83
October 8th— Morning —Pulse 36, temperature 99 4/5. There is some oedema of the legs.
Fed well yesterday, all the grain and grass.
October 9th—Morning —Pulse 49, temperature 105. Fed well yesterday.
October 16th—Morning —Pulse 60, temperature 103 2/5. I was not able to see this mare
during the past week. I find her greatly reduced in condition, though I am told she has fed
little short of full allowance of gram and all the grass. There is oedema of the abdomen and
legs. Mucous membranes not so yellow, but very pale. Anaemic. Blood examined, few para-
sites found; they were active. Observations of this case ceased.
Remarks —The mucous membranes first showed the peculiar yellow color as in surra on
the fifth morning after the surra blood was taken, and the parasite was found on the seventh
morning. The depression of temperature was only slight.
This case fully confirms the experiment of case 5 that the disease surra, with its peculiar
blood parasite, may be transmitted by drinking the blood of surra as well as by subcutaneous
inoculation. Also that it takes longer for the virus to pass into the circulation by drinking
much of the blood than by injecting a little of it beneath the skin.
The four experiments together prove that the common idea of the seeds of the disease lying
dormant in the system for many weeks is entirely wrong. When the disease is taken in the
normal way probably its incubative stage is never much over a week.
Table showing variations in the pulse, temperature and blood, &c., of case 7, disease transmitted by
drinking blood, 30th September 1880.
Date 1880.
Sept. 30th ...
Oct. 1st ...
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
2nd ...
3rd ...
4th ...
5th ...
6th ...
7th ...
8th ...
9th ...
16th ...
Morning or
Evening.
Morning
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Pulse.
36
36
34
35
35
39
52
39
36
49
60
Temperature
of rectum.
100
99 2/5
100 3/5
100 2/5
99 3/5
100 3/5
103
100 3/5
99 4/5
105
103 2/5
Blood, &c.
Normal.
Blood not examined.
Do.
do.
Do.
do.
Membranes yellow, with petechiæ.
Blood not examined.
Blood examined, many parasites found.
Blood not examined.
Do.
do. Œdema of the legs.
Do.
do.
Blood examined, few parasites found. Œdema
of the abdomen. All symptoms of surra well
marked.
APPENDIX H.
SURRA.
Experiment with surra blood and dead parasites.
In the course of my examinations of the surra blood parasite, I noticed that it died with the
blood, and soon afterwards dissolved or disappeared somehow so that it could not be found.
I failed completely to preserve it for 24 hours as a microscopic specimen with the blood, to send
to friends interested in these organisms. In this respect it contrasted greatly with the Bacteria
family. Having succeeded in transmitting the disease to the two horses which had the living
blood containing the parasite poured into the stomach, I was anxious to know whether the disease
could likewise be transmitted by the surra blood 24 hours after it was drawn, when the parasites
disappeared from it. There was another question which I wished to prove at the same time.
The dead horses have always been given to the jackals, &c., instead of being buried; and I am
told the skeleton is often cleaned by them in one night. It is most probable that the jackals
after eating the surra flesh (containing the blood) go to drink at the channels which supply the
tank from which horses get water, and some of the blood would be conveyed by them to that
water. Is the disease spread by that means ?
October 8th, 1880.—The Officer Commanding 1st Punjab Cavalry was good enough to place
at my disposal two healthy horses for this experiment. Regimental No. 72, aged 18, and
No. 302, aged 13, on the list to be cast for chronic lameness. The two marched in a few days
ago from Kabul. There is not the slightest outward sign of surra in them, and their blood is
free from parasites. Yesterday morning blood was drawn from the jugular vein of grey mare,
22