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Scientific Memoirs by
examined. The worms he describes were, it is true, possibly not S. tetracan-
thum, but either Spiroptera megastoma Rudolphi or Strongylus Axei Cobbold,
but the ulceration and other appearances correspond exactly with those produced
in the stomach by undoubted S. tetracanthum at Shillong ; so that I cannot
but think that, had the cœcum and colon been uniformly examined, they would
have discovered strongyles in a far larger proportion of cases than they did in
the stomach, or, in other words, that a certain proportion at least of their cases
were no more nor less than instances of sclerostomiasis.
As to the prevalence of the worm in Burma, I obtained further, and un-
equivocal evidence from another correspondent, Captain Hutchinson, com-
manding the Ye-u battalion, of Military Police. He informs me that his corps
suffered terribly from " Surra" in 1889, only three ponies surviving out of 176.
The outbreak was coincident with the ponies, while on service, being ne-
cessarily allowed to graze in the jungle, instead of being fed on hay, as had previ-
ously been the case ; and cases have continued to occur up to the present time.
Captain Hutchinson, having noticed my letter in the " Pioneer," examined
the intestine in the next case that ocurred, and found it swarming with worms,
some of which he sent me, and I found that they were, like those found in the
Shillong outbreak, Sclerostumum tetracanthum. Captain Hutchinson's authority
for looking upon the outbreak as one of " Surra " was A. V. Frost, Esq., the
Veterinary Inspector of Burma, who had been deputed to enquire into the
cause of the outbreak, and whose report on the subject he was good enough to
send me. In this report I could find no mention of any examination having
been made of the intestines of the affected animals, and indeed, in his letter,
Captain Hutchinson remarks : " I regret that last year neither myself, nor my
salutri, or Dr. Frost examined the intestine." In his report the Veterinary
Inspector states that, out of eighteen animals whose blood he examined he found
the Trichomonas in fifteen, but in all " the ulceration of the stomach was found
to be very well marked." Now ulceration of the stomach is, as has already been
remarked, one of the most characteristic of the pathological appearances found
in Sclerostomiasis, and the life-history of the parasite furnishes obvious reasons
why this should be the case. On the other hand, whatever may be the patholo-
gical effects caused by the presence of the Trichomonas Evansi in the blood, it is
very difficult to see any possible reason for their bringing about ulceration of the
stomach, and hence one is forced to the conclusion that in these cases the true
cause of the lesion was overlooked ; the fact being that, once the assumed cause
(i.e. , the monad) was found to be present, any further examination was assumed
to be superfluous. It is right, however, to record that some of the cases de-
scribed by Captain Hutchinson appear to be referable to what is usually spoken
of in India as anthrax ; although I understand from Dr. D. D. Cunningham, F.R.S.,
that its identity with the anthrax of cattle in Europe is a matter of considerable
doubt.