18
dirty sponges, etc., which have been used in connection with previous cases of
the disease, need not be gone into further in this note. Infected wounds fre-
quently heal, and after the period of incubation, again break out followed by
the usual enlargement of lymphatic vessels and form a beaded cord.
The disease in Europe is nearly always curable in from one to seven
months, when the disease is recognised, and an energetic treatment adopted in
the early stages. In Naples 90 per cent. of cases are said to recover. Treat-
ment consists in the excision, scraping out or cauterisation of the subcutaneous
purulent foci as they appear.
Before leaving Hapur Remount Depôt, through the courtesy of the
Director, Army Remount Department, I was enabled to initiate a number of
comparative experiments in bovines, buffaloes and smaller animals, with a view
to determine to what extent they are susceptible to the epizootic in this country.
I hope to have an opportunity of examining them previous to the autopsies at
a latter date ; in the meantime these animals are all segregated a long distance
outside the limits of the Remount Depôt and away from any habitation.
(j) Surra.—The investigation of this widespread Indian disease has been
persevered with during the past twelve months and I trust that Government
will allow me the opportunity of re-collecting specimens with regard to
spontaneous Surra in different animals as opportunities occur. So that I may
be enabled to obtain the necessary material to allow of my re-writing Vol. III
of the Surra Report, and to replace the many valuable drawings and micro-
photographs depicting the mode of re-production of the different forms of the
Indian Trypanosoma, the "materies morbi" of Surra. The effects produced
by this organism as found in equines in this country, differs in a number of
ways from the species observed in animals suffering from Nagana or Tsetse
fly disease in South Africa and from the trypanosoma of Dourine in Algeria
and the shores of the Mediterranean. The winter months during which
Muktesar is enveloped in snow, would be a suitable time to carry out such
Surra investigations at the small Branch laboratory at Bareilly, when the
necessary buildings are constructed. The research would only from a limited
portion of the day's work, so that other important investigations would proceed
as usual.
(k) Meteorological Observations.—In 1895, the Meteorological Reporter to
the Government of India promised to supply a complete set of instruments
for the purpose of making daily observations at Muktesar, if a recording sta-
tion could be erected. As no funds were forthcoming for the purpose, the
Imperial Bacteriologist privately bore the necessary expenses and the structure
was erected from a plan supplied by the Meteorological Reporter to the Govern-
ment of India. Meteorological observations were recorded thrice daily at 8 A.M.,
10 A.M. and 4 P.M. by the native Laboratory Assistant Gabriel DeSouza, between
September 1896 and October 1898. The full records have been regularly
despatched to Calcutta on the last day of each month. Further, the Meteoro-
logical Reporter to the North-Western Provinces and Oudh has made periodi-
cal inspections to test the instruments and verify the records : this officer while
inspecting the Observatory last year, examined the present Observers and found
their knowledge satisfactory. The shed, erected in 1896, is now somewhat
dilapidated and requires reconstruction. Since October 1898, observations
have been recorded by the second and third clerks of this office alternately.
(l) Strangles.—During the past few months, the research instituted at
Poona, with regard to the preparation of a prophylactic against Strangles in
Equines, but which had to be postponed on account of the supply of gas
during 1891—94, has now been taken up and a report on this subject will be
submitted to Government in due course.
(m). Syngamus Laryngis.—In my Annual Report for 1897-98, I published
a description of what I surmised to be a new form of Syngamus, not previously
described and gave it the name of " Syngamus Laryngis " This example was
detached from the mucous membrane bordering on the vocal cords of a hill
bull, which had been bred and born in the mountains lying between the Outer-
Himalayas and the Snows. Since the above date, I have had the opportunity
of examining a large number of small hill cattle from the same district which