172 



TIIYI'ANOKOMIASIS IN THE ANlil.O F.dYlTIAN SIDAS 



Genpral 



conclusions 



and 



suf!f:cstions 



rcf;ardini; 



lry|>ano- 



somi;isis 



fell. 'I'lu' I'liK of !i i-ow wliii'li liiiil thus refovci'fil iliil not aci|uiri' tin- ilisi'iisi- on being 

 inoculiitcd witli blood from tlu' cow, iiftcr rrcovcry of tliu liittcT. So far it litis not been 

 fouiiil possible to rc-|iniiliiic tlie disease (■Xjitriiiiriitaliy. 



■J. Trypunosoniiasis in mules in the Sudan is uhieHy dui- to a trypanosome whieh one 

 has not been able to distinguish from, ami whieh is probably identieal with, 7'. iliiiiDrfi/iiiin, 

 of Seiiegambia. The disease prodiieecl by this parasite is invariably aeute and fatal, is 

 uceompanied by iliaracteristie symptoms and hads to widl-marked pathological changes. 

 Inoculated into dogs, monki'ys (rrn-u/iil/ifnt/i), rats, gerbils and jerboas, the parasite rapidly 

 multiplies, producing an aeute and fatal disorder. Death also results in the case of rabbits 

 and goats, but tlie disease runs a much more chronic course. Successive ami prolonged 

 passage through animals markeilly heiglitcns tin; virulciur nt' tliis trypanosome, more 

 severe infections occurring and death resulting witli inurii greater rapidity. A solitary 

 expi'rimeut seems to show that cattle are immune. 



Mules also harbour another trypanosome closely resembling T. iianum. Owing to lack 

 of material tliis trypanosome has not been fully studied, but mules alTected with it may 

 apparently recover when placed under favourable conilitions. 



The trypanosome of donkeys is possibly dit^erent to any of the foregoing, but material 

 has not been available for its study. The specimens observed suggested '/'. lirucfi. 



3. Tsetse flies are the chief, and j)r()bably the oidy, carriers of these trypanosomes. 

 Diseased animals have chiefly come from districts where the tsetse {G. morsituuii) has been 

 found to exist. Some have come from a region which it is probable that G. /^nDf^ii/irmiin 

 inhabits. Stomoxys flies appear to play no part in the distribution of the disease. 



4. Ulceration of the gastrie and intestinal iiiueosais commonly found in animals dead of 

 trypanosomiasis. It is often liieniorrhagic in nature, and is in all [)robability due to the 

 action of a toxine. It mav indicate an efl'ort on the part of the i)arasite to leave its host. 



5. The occasional occurrence of spirilla in these hicmorrhagic lesions is of interest, but 

 their true significance has not yet been determined. In all probability they bear no 

 relation to the disease. 



6. Chrysoidine has failed as a theraiieutic agent in infection due to the trypanosome of 

 mules. Its use has been attended with mon? hopeful results in the disease produced by 

 7'. ijamhienxe, and it appears to merit a more extensive trial, with or without arsenic, in this 

 latter condition, but it must be given with caution owing to its ten<lency to irritate the kidneys. 



7. The blood serum of unafl'ected animals from a trypanosome infected area ajjpears to 

 produce a profound effect on the trypanosomes of mules in experimental animals, but the 

 subject is very complicated, and the number of cases observed has been limited. It is 

 probable, however, that the most satisfactory results in treatment will be obtained by 

 experiments with serum, which either naturally contains a trypan()somiei<le or is induced to 

 manufacture such an anti-body. The use of the sera of cattle which have recovered from 

 infection by 7'. vatunn is indicated. The recent work of Schilling* and the results obtained 

 by Klein and Midlers f in this direction are more encouraging, though Laveran's f warning 

 regarding latency and danger of infection has to be borne in mind. Klein's § recent state- 

 ment regarding a new prophylactic for plague, prepared from the dried organs of animals 



• Zeiterlir. f. Hy^., Vol. IJI., 1905, pp. 149-160. 



t Ibid. Vol. Lli., 190G, i.p. 229-237. 



X Assoc. Scicnfif. Intcrnat. Il'.Xpronomie Coloniale, Paris, 1906. 



% Brit. Med. Journ. nud Luucct, Jau. 20. 1906. 



