177
16th January 1894.—Autopsy immediately after death.
The body is somewhat emaciated. The mucous membrane of the mouth and lips are pallid. The nasal septum
is congested. The extremities are fine and there is an absence of œdema from the under-surface of the abdomen.
On section.—The subcutaneous tissues are stained a pale yellow colour, while internally the organs and membranes
present an orange hue.
Thorax.—There is no fluid in the pleural cavities and there are no pleuritic adhesions.
Lungs.—The organs are pale in colour and well distended with air, but there are a few dark coloured extravasa-
tions dotted over the surface of the tissue lying underneath the visceral pleuræ. On section, the tissues are red in
colour and present a healthy appearance.
There are a few entric centimetres of fluid reddish-yellow in colour in the pericardial sac.
Heart.—Weighs 5 lbs. 11½ ozs. Externally the adipose tissue surrounding the base of the organ presents an
orange colour, but is not petechiated. On section the right auricle and ventricle contain a certain amount of dark clots,
and there are several sub-endocardial extravasations in the latter cavity, one measuring ½"×¼" involving one of the
curtains of the tricuspid valve. The left side of the heart is contracted and free from extravasations.
There is no fluid in the peritoneal cavity.
Liver.—Weighs 9 lbs. 6½ ozs. The capsule of the organ presents signs of an old perihepatitis and there are several
small, dark purple coloured petechiæ dotted over the convex surface of the right lobe. On section, the tissues are firm
and healthy in appearance.
Spleen.—Weighs 2 lbs. 11¼ ozs. Both surfaces are dotted over with dark brick-red coloured sub-capsular pete¬
chiæ. On section, the tissues are dark, but firm and healthy in appearance.
Kidneys.—Right weighs 1 lb. 2¼ ozs., the left 1 lb. 1½ ozs. The capsules strip easily. There are a few minute
petechiæ dotted over the surface of the left organ, but the right is free. On section the tissues present a dark colour,
but otherwise appear normal in character.
Stomach.—Is full of semi-fluid green food (lucerne grass). The cuticular portion is healthy in appearance, but the
mucous membrane of the villous portion presents a few raised swellings. The nest of 'spiroptera megastoma.'
Intestines.—Present a healthy appearance.
Bladder.—The organ contains 21 ozs. of an orange colour, alkaline in reaction. The mucous membrane presents
a somewhat congested appearance.
Remarks.—The animal as above stated was forwarded to Bombay Veterinary Hospital, Parel, on May 5th 1893.
The experiment commenced on the morning of May 6th and terminated on September 26th, 1893, on which latter date
this animal together with Horse No. LXXXIX were sent back to the Laboratory Hospital at Poona. A period there-
fore of 145 days, commencing during the hottest and driest part of the year (May) and carried on during the whole
of the rains was devoted to this experiment, having for its object the determination as to whether the excreta of rats
in whose blood at the time of collection the hæmatozoon was present, could produce Surra in equines, when mixed
with food.
The temperature according to the chart kindly kept by Mr. N. D. Dhakmarvala during the animal's sojourn in
Bombay never exceeded the limits of health, in fact during prolonged periods the diurnal variation never differed more
than two-fifths of a degree.
It was not until twenty-four hours after the animal arrived at Poona on the Deccan plateau, 1,849 ft. elevation,
that the urticarial eruption made its appearance and that the Surra organism was discovered on microscopical exami-
nation of the blood.
Of course, it may be said that animal simply contracted the disease in the ordinary way—from the fodder—during
the rains. We have, however, the fact before us that the control animal Horse No. LXXXIX and all other horses in
the same stable remained healthy, which certainly points to the probability of the animal under experiment having
acquired Surra through the agency of Rat's excrement.
The period of incubation occupied in this case was 146 days.
B 2236—45 ap