The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-15
A DEADLY INSECT.
There Is NO Cure for the Tsetse Fly
Bite.

blTes
London Standard
The report of the committee appointed by
the Royal Society to investigate the tsetse
ny disease has been published, and is of ex-
treme interest to pathologists, though it will
sadly d1sappoint all the owners of horses
ana other animals in southern and equa-
torlal Africa. This pest haunts rather
sharply defined districts sometimes SMALL
sometimes large, the valleys Of the Limpopo
ana Zambesi specially suffering but, I'M
fortunately 1t is by no means restricted to
these regions. Though only about the size
OF common house fly the bite Of this in
sect is, as we all know, almost always fatal
found, to other creatures also. The results
do not declare themselves for some days. oc-
caslonally not for longer time; then symp-
TOMS set in bearing some resemblance to
those OF severe cold, the animal becoming
ually worse till it dies. No cure is known,
the only preventive being to smear the ami
mas, before entering an infested district,
with paste composed of manure and other
nastlness which sometimes gives temporary
protection. AS the fly is so small and so
very alert, 1t makes certain regions unin-
nabltable and practically impossible
strange to say, the bite of the f1y-it sucks
with proboscis like ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
no erect worth mention on man. or on the
ordinary wild animals OF the country For
some time past the subject has been care
tuny STUDIED by Surgeon Major Bruce in
AFRICA and two years ago q committee was
appointed by the Royal Society to Coop
crate with him in England. He had discov-
erea the particular parasite in the blood to
which the actual malady was due, and their
OBJECT was to make pathological study of
the disease and to discover if POSSIBLE
either a prophylacuc or a cure.
4, Inc report made by Messrs. A. A Kan
mack, II. p; Durham and w. f. II. Blan-
Iord SHOWS that they have ACCOMPLISHED the
nrst, but have failed in the second The
eXprlments were begun at ST. Bartholomew s
ano completed at Cambridge, the material
pelng obtained from the blood of a dog
winch had been infected by the disease on
the way home from South Africa Parasites
resembling that of the tsetse disease were
already known to exist sat
thus infected, but by a different and less
formidable species; so also are African rats,
where the resemblance is closer A disease
called surra in India is said by Koch to be
que 70 the tsetse parasite. This, however
seems doubtful; at any rate, the English
experlmenters assert the question to be at
present an open one. But disease in AL
geria described by Rouget is more probably
OF the same origin. These pests are ex-
tremely minute, multiply sometimes enor-
mously, and are very deadly to certain ami
mails. The list of those liable to Infection
mas been much enlarged during the investi-
cation. That is anything but a eonsoling
result, but to know the worst in troubles of
hearing better news.
Cats, dogs, rabbits mice and rats are all
highly susceptible to the tsetse venom
With all, and especially with the last three,
experiments were made enough to place this
beyond doubt. In other cases the tests were
few A single hedgehog died in seventeen
days, so probably this animal also is very
susceptible. 1t was thought guinea pigs were
immune, but that is not the case, though
and perhaps they are less easily infected.
No case, however, of recovery occurred
when once the parasite had developed in
the blood. Hybrids of the zebra with the
horse and ass proved also incapable of re-
sisting the poison. 1t seems proved that the
disease cannot be communicated by eating
the flesh of animal which has died from
it, unless some lesion exists in the mouth or
food passages; in other words, the poison
must be injected into the blood. One Slight
" comforting fact has been ascertained
the virus rather quickly ceases to be in
fective. Blood drawn from a living diseased
animal loses this in three or four days. al
most but material taken from a dead ami
NAL seems to be powerless after about TWEEN
ty-four hours. Nothing as yet has been
found to give immunity. Dieting appears
TO have no palliative effect on the disease.
incubation with kindred blood parasites
from the ordinary rat has been tried; also
with bile from diseased animals, because
this fluid is soon fatal to the creature when
mixed with infected blood in vial; serum
has been taken from diseased animals or
from those which are either immune or de-
cidedly refractory, but all in vain. Even
young animals born from infected mothers
are no more resistant than others Hence
in this respect, the investigation has done
no more than to clear the ground, but we
may hope that success is only deferred 1t
would be so important to Africa that the
endeavor to find remedy should not be
al