206
Seasonal Incidence of Surra
TABLE III
Geographical incidence of surra in the Punjab
Divisions
Lahore (1939-1944) . . .
Jullundur (1939-1944) . . .
Rawalpindi (1939-1944) . . .
Multan (1939-1944) . . .
Ambala (1939-1944) . . .
No. of
surra
centres
in each
division
10
4
13
6
8
Total
number
of out-
breaks
7,678
634
1,589
674
4,354
Average
No. of
outbreaks
per
year
1,280
106
265
112
726
No. of
cases
per
centre
128
26.5
20.5
18.6
90.7
Population of
equines (Horses,
donkeys and
camels)
E
221,732
C
13,417
E
91,349
C
54,651
E
278,941
C
54,317
E
302,604
C
113,415
E
83,842
C
40,202
Average No.
of outbreaks
per 10,000
animals
54.4 (54)
7.2 (7)
7.9 (8)
2.7 (3)
58.6 (59)
Average
rainfall in
inches
(1931-44)
24.47
44.21
23.20
8.47
26.66
E = Equines. C = Camels.
† Punjab Census Report. (1940)
‡ Figures in brackets have been shown in the map.
The effect of chemotherapy on the incidence of surra. In the early part of disease investigation
schemes extensive trials were made by the field staff of the provinces with tartar emetic, naganol
alone and both combined in the treatment and prevention of surra. But, as late as 1936, Taylor
Director of Veterinary Services, Punjab reported that the treatment of equine surra with naganol
was not an unqualified success. In 1940 Walker reported that surra in horses could be cured both
by naganol alone and the naganol cum tartar emetic method, provided treatment was applied in the
early stage of the disease.
Tartar emetic, which was commonly in use for the treatment of camel and equine surra, gradually
was replaced by naganol in the case of equines, but in the case of the camels its use remained circums-
cribed due to its high cost. In bovines, however, it has been successfully used as a curative and pro-
phylactic in the United Provinces where it has been tried in the years 1939-1945 on a fairly large
scale in a limited area, while successful curative effects are reported from Hyderabad (1944-45),
Madras (1941-42, 1943, 1944) and Assam (1943-1944 and 1945). From Orissa (1940-41 and 1942),
however, the results of treatment of bovine surra with tartar emetic were not so convincing; symp-
toms of shock were noticed in some of the treated cases, while some animals succumbed to the disease
in spite of the treatment. In one case from Madras also ulticarial eruptions and symptoms of distress
were noticed.
Naganol became very popular as a curative remedy in surra because of the single injection re-
quired; second injection being necessary in a few cases only. From the reports of the Disease In-
vestigation Officers for 1939 to 1945, it seems that naganol has been successfully used as a curative
in all parts of India. The prophylactic value attributed to it, however, can be accepted with reserve
because of the lack of controls in most of the experiments undertaken. The supply of the drug
became limited during the war and the stock in the country was nearly exhausted by 1942 when it
was being sold at the exorbitant price of Rs. 50 a dose so that only a few race horse breeders could
afford. Since 1942 there has been an enormous reduction in the recorded number of cases of surra
in the various hospitals in the Punjab as can be seen in Fig. 2 and according to the information
from the various veterinarians working in the hospitals. This reduction is a psychological pheno-
menon. The clients, having got accustomed to single injection treatment of naganol, were not
inclined to revert back to tartar emetic which, in most of the cases, necessitated more than one
injection and even then there were chances of relapse occurring.
Antrypol came into prominence during the War. It has been successfully used in the treatment
as well as prevention of surra on a large number of ponies in Assam during the years 1942, 1943,
1944. In 1943-44 in Sind, in 1944-45 in Kashmir, good results were obtained by its use in camels
in Sind the groups of camels injected with antrypol remained free from the disease. In the Central