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CASE No. X. -GREY COUNTRY-BRED MARE, aged. Admitted December 31st, 1890,
the property of a Gádiválá, who stated that he had brought it from Bombay about 15 days
before. The animal is much emaciated, and very weak and walks with difficulty. There
is no œdema of the abdomen or extremities. The visible mucous membranes are pallid, but
there are some petechiæ on the conjunctival membranes. Hæmatozoa numerous in the
blood. Temp. A.M. 39.4°C.,P.M. 40°C.
1st January 1891.— Temp. A.M. 39.8°C, P.M. 39.1°C. Hæmatozoa numerous in the blood,
pulse 120, eyes fixed, breathing hurried. Moribund. Some hours previous to death the
patient was attacked with colic and frequently looked round at her left side.
Death took place at 6 P.M.
AUTOPSY at 11A.M. January 2nd.
Body emaciated, but absolutely free from œdema, On opening the thoracic cavity some
jelly-like yellow-coloured exudation is observed, lying between the pericardium and the
sternum.
Lungs.—The apex and upper lobe are fully distended with air. There are some very
small emphysematous areas dotted over the anterior portion of the organ. About the centre of
the superior and outer surface of the organ there is a patch, five inches square, which presents
a peculiar mottled appearance, caused by a network of vessels on its surface. This portion of
the visceral pleura is thickened and there is a collection of jelly-like exudation underneath it.
On Section the lung is found to be semi-solid to the touch. This portion of lung is wedge-
shaped and much lighter in colour than the surrounding tissues which are of a dark claret hue.
The tissue floats in water, and on pressure a quantity of fluid mixed with air exudes from
the surface.
Left lung.—Apex fully distended with air. Upper ⅓rds of a greenish black colour.
Lower ⅓rd tolerably normal in colour. On Section this lung presents circumscribed patches
of almost black colour, the intervening spaces being pinkish red. On pressure blood-stained
fluid mixed with air exudes freely.
Spleen.—Enlarged.
The capsule is dotted over with small, irregular shaped petechiæ.
Kidneys.— The right presents two petcchiated patches, lying on the external cortical
portion. One, a quarter of an inch square, the other somewhat smaller.
Liver.—There are numerous, small, irregular bodies of a yellowish-white colour lying
under Glissan's capsule, and on section of the organ many are observed lying in the tissue ;
but they are very easily enucleated.
Heart.—The pericardium contains a small quantity of a yellow colored fluid, in which no
hæmatozoa were discovered. The external surface of the organ is pale in colour and quite free
from blood extravasations. The right side contains a large decolorized clot floating in
dark fluid blood ; there are no sub-endocardial ecchymoses. Valves healthy. The left side of
the organ is contracted and contains very little blood, only a small clot. There are signs of
fatty degeneration of the muscular structure. There are no sub-eudocardial ecchymoses.
Valves healthy.
Stomach.—Healthy, no lesions of any kind.
Intestines.—No pathological lesions observed.
Bladder.—Healthy.
The points of interest in this case are :—
(i). The presence of a horse suffering from naturally-acquired Surra on the
Deccan plateau, and the discovery of its previous Bombay history.
(ii). The rapidity with which the disease advanced, owing to the animal having to
work in a vehicle plying for hire.
(iii). The slight pathological lesions found at the Post-mortem examination.
B 1086—3 ap