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amongst the horses and baggage animals of the 19th Bengal Lancers. These
observations were made under the personal supervision of Inspecting Veterinary-
Surgeon W. T. Russell, 2nd Circle, at the present time the Principal Veterinary-
Officer in India.
The outbreak in 1886 commenced on the 3rd July, and terminated on the
22nd December of the same year. During this period 48 animals succumbed
to the disease, viz., 25 horses and 23 grass-cutters' ponies, thirteen and six of
each respectively having died, the remainder being destroyed. For those animals
which died, the average number of days of the disease was for horses 36, and
for ponies 6.
The outbreak of 1887 extended over 151 days, from September 6th, 1887, to
February 4th, 1888, and attacked horses, ponies and mules. Forty-seven in all
died or were destroyed.
Veterinary-Surgeon Steele happened to be in Meerut at the time of the
epidemic, and at once recognised the disease as Surra, organisms having been
discovered at a later date in the blood of 15 out of 20 animals examined. It is
of interest to notice that seven other animals were discovered suffering from fever,
with yellow and petechial condition of the conjunctivae, and a more or less degree
of constitutional disturbance, (symptoms frequently recognised by us in Poona,
and by G. H. Evans in Burmah), but these animals were not affected with Surra
and recovered after a few days.
The outbreaks in Meerut as in other localities have occurred only at a-
special time of the year, i.e., from the rainy season well into the cold weather,
and up to the present time there are no sporadic cases on record as having
occurred at this station at other times of the year.
The deaths during this period were in September, 10, October, 26,
November, 7, December, 2, and January, 2, The average number of days
of disease in cases that died, being for horses 52, ponies 30, and mules 19. In
this series of cases, the Surra parasite was found in the blood at different periods
of the disease in 43 out of the 47 attacked. Veterinary-Surgeon Nuttall apparently
experienced the same difficulty in determining the exact commencement of the
attacks in animals as has been found by other investigators. All attempts at
curative treatment were negative.
As regards the post-mortem appearances of the stomach, Mr. Nuttall
states " that it may be found in some instances replete with food, in others a
little partly digested blood-stained material, fibrinous clots, &c.; and the organ
usually the seat of special lesions ; which may be ulceration or erosion either of
the cuticular or villous portions, usually confined to the former, extending in some
cases to perforation ; the villous portion in places denuded of the epithelial
lining, resulting from degenerative changes, and yellow pigmentation of varying
intensity is constantly seen."
In the appendix to the report, it is stated that gastric lesions were found in
the case of 25 horses, 15 ponies and 2 mules.
* Ranking published in June 1891 a preliminary report, in which he states
his opinion, that Surra is a disease of malarial origin comparable to ague, and
that this view of the pathology of " Surra " is borne out both by the period of
prevalence of " Surra" which corresponds with that of ague, and also by the
results of treatment. Quinine in full doses appears to control the disease, sup-
plemented by general measures to combat the anæmia and weakness consequent
on prolonged illness, chiefly by milk, iron and arsenic. He believes that the
facts put now on record will, if followed as guides to diagnosis, enable the
disease to be detected in the earliest stages, when it may be rapidly cured ; the
reason why " Surra " has hitherto been so uniformly fatal he believes to be
simply because its real nature was not apprehended, and the disease allowed
to run on till the vital powers were sapped by the constantly recurring fever.
* Ranking George, M.D.—A preliminary note on the nature and pathology of the disease
known as " Surra " affecting horses and mules in India. Indian Medical Gazette, June 1st, 1891.
B 1036—2