152 DEPARTMENT OF THE NATAL SERVICE 



8 GEORGE V, A. 1918 



Fish No. 5. — Skin between the eyes and the back of the head was bruised and in 

 places dirty white in colour. Microscopical preparations showed the presence of 

 fungus. Flesh normal. All organs normal. Intestines empty. Smears from the 

 Liilt, liver, heart's blood showed a number of organisms. Plates : — 



Heart's hlopd. — Numerous colonies. 

 Liver. — 40 — 50 colonies. 

 Milt. — A few colonies. 

 Three isolations— El, E2, E3. 



Fish No. 6. — Skin bruised between eyes, fungus present in this area. Flesh 

 normal. Organs normal in appearance. Intestines empty. Eggs, salmon pink in 

 •colour. Intestines slightly congested. Smears from heart's blood, liver and egg 

 showed bacteria present. Plates : — 



Heart's hlood. — About 80 colonies, all similar. 



Liver. — 30 — iO colonies, all similar. 



Eggs. — One Qgg about 200 colonies, all similar. 

 One isolation, Fl. 



Fish No. 7. — A large amount of diseased skin from which preparations of the 

 fungus were prepared. Flesh normal. Intestines empty. Organs apparently healthy. 



Kidneys. — About 30 colonies, all similar. 

 Liver. — About 50 colonies, all similar. 

 Heart's hlood. — 30 — 40 colonies, all similar. 

 One isolation, Gl. 



Fish No. 8. — Large amount of diseased skin from which fungus growth was 

 ■easily demonstrated. Liver pale in colour. Ovary deep reddish. Intestines empty. 

 ]\Iany whitish eggs in ovary. Spleen normal. Pla.tes: — 



Egg. — About 150 colonies to the egg^ large masses of bacterial growth near 

 the crushed portion. 



Liver. — About 250 colonies. 



Heart's hlood. — About. 150 colonies, all similar. 



A number of diseased portions of skin were cut off and examined in a variety of 

 Avays. Very good prepartions were obtained by teasing portions of the diseased skin, 

 tiiturating the material with 40 per cent potassium hydrate. After removal from this 

 reagent they were washed in water and transferred to Lugol solution, or else stained 

 A,ith safranin, eosin, or iluorescin, dehydrated and mounted in balsam. Such teased 

 particles of the skin gave, as a rule, better results than sections. 



These preparations show that the fungus was a Saprolegnia, and I presume that 

 full particulars of this fungus have been already given by Dr. Huntsman. A very 

 full account of the salmon disease probably caused by Saprolegnia is given in the report 

 of the United States Commissioner of Fisheries for 1878, the article having been 

 reproduced from the proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, written by A. B. 

 Stirling, of the Anatomical Museum of the University of Dublin. A very compre- 

 hensive paper by S. Walpole and Prof. T. H. Huxley entitled "Disease among the 

 Salmon of many Rivers in England and Wales" appears in the bulletin of the United 

 States Fish Commission, vol. 1, 1881, and was a reprint of a pamphlet contained in the 

 "21st Annual Report of the Inspector of Fisheries for England and Wales for the 

 J ear 1881 presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of Her Majesty." 



It seemed peculiar that injuries, which appeared at first to be mere abrasions, and 

 v.hich subsequently became infected by the fungus Saprolegnia, should have such 



