496 Note on the Discovery of a New Trypanosoma. 



" Note on the Discovery of a New Trypanosoma." By DAVID 

 BRUCE, F.E.S., Lieut.-CoL, E.A.M.C. Eeceived February 24, 

 Bead February 27, 1902. 



I have received from South Africa specimens of blood taken from 

 cattle which contain a new species of Trypanosoma. 



This new species can be at once distinguished from the Trypanosomas 

 of Surra, Tse-tse Fly Disease, or Eat by its larger size, it being almost 

 twice as large as any of the others. In general appearance it conforms 

 closely to the others in possessing an oval protoplasmic body, a longi- 

 tudinal fin-like membrane, and a single flagellum. 



This new Trypanosoma was lately discovered by Dr. A. Theiler, who 

 is in charge of the Bacteriological Laboratory of the Medical Officer of 

 Health, Pretoria, Transvaal. 



He states that at first he was under the impression that he had 

 merely hit against the familiar Trypanosoma of tse-tse fly disease. 

 He, however, was struck by its larger size, and tried a few inoculation 

 experiments. He found that the new* Trypanosoma only infects cattle. 

 Horses, dogs, goats, rabbits, and guinea-pigs are all immune, neither 

 showing symptoms nor the presence of the parasites in the blood. 

 With the same blood he infected two calves, which showed distinct 

 febrile reaction, and at the same time the parasites appeared in the 

 blood. 



He found the parasite for the first time in the blood of a young ox 

 Avhich had just recovered from an attack of rinderpest, and since then 

 has successfully inoculated calves from two other cattle. 



He describes the disease as an acute pernicious ansemia with grave 

 blood changes, a general anaemia without deformation of the elements 

 of the blood, or, lastly, only a slight fever, and that there exists a 

 natural immunity in cattle against this Trypanosoma. 



He is of opinion that this disease is the same as that attributed by 

 Dr. Kolle who studied rinderpest in South Africa with Koch during 

 the last outbreak to bovine malaria. Dr. Kolle overlooked the 

 Trypanosoma, saw that the disease was infectious, and thought he 

 observed endoglobular parasites and pigment in the red blood cor- 

 puscles. 



As this discovery seems to me to be an interesting one, and as 

 Dr. Theiler deserves great credit for the observation, I would propose 

 that this Trypanosoma be named after the discoverer Trypanosoma 

 Theileri. 



