10
a period of four years, with special reference to the life history of the causal
agent, has been almost finished and will be published at the first opportunity.
37. A new form of organism has been discovered by me in the erythro
cytes of some camels suffering from spontaneous trypanomiasis. Specimens
have been forwarded to Professor Schaudinn for favour of identification.
The organism presents the appearance of a long thread, one extremity termi
nating in a small protuberance. Individually the length varies from 25µ to
26.25μ. The organism may be observed at one stage of development following
the exact contour of a red blood cell, while in another, it forms a figure of
8 in the interior of such a cell, or projects half its length from it. Less
seldom the organism may be discovered lying free in the blood plasma.
Charbon Symptomatique.
38. Very extensive researches have occupied a portion of our time during
the past 12 months in attempting to procure a serum to protect against Char
bon Symptomatique in bovines. Our greatest difficulty has been connected
with the production of virulent cultures for the purpose of hyper-immunizing
animals. All known methods have been tried but without success. Conse
quently, we have been obliged to fall back upon the use of the muscle juice of
animals, which have succumbed to the disease, for the periodical injection of
the serum giving animals. In due course, the serum will be ready for the
test experiments as to the dose it is to be issued at.
In the field, this process of serum injection will only confer a passive
protection for a short interval on the injected animal, whereas the first and
second vaccines prepared from muscle juice of animals, which have succumed
to Charbon Symptomatique, will produce an active immunity upon the injected
animal after the reaction following the injection of the second vaccine.
Consequently, a large number of doses of various vaccines are in the course
of preparation by the following different methods and will shortly be ready
for testing in the field, during the coming wet season. The simplest and
most efficient method may then be introduced and its preparation conti
nued :—
(i) First and second vaccines from muscle juice obtained from animals
which have succumbed to Charbon Symptomatique.
(ii) A third form of vaccine from the defibrinated blood of bovines
which have succumbed to the malady.
(iii) A fourth form of vaccine from the defibrinated blood of bovines
suffering from Charbon Symptomatique, but utilizing the heart
blood collected half an hour after death.
(iv) A fifth method is to use the spleen of Charbon Symptomatique
carcasses by squeezing out the juice, letting it dry, then mincing
and exsiccating the same over sulphuric acid.
Dourine.
39. Further observations in considerable numbers have been continued
during the past 12 months. Material has now been collected since the publi
cation of the first report in 1904, which will allow of my submitting, in due
course, a further communication on the subject. This will contain a consider
able amount of information with regard to the intimate changes observed
in the nervous system produced by the toxins elaborated in the course of
Dourine. Some time must, however, elapse before my notes can be put in
proper form for publication. This cannot be undertaken until towards the
end of the present year, after the enhanced work, consequent upon lectures
and training of Veterinary Officers, has terminated.
40. Treatment of Dourine by Arsenic and Trypan-rot.—This has only
been carried out in one animal, an Arab T.B. horse, the subject of 71 plaques,
previous to the commencement of the treatment, and also of marked œdema
and swelling of scrotum, sheath and under-surface of the abdomen. Arsenic
and trypan-rot were administered intravenously in doses previously worked
out, as those tolerated by equines the subjects of Equine Trypanosomiasis.
The results, as observed up to the present, have been satisfactory ; the swelling
and œdema disappeared and the effects of covering were negative.