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Since 1892, when a fresh supply of water was brought to Kathgodam from the Hills,
everything possible has been done by the Superintendent of the Tonga service to protect the
horses under his care from Surra. The water was subjected to boiling before the animals
were allowed to drink it. The grass instead of being obtained from the plains has for years
been collected during the cold season of the year (November, December and January) from
the highlands at an altitude of 4,500 feet; all gram and corn has been carefully cleaned and
screened since 1894, in order to avoid the presence of rat excrement, and the creeper (Bel) has
not been utilized during the past year as fodder, as is the case in the Simla Dâk service.
After eliminating the above sources of the contagium of Surra, only two (as far as we
know) are left for consideration :-
(i) If one animal contracts the disease through the disobedience and stupidity of its
syce, i.e., by allowing the animal under his charge to graze or drink by the
wayside, on the return journey to its Chowki—the disease once started may be
spread by the inoculation of flies.
(ii) Flies might perhaps take into their systems the Surra protozoon or its spore form,
when drinking the water of ponds or brooks and directly communicate the
disease to the animal they bite ? But it is more likely that the flies obtain the
hæmatozoon from a previous case of Surra, either in equines or other animals.
Since 1891, I have been examining the body fluids of flies for "Trypanosoma," during the
two months preceding the one (September) in which Surra usually appears in epidemic form
in animals ; but up to the present time without success, although on numerous occasions one
has demonstrated a different variety of hæmatozoon swarming in the blood of different kinds
of fish. Until one is successful in obtaining more definite information as to the means by
which the animals contract Surra, nothing that I can suggest will prove of any avail in
combating the disease. In previous reports to Government, it has been pointed out that only
animals in good condition are suitable to undergo treatment for Surra. It will be found
impracticable to attempt to cure ill-preserved animals, such as Tonga ponies, towards the end
of a heavy and hard worked season.
In no other Tonga service in India with which I am acquainted, do the animals receive
the same amount of supervision, care and attention as those under the Superintendent of the
Rohilkand and Kumaon Railway Tonga service, Kathgodam.
In addition to the animals which succumbed to Surra belonging to the Rohilkand and
Kumaon Railway Tonga service, private owners of ekka and riding ponies lost some eighteen
animals from the same disease at and around Kathgodam.
CENTRAL PROVINCES.
Jalbalpur.—Veterinary Lieutenant R. L. Crawford, A. V. D., in March 1897, reported on
an outbreak of Surra at Jabbalpur among the police horses stationed there.
The first animal to show signs of the disease was brought from Nagpur on 5th Septem-
ber and died 18th October 1896. Twenty-three horses in all succumbed to Surra up to 17th
February 1897. Two of the above animals were brought from the Native Cavalry Regiment
quartered in Jabbalpur, but no case of Surra occurred amongst the horses of this regiment
during the previous year or during the time the outbreak of the disease was present in the
police lines.
All the animals which succumbed presented the usual symptoms of Surra.
Excessive rain fell during the wet season of 1896.
None of the horses improved when treated with Liq. Arsenicalis, but this was ascribed to
the low condition they were in, previous to the treatment being commenced. Veterinary
Lieutenant Crawford points out that the last two animals did not improve on arsenic, but
stood the disease longer than any of the previous ones in spite of their condition.
BOMBAY PRESIDENCY.
Bombay—The Tramway Company's losses during the Surra season 1896 97 amounted to
20 horses. Of these fourteen were Australians varying in age from 5 to 16 years, the remain
ing 6 were country-breds varying from six to twelve years. It will be observed on looking at
the chart of cases that 18 of the 20 animals affected with disease were seized during the usual
period of the year—1 in August, 7 in September, 7 in October, 2 in November and 1 in the
following January. One case was diagnosed in February 1896, and this, of course, belonged
to the previous season. The other contracted Surra during a most unusual month, viz.,
9th May 1896. On reference to our records,* published 1895, we find that out of 620 cases of
this disease only one occurred during the month of May, and that animal was stationed a few
miles out of Bombay.
* Report of outbreak of Surra and Filariasis at Kurnal Depôt—Appendix H.
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