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APPENDIX III A.
SURRA IN BOVINES AND BUFFALOES.
The course which Surra takes in bovines, when acquired either spontaneously or after
inoculation, has been very briefly pointed out in my earlier reports on this disease. It will be
as well, however, to recapitulate the leading facts known concerning these animals, in order
to compare them with the symptoms and course of Surra in buffaloes now recorded for the
first time.
Some five or six bovines were subjected, at Poona, to inoculation with the Trypanosoma
from different animals, viz., horse, rat, and the latter organism after it had been passed
through equines. All these animals survived, the first attack of the disease, and subsequently
were respectively exposed to re-inoculation with material obtained from a more virulent source
to that injected on the first occasion. In no instance did any serious symptoms follow as a
consequence, but at a later period, Bull No. III and the calf contracted rinderpest spontane-
ously, and succumbed to it, 232 and 234 days respectively, after the date of their re-inocula-
tion with Surra.
In the following précis will be found the chief facts noted in the case of each animal
together with a tabular statement, giving the fullest details.
Bull No. I.—Deccani bred. This animal was kept under observation for some time,
during which it appeared quite healthy. It was sub-cutaneously inoculated on the 24th
March 1891 with 1.75 c.cm. of blood, containing numerous Surra Hæmatozoa taken from the
jugular vein of Horse No. XIX. A considerable amount of swelling and œdema, with tender-
ness on manipulation followed at the seat of inoculation. On the evening of the 28th May
the temperature rose to 39.7 °C., and on the following morning one Hæmatozoon was discovered
on microscopical examination after searching through several specimens of blood. On the 30th
no Hæmatozoa were found in the blood, but on the 31st and 1st April a few were observed.
From this date until the 17th June no more Hæmatozoa or their immature forms were seen,
although carefully searched for. On 17th June eighty-five days after the inoculation of the
animal, two Guinea-pigs were inoculated sub-cutaneously with 0.2 c.cm. No. 1 Guinea-pig
developed Hæmatozoa in the blood on the 27th, ten days after inoculation, whilst No. II
Guinea pig did not develop any until the 5th July, or eighteen days after inoculation. The
organisms were present off and on in the blood of these animals for a considerable period.
No. I finally succumbing to the disease on the 8th of November 1891, or 144 days after
its inoculation, whilst No. II died on the 12th October 1891, or 117 days after inoculation.
During the interval which elapsed between the 17th June and 3rd September 1891
no Hæmatozoa were discovered in the blood of the bull, although several cover glass
specimens of it were examined every day. Consequently two more guinea-pigs were inoculated.
These were distinguished as No. III and No. IV and each received 0.2 c.cm. of
blood from the bull on the 163rd day after its inoculation. Nos. III and IV Guinea-pigs
both developed Hæmatozoa on the 10th day and the organisms remained almost constantly
present in their blood until the day of their death, 24th October and 14th December, respect-
ively.
On the 13th November 1891, that is, 234 days after the inoculation of the bull, two
Guinea-pigs Nos. V and VI were inoculated with 0.2 c.cm. of blood from that animal, but
as no Hæmatozoa were found during the next 32 days, they were re-inoculated on the
16th December 1891, 267 days after the inoculation of the bull, but with negative results
a second time. Between the latter date, 16th December 1891, and 14th March 1892, the
bull appeared to be enjoying good health and putting on flesh. On this latter date, that
is, 356 days from the time of inoculation, two new Guinea-pigs Nos. VII and VIII were
inoculated as previously with 0.2 c.cm. of blood from the bull, but this experiment was
also followed by negative results. Since 24th March the bull has been in very fine condi-
tion, and as it was desirable to ascertain whether animals of the bovine species are liable to
a second attack of Surra, it was resolved to re-inoculate this animal with a more virulent
type of Surra, obtained by passing the Hæmatozoon of the rat (Mus decumanus) through
the horse and donkey. This second inoculation was performed on the 22nd August 1892,
when 1.0 c.cm. of blood drawn from the jugular vein of the donkey, was sub-cutaneously
injected over the left scapular region, the blood at the time containing very numerous and
active Hæmatozoa. No swelling and œdema followed, only slight sub-cutaneous thickening
in the tract of the injective needle. On the 28th of the same month a peculiar organism was
found in the blood, but on that day only. The animal put on flesh and appeared in robust
health. On 21st September 1892 two Guinea-pigs were inoculated with blood drawn from
the jugular vein, but up to the 14th November 1892, their blood, which had been examined
daily, failed to show any signs of the Surra Hæmatozoon.
The blood of Bull I, was submitted to microscopical examination until the 22nd July
1893, a period of 345 days after the date of the second inoculation. No Surra Hæmatozoa
were observed, but only one giant form of Trypanosoma on 27th August 1892.
Bull No. III, aged 4 years.—This animal was sub-cutaneously inoculated on the 31st
July 1892, with 1.0 c.cm. of blood containing very numerous Hæmatozoa taken from the
jugular vein of Horse No. LXVII, previously passed through the horse from the rat (Mus
decumanus). A considerable amount of swelling and œdema with tenderness on manipula-
tion followed at the seat of the injection.