Morris tribune., 1899-03-25
AN AFRICAN TERROR,
THE TSETSE FLY'S BITE is SURE
DEATH TO ANIMALS.


Science Has Tried In Vain to Find n
Remedy For the Sting of the Vene-
nous Little Insect--Tts Poison Has
No Effect Upon Man.
A pest that fatally AFFECTS animals,
but not man, and has thus far been
confined to central and southern Africa,
is the subject of report to the Royal
society, in England, by committee APP
pointed to investigate the matter The
disease in question is the result of a
bite by a fly scarcely larger than the
common house fly, and though its prog
ress is somewhat slower than that of the
poison from snake bite the effect is
equally deadly to OK, horse or dog A
sting like that of a mosquito leads to
symptoms resembling those of a cold
and the animal grows steadily worse
until it dies, perhaps a week or ten days
after the tiny wound was inflicted
The Importance of a malady of this
sort was so apparent that the Royal So
ciety appointed committee to study
it's nature and to ascertain, if possible.
whether any cure could be found. A
good deal of interesting information is
presented in the report, but as yet, in
spite Of some original and thorough ex-
periments, no remedy has been found
for the disease The most that science
can recommend at present is a continu-
ance of the protective measures resorted
to by the natives, which consist of plas-
tering animals over before they are TAX
en- into an infected district with manure
and other filthy substances.
The tsetse fly sucks blood, as does the
mosquito, and communicates its poison
unintentionally no doubt just as mos
quitoes are supposed to convey malarial
poison into the veins of their victims
The mischief making agent in both in
stances appears to be a living organism,
a mic1obe, characteristic in the one case
of malarial fever and in the other of the
strange and fatal tsetse disease The
existence of the latter parasite was dis
covered by Surgeon Major Bruce several
years ago, after a careful study of the
scourge. The fly is so abundant and
perniciodsly active in some regions that
they cannot be inhabited by horses and
cattle It is a curious fact, though, that
man appears to be entirely unaffected
by it's bite,
The great advances made within the
last few years in bacteriology naturally
suggested to the Royal society investi
gators line of experiment from which
at the outset, it was reasonable to ex-
pect much. The first step was to obtain
specimens of the microbe, the next was
to look into his habits and relation.
ships, and the third was to see what
could be done in the way of producing
an antitoxin from his poison.
The microbes wanted were taken
from the blood of dog that had been
infected with the disease on its way
home from Africa Cultures were then
made in the usual manner Various
animals were inoculated with the para
sites and attempts were made to pro-
duce a serum, such as is obtained for
snake bite, diphtheria and tetanus, that
would protect animals that had not
been attacked and cure those which
had. But the system which works SO
admirably with few Of the best known
bacterial maladies does not seem to be
eficacious with that which results
from the bite Of the tsetse fly. Several
of the standard methods were
tried without success. Bile from diseased
animals was injected for instance. So
were preparations containing the para
sites Of kindred maladies Dieting was
also resorted to, but yielded no pallia |
tive effects.
The inquiry of the committee was
carried on in such a comprehensive
as to include a comparison with
the tsetse infection Of somewhat similar |
phenomena noticed among rats in India
and elsewhere. Koch is said to have at |
5ributed a plague prevalent among In |
lian rats to the tsetse parasite. The |
Royal society committee does not con- |
slider the point established, but the |
IDENTITY Of the African malady with |
one observed in Algeria is more prob |
able
One part Of the investigation conduct
ed by the committee related to the kinds |
IF animals that are subject to the pest
lnder discussion. To obtain informa |
ion on this point, cats, dogs, rabbits,
nice, rats, guinea pigs and even hedge |
1ogs were inoculated They proved sus
,eptible to the disease At first it Was
that the guinea pig was i'm
mune, but while it responds more slow
y than some other animals to the poison |
t succumbs eventually No recovery oc-
cured after the parasites had once got !
nto the creatures blood. Not only does
he horse die in consequence Of q tsetse
iy bite, but a hybrid Of the zebra and
ASS does too. No hope Of finding a sub
;titute for the nobler animal that would |
De proof against the disease was afford
I'd by this test. Here, however, are |
ywo or three comforting facts, although |
they have little practical bearing on
he problem presented 1t seems proved /
hat the disease cannot be communicate |
ID by eating the flesh Of an animal |
which has died from it unless some |
1 Al f /