3
and November, less so in December and January, and two cases succumbed to it at
the end of February, when the outbreak ceased. Of the Native Infantry half transport,
four mules (one hired out to an officer), and of the European Infantry, two mules died
of the enzootic this season (1883-84). The probable losses from relapsing fever of
Government transport animals at Rangoon during the year 1883-84 may be tabulated
as follows:—
Corps, &c.
Transport Supply Depot
Madras Native Infantry
Queen's Own Sappers and Miners
Total ..
Mules.
42
4
5
..
..
51
Ponies.
11
..
..
.. ..
11
Remarks.
Number of cases among ponies perhaps exaggerated.
Inclusive of one mule hired out to an officer.
One recorded as "ulceration of stomach;" four
doubtful.
There have been no fatalities among these from
doubtful causes.
62 animals at Rs. 150 each; total approximate value
RS. 9,300.
Two cases seem to have occurred this season at Tonghoo ; one in August and one
in January in the European and Native Infantry regiments respectively. This outbreak
was at an end when Inspecting Veterinary Surgeon Shaw arrived to investigate it
(19th April 1884).
4. In the current season the disease re-appeared, or rather again began to assume
importance, for it cannot be said to have ever quite died out. Strange to say, this
time it proved most severe in those lines in which it had previously been least preva-
lent. This is a noteworthy fact. Is it to be attributed to last year's outbreak having
thoroughly " weeded " the dep6t of animals capable of taking the disease or to the
efficacy of measures of prevention and improved hygiene adopted ? In so far as I can
learn, the only change made in the latter respect was as concerns the water-supply,
certain suspected tanks being carefully avoided, and we shall see that the evidence
against those tanks is not strong. But it may be that the remaining dep6t mules have
not this year been exposed to the climatic conditions necessary to generate this disorder ;
they were not, as in 1883-84, exposed during the monsoon time, which is a very
likely cause of the disease. Still we must not neglect this important evidence in
support of the view of Veterinary Surgeon (First-class) Frost that the disease in
1883-84 was conveyed by the water. The supply of drinking water was altered as to
its source in accordance with his suggestions, and there has been no outbreak in the
dep6t this year, although sporadic cases have occurred there.
5. The brunt of this year's outbreak has, at Rangoon, fallen on the 2nd Somer-
setshire Transport Lines : a doubtful case occurred in March; two deaths are recorded
for May; in September twelve were fatal; in October the maximum (nineteen) was
reached; twelve died in November and six in December ; four succumbed in January
1885 and two in February. I left one affected animal alive on my departure from
Rangoon. In all I had about twenty fatal cases at Rangoon (experimental inclusive).
I missed a few opportunities of post-mortem examinations by absence at outstations.
That the disease is due to the water of special tanks only is disproved by its prevalence at
Tonghoo this year. I have absolute proof, from personal investigations, that the disease
which- has recently caused so many deaths there is the same as that of Rangoon, but of
more acute character and even more fatal. My returns show that up to their date, i.e.,
25th December 1884, some fifty mules of the 2nd Bedfordshire half transport had died
in the current official year, the majority probably from relapsing fever ; of the 3rd
Palamcottah Light Infantry, about fifty-four mules died during the same period. The
supposed causes of death in these cases, as given in the returns and also in the post-
mortem examination committee reports, lead me to believe that I may fairly attribute
at least 100 out of these 104 deaths in Tonghoo to the enzootic of which I am treating.
Since the returns were sent in, more deaths have taken place [to the end of February
1885 : eight among the mules of European Infantry, seven in Native Infantry, vide
Telegram Transport 152, dated Rangoon, 17th March 1885]. No cases of this disease
have been reported from Moulmein nor from Thayetmyo during these two years ; on
the contrary there are slight grounds for the belief that some
animals recov-
ered after arrival at Thayetmyo. Some fatalities occurred on line of march. We