6
* Giles investigated several cases which occurred at the latter end of an
outbreak in Shillong, which from first to last resulted in the loss of between sixty
to seventy animals.
The disease described by this observer was certainly not ' Surra,' but was
due to the presence of the sclerostomum tetracanthum. As early as 1865, Franck
and Fischer working independently published papers dealing with the anæmia,
hæmorrhagic enteritis, and fatal colics produced by these nematodes.
Lieutenant J. Baldwin, R.A., has given the following information re Surra
in Burmah.
A section of No. 6 Bombay Mountain Battery left Bhamo in January 1891,
and took part in the Wuntha expedition. [Wuntha is noted for the prevalence
of Surra.] No deaths occurred during the expedition and the section returned
to Bhamo at the beginning of April. In May several of those animals which
had had the hardest work during the expedition, i. e. the baggage mules,
suffered for two or three days from high fever. They apparently recovered
but fell off slightly in condition. In June they had another attack of greater
severity. In July the same thing occurred, the animals becoming greatly debi-
litated. During this month the attacks came on once a week, and this con-
tinued through August ; all the symptoms clearly indicated Surra.
In September four of the mules died, in October six, and in November five.
This left only seven out of the original twenty-two baggage mules; of these
seven mules, three had suffered from intermittent attacks of fever, and four
appeared to be quite healthy. These seven mules started on another expedition
in December 1891, and seemed at first to be picking up and doing well; however
in January 1892, two of them were again attacked with disease in so virulent
a form, that in the space of a week they were unable to stand, and had to be
destroyed. The third mule had to be destroyed on the 1st April 1892 ; the
remaining four mules were never sick, and are still working.
It will be seen from the above that " supposing the disease to have been
contracted in Wuntha, which appears probable, as no other animals were
attacked in Bhamo," the disease in one case lasted at least a year before a fatal
termination.
On the expedition above referred to, which started in December 1891, the
number of animals exceeded 400 ; there were among these only two other fatal
cases, one from tetanus, the other from an accident.
The same officer also states, that from August 1890 to August 1891 the
Chinese traders brought 6,500 mules to Bhamo from Yunnan. Fifteen hundred
of these animals died of Surra in Burmah, and five thousand were left to make
the return journey. On the return of the traders to Bhamo in the following
year, and on their being questioned as to the condition of the animals which
made the journey in the previous year to Yunnan, it was elicited that all of the
animals, 5,000 in number, succumbed to disease either whilst on the march, or
on their arrival in Chinese territory.
The traders further stated, that all mules brought by them from Yunnan
on their last journey were entirely fresh animals, which had not been over the
same ground in a previous expedition.
† G. H. Evans, in reply to certain queries, informed Mr. Pease that " the
popular idea regarding immunity of the indigenous ponies in Burmah is a fallacy,
as they die equally with other breeds, as also do the Panthé mules which are
bred in the Northern and Chinese Shan States ; so much so is this the case, that
hardly a mule or pony escapes in the Upper Irrawaddy, Mogaung, and Myitchna,
so that all hope in the direction of naturally acquired immunity in indigenous
breeds is lost."
" There is a form of bilious fever here exactly resembling many cases which
we have had in the Poona Laboratory—Yellowness of the visible mucous mem-
* Giles, G. M, J., Surgeon, Lawrence Military Asylum, Sanawár.
" Some observations on the life history of sclerostomum tetracanthum (Diesing), and on
sclerostomiasis in equine animals, in connection with a so-called outbreak of ' Surra' at Shil-
long.—Scientific Memoirs, M. O. I. Army, Part VII, 1892.
† Veterinary-Lieutenant, Superintendent, C. V. D., Burmah.