fore-limbs, chest and back, and by noon of the
same day the inguinal regions and inner aspects of the thighs were covered by it. The hæmatozoon
was present in large numbers in the circulation, and the temperature which 48 hours previous to the
appearance of the eruption registered 38°C. now rose to 41.5°C. By six o'clock in the evening the rash
commenced to fade, and at eight o'clock but little remained. On the following morning it had entirely
disappeared.
Rat Surra through the horse to a cow and second horse.
Horse No. LXIX.—On the 3rd September 1892, this animal was subcutaneously inoculated with
blood containing swarms of hæmatozoa taken from cow No. 1. The urticarial eruption appeared on the
morning of the second day of the disease, and invaded the skin of the hind limbs and groins. At this time
the animal presented a dull appearance, the limbs were swollen and œdematous, hot, but not painful on
manipulation. The temperature on the previous morning was 37.4°C., it gradually rose until at 6 P.M.
on the evening the rash was present, it registered 41.2°C. On the morning of the third day of the
disease no sign of eruption remained and the temperature had fallen 2°C. The hæmatozoon was
swarming in the circulation, during the persistence of the rash, and for the four following days.
Prolonged gastric ingestion of rat's excrement mixed with corn.
Horse No. XCI.—The urticarial eruption appeared over the whole body, but especially involving
the abdomen and thighs, on the day Surra was recognised. The rash persisted more or less for eight
days. During this period the hæmatozoon was present for the first five and absent for the last three