8
The initial cost of the necessary apparatus, including single mahogany triple
rack lantern, very best make, 4½ inch condensers, with all the accessories would
amount to £ 48-6-6 for each station.
I submit the above scheme for the consideration of the Government of
India, and the necessary sanction should it be deemed advisable.
Tsetse Fly.
A subject of considerable interest was initiated by a correspondence between
the Honourable the Secretary for Zululand, South
Africa, and the Secretary to the Government of India,
Revenue and Agricultural Department, dated 27th February 1895, in which the
former reported "that investigations were being made by Surgeon-Captain
Bruce, A.M.S., as to the so-called Nagana disease, a fatal disease which attacks
horses, cattle, and dogs in certain parts of Zululand, and the disease supposed
to arise from the bite of the Tsetse fly, which appears, so far, to be identical
with Nagana." "The investigator was led to believe, so far as his researches
had proceeded, that the disease might also be identical with ' Surra,' which is
at present under investigation by Dr. Lingard on behalf of the Government of
India." Reports and drawings which would enable Surgeon-Captain Bruce to
identify the disease, were asked for, and a water colour drawing of the parasites
found by the above officer in the blood of animals suffering from Nagana, and
in the blood of animals known to have been bitten by the Tsetse fly, were for-
warded (No. 519 M.) for inspection and report.
In my letter No. 121, dated 16th May 1895,I reported as follows:—
" The organisms depicted in Surgeon-Captain Bruce's drawing are infusoria—flagellated
protozoa, and appear to correspond somewhat closely with the organisms found in the circu-
lation of animals (elephant, camel, horse, mule, ass, bovines and dog) in India and Burmah,
suffering from Surra; and in the bandicoot [Mus (Nesokia) giganteus] and rat (Mus decu-
manus), but in these two latter the hæmatozoon rarely produces fatal results. There are
some slight differences between the Indian and South African species of Trypanosoma In
this country, this protozoon varies in length according to its species. I have discovered some
seven or eight varieties in different animals, but although variable in size, form, &c., in all the
longitudinal or dorsal undulating membrane is well marked. In the drawing of Surgeon-
Captain Bruce the longitudinal membrane is folded over at places, so that it is not seen in
its entirety."
Looking up the only literature I had on the subject, I found that "the
Tsetse fly (Glossina morsitans) is not much larger than the common horse fly,
and the 'zimb ' of Abyssinia is supposed to be identical with it, or a similarly
venomous dipterous insect. The former is described as brown in colour with
four yellow bars across the abdomen, and the bite is said to be almost certain
death to horse, ox, and dog, but harmless to mule, ass, goat, and apparently
to antelopes and other wild animals of the country. The ox after being bitten
by the Tsetse fly, in a few days, or it may be even months after, shows the fol-
lowing symptoms :—A discharge runs from the eyes and nose, the coat stares,
swelling under the jaw, sometimes in the region of the navel—emaciation, flacci-
dity of the muscles ensue, followed by purging, and sometimes staggering and
madness, finally death."—Chambers' Encyclopedia.
My remark on this extract from the encyclopedia was " if the above descrip-
tion of the disease is a true account of what actually takes place in South
Africa, the results materially differ from those observed in mules, asses and
bovines affected with Surra in India and Burmah, Tonquin (China), and other
countries in the East. Surra, (when untreated) in India and Burmah, according
to our present experience is an absolutely fatal disease to all animals with the
exception of bovines, viz., horse, mule, ass, dog, goat, camel, elephant ? rabbit
and guinea pig, and although during the paroxysms of the disease, the blood
of the bovine species teems with the hæmatazoon, and their bodies become
extremely emaciated, nevertheless ultimately they recover and in time become
fat and sleek again."
Three species of flies have been observed to infest animals, the subjects of
Surra:—
(i) Called by the Punjabis the " Burra Dhang."
(ii) A gad fly, common during all months of the year.