in a donkev 



346 VETEKINAUY NOTES 



Malakal suffering; from })irt)plasniosis. 1 odiitjinicil tlic oliseivation on le-esaniining 

 the slide and noted with interest that Theiler states that hitherto anaplasmosis has only 

 been observed in cattle. Some notes, therefore, on anaplasmosis of the donkey may not be 

 out of place. 

 Anaplasmosis In the first instance the history of the case may be stated. The animal was one of 



tliree donkeys sent me from Malakal, on tlie White Nile, in November, 1908. On arrival, two 

 of tlu'se appeared to bo convalescing but showed "marginal points" in their bloods; the 

 tiiird, that under consideration, was infected with Xiittallia equi and also showed imnierous 

 "marginal points." These donkeys came from a herd belonging to the Irrigation 

 Department whicli, during a period of tw'o months, was reduced in numbers by sickness 

 from 90 to 63. I could not obtain any definite account of the symptoms. The animals were 

 said to have sufifered mucli from skin lesions caused by picketing ropes and from the bites 

 of flies (probably Stomoxyn). There was loss of appetite, and towards the end, great weak- 

 ness. Here, unfortunately, I only paid special attention to the donkey with piroplasmosis and 

 its symptoms were those of tiiat disease. Plate XVII., fig. 4, which is a composite drawing, 

 shows very well the different forms of " marginal points" encountered, and it will be seen 

 that they are very similar to those met with in cattle. Thus we have large and small 

 spherical dots or coccus-like bodies consisting wholly of chromatin substance. Some tend 

 to be slightly oval, and in certain cases a polar zone, where the staining is feeble, is 

 evident. Double forms are not uncommon and seem to show, as Theiler says, that the 

 bodies increase by fission. 



The situation of the bodies in their host cells varies. Some are truly marginal, but 

 the majority are a short distance from the edge, and quite a number are central. Indeed, 

 if there is any difference between this Anaplasma and that of cattle, it is that the former 

 is not so frequently marginal as the latter, and also that it attains to a size which the 

 other does not. Some are, comparatively speaking, very large, and it is notew'orthy that 

 these large forms, whicli may be those prior to division, are often found in megalocytes. 

 On the other hand, I have seen what I take to be exceedingly minute forms — only to be 

 distinguished from tiny specks of dirt by their definite outline and chromatin red colour. 

 Are those the youngest forms ? I have seen a large and a very small form far apart in the 

 same red cell, but nmltiple infection is distinctly rare. A body may occupy the same 

 corpuscle with NuttaUia equi, but this is uncommon. As stated, the infection was severe 

 and the blood presented signs of grave anajmia — anisocytosis, a tendency to polychromasia 

 and true basophilic punctation. A few normoblasts were also present. I put these 

 appearances, at the time, down to the piroplasmosis, but in the light of Theiler's work one 

 must reconsider this view. 



Is there any possibility of these bodies being of the nature of the JoUykorper or Howell 

 and Jolly liodies met with in embryonic blood, the blood of rodents, and in certain anamic 

 states ? I think not, partly on account of their situation in the red cells (they tend to 

 hug the margin so to speak), and partly because I have never seen Jolly bodies in 

 process of budding. One may get two Jolly bodies lying near each other in one 

 erythrocyte, but I do not think a Jolly body ever looks like a dividing coccus. 

 Otherwise, however, I am bound to say that the ordinary spherical chromatin 

 "marginal point" in size, shape, and colouring, cannot be distinguished from the nuclear 

 remnants represented by Jolly's bodies. 



On the other hand, Theiler's work is so careful and complete that there seems no 

 reason to doubt the accuracy of his conclusions, especially as some of his observations 

 have been confirmed by Spreull. Therefore, it would appear that in the Sudan, at 



