u;.— ox THE OCCTRRENXE OF AX EPIDEMIC AMOXG 

 THE DOMESTICATED AXIMALS IX MAURITIUS, 

 IX WHICH TRYPAXOSOMATA WERE F^Ol'XD IX 

 THE BLOOD. 



By Alkxaxdkk Edixcitox, M.D., F.R.S.E.. Diki-xtor of the 

 CuLoxiAL Bacteri()loc;ical IxsTiTi tk, Cai'I-; Coloxv. 



[ABSTRACT.^ 



During the year 1902 an alarming mortality occurred in the 

 cattle, horses, mules, donkeys, and oxen in Mauritius. 



Drs. Lesur and Lorans, after finding Trypanosomes in the blood 

 judged it to be Surra, and, as some Indian bullocks had been re- 

 cently imported, it was believerl that the malady had been brought 

 with them. 



The Go\ernor of the Island having aijplied to the Governor of 

 the Cape for my services, i arrived there in July. 



Investigation then made showed me that not only had the 

 disease been existent on the Island previous to the arrival of the 

 Indiail bullocks. l)ut that these animals themselves died of it. 



The Trypanosomes found in the blood are about 15 microns 

 in length. One end is .somewhat blunt, while the other is long, 

 tapering, and ends in a long flagellum. Along one side there runs 

 a wavy membrane, which is attached near the blunt extremity and 

 extends to the tapering end. 



Xear the blunt end there is a small spot, which stains red with 

 the Romanowsky method. Xearer the centre, or just behind this 

 spot, there is a larger sj^herical clear spot, which may be regarded 

 as a vacuole. In some this vacuole is not visible, but in such there 

 is a second small spot staining brighllv. and situated just behind 

 the other one. This may be either a stage of division, or mav be a 

 sexual characteristic. 



The protoplasm, alxiut the centre of the parasite, is somewhat 

 '•ondensed, Init does not take on the red staining. 



Movement is effected bv the flagellum, by a vermicular move- 

 ment of the parasite s liodv and bv the wavv motion rif the undulat- 

 ing memVjrane. 



Transmission of the disease is effected bv a fl\ , which is some- 

 what like the ordinary house fiy, but is called there the mouche- 

 Ifoeuf. It is believed to be a variety of Stomoxvs. 



