8
Of the two cattle observed with Hæmoglobinuria, one was brought from near
the Ramganga river and the second from a district bordering on the Jamna
river.
Both animals were subcutaneously inoculated with virulent rinderpest
blood one six weeks later than the other, but in both instances the symptoms
of rinderpest were followed by those of Hæmoglobinuria before those of the
former disease had disappeared from the affected animals, and on microscopical
examination of their blood 60 and 62 per cent. respectively of the red blood
corpuscles were found to contain the organism of the disease.
31. The control rinderpest blood utilized for inoculation purposes was
found to be free from the materies morbi of the disease, and no other cattle, out
of some 90 inoculated, showed symptoms of Hæmoglobinuria, so that the
disease was not contracted at the Bareilly Depôt from the injected rinderpest
blood.
32. Five plains bulls, several of which had only just passed through
attacks of inoculated rinderpest, and one unprotected hill bull were each
subcutaneously inoculated with (1 plains 1 c.c., 1 hill bull 1 c.c., and 4 plains
10 c.c.) blood drawn from the animals suffering from Hæmoglobinuria, the red
corpuscles of which contained the " Piroplasma bigeminum." No thickening
appeared at the seats of inoculation, a slight rise of temperature occurred in one
plains animal, maximum 39.0°C., on the 5th evening. The "Piroplasma
bigeminum" was not discovered in the blood of any of the inoculated animals
and therefore Hæmoglobinuria never appeared as a symptom.
The hill animal subsequently inoculated with 1 c.c. of virulent rinderpest
blood succumbed to a severe attack of the malady on the 7th day of disease, and
10th following inoculation. No organisms (Piroplasma bigeminum) were dis-
covered during the course of the disease.
33. It would therefore appear that the " Piroplasma bigeminum " is able
to lie dormant in the systems of some of the plains cattle in this province, until
such time as the restraining power present in the blood has been modified or
removed, when it again assumes an active state; and the reduction or entire
removal of the hereditary or acquired resistance to the organism may in some
cases (perhaps when such protection is passing off) be materially hastened by
such animal passing through an attack of (inoculated) rinderpest.
34. The blood of bovines which have shown symptoms of this disease and
in which the " Piroplasma bigeminum " has been present in large numbers for
several days, contains a most powerful toxin, a small quantity (1 c.c.) of which
is capable of killing a small animal within a few minutes at most, subsequent
to subcutaneous inoculation.
35. The plains and hill bulls inoculated with 1 c.c. and 10 c.c. doses
respectively failed to react to the inoculated blood, although it contained a
certain number of the " Piroplasma bigeminum " which microscopically were
undergoing a marked change.
It would appear that either an hereditary or acquired resistance must be
possessed by plains and hill bovines alike although collected from districts so
far apart, or that the presence of the powerful toxin when found in the blood
must exercise an influence on the organism of the disease, so as to inhibit its
action or destroy it altogether.
36. Ticks (Ixodes) more or less replete with blood were picked off the
bodies of the affected animals. On microscopical examination of the contained
blood, the red corpuscles were found to contain the (Piroplasma bigeminum)
organisms of the disease.
37. Surra in camels.—For some years it has been known that although a
large percentage of camels which are attacked with Surra succumb within a
few months to the disease, nevertheless, a few camels which are able to
withstand the repeated paroxysms of this affection during several years
(Tebersa) may recover and camel attendants aver that such animals have not
been observed to be again attacked by this disease.
In September, 1896, I obtained the sanction and approval of the Govern-
ment of India to investigate the course of Surra (Tebersa) in camels, but no
opportunity occurred until last cold season when the Bareilly Depôt was opened
for work.