80 Journal of Agricultural Research voi.xx.No. i 



vii. — tests of echinacea as a remedy for trypanosomiasis 



(dourine) 



In connection with the experimentation with tuberculosis it was 

 considered of interest to study the remedial action of the echinacea 

 preparations upon another chronic condition. Trypanosomiasis induced 

 by Trypanosoma equiperdum and commonly called dourine was chosen. 

 This disease as produced under laboratory conditions in guinea pigs runs 

 a course of from 7 to 1 1 weeks, allowing ample time for the exhibition of 

 quantities of remedial agents and consequently favoring the remedy 

 more than a speedy, acute infection would. 



The material used to produce the disease was kindly furnished by 

 Dr. H. W. Schoening, of this laboratory. It consisted of a normal salt 

 suspension of a sample of blood freshly drawn from rats which had been 

 inoculated three days previously with Trypanosoma equiperdum. Upon 

 microscopic examination this showed numbers of trypanosomes. The 

 dose given was 0.5 mil, injected subcutaneously. 



EXPERIMENT I. — ECHINACEA ADMINISTERED PER OS 



Three guinea pigs were inoculated with the dourine material on 

 December 1, 1919. On the following day treatment was begun, each 

 animal receiving 1 mil of a mixture of 0.25 mil fluid extract echinacea and 

 0.75 mil of distilled water. This dose was given each week day there- 

 after as long as the animal survived. All the animals were weighed three 

 times a week. The weights are reported in Table IX. At intervals the 

 blood of some of the animals was examined microscopically for the 

 presence of trypanosomes; on December 17 these were demonstrated in 

 the peripheral circulation of case 93, on January 6 in that of case 92, on 

 January 16 in cases 91 and 92, and on March 3 in case 93. Ail the animals 

 showed the typical symptoms of trypanosomiasis. Case 91 died on the 

 sixty-first day, after having received 12.5 mils of the fluid extract; case 

 92 died on the sixty-fourth day after having receiving 13 mils of fluid 

 extract; case 93 died on the ninety-third day, after having received 

 15.75 m ^ s °f fl m d extract. Treatment of case 93 was suspended 

 February 14. The autopsies showed the usual picture of this type of 

 infection. In case 91 there was a chronic catarrhal gastritis; otherwise 

 no organic effects from the extended ingestion of the echinacea were 

 discovered. 



EXPERIMENT 2. — INULA AND ECHINACEA INJECTED SUBCUTANEOUSLY 



Three guinea pigs were inoculated and treated exactly as in experiment 

 1 , except that the remedy given was 0.2 mil of the "Subculoyd Inula and 

 Echinacea" each week day. The weights of the animals are given in 

 Table IX. On December 17 trypanosomes were demonstrated in the 

 peripheral circulation of case 94, on January 6 in that of case 96, and on 



