Historical. 607 



tricts of Zwickau, Plauen, and Auerbacli, and during the period 1883- 

 1886 it became epizootic. From 1894 onwards it spread more wide- 

 ly and became more malignant in character, and especially in and 

 around Borna. This accounts for the name Borna disease. In 1880, 

 Kocurek observed an epizootic cerebro-spinal meningitis in a district 

 in Upper Hungary, where in 1875-1876 Raisz had seen an outbreak of 

 cerebro-spinal meningitis in the human subject. The disease is of fre- 

 quent occurrence in Belgium (Marcq, "Mai d'Aizeau). 



In 1896 Siedamgrotzky and Schlegel, and Johne, simultaneously 

 carried out extensive bacteriological and pathological investigations as 

 to the nature of the disease. Further researches were made by Oster- 

 tag in 1900. Wilson and Brimhall investigated the disease from clin- 

 ical, bacteriological, and anatomical points of view during an outbreak 

 in North America (1898-1903). Streit (1902), Harrison (1905), and 

 Christiana have also made investigations. Histological investigations 

 by Dexler (1900), and more recently by Oppenheim (1907) have fur- 

 nished proof that Borna disease is an inflammatory one. 



In 1867 an enzootic cerebrospinal meningitis was described by 

 Meyer in cattle. This appeared to be primary in some cases, and there 

 was never any plastic exudate. Schmidt (1888) saw cases in which there 

 were hemorrhages of the pia mater, and the cerebrospinal fluid was 

 gelatinous; while Utz (1896) in a similar enzootic found no pronounced 

 lesions. The disease was observed in calves by Roder in 1896. 



Cases of a contagious nature were observed in sheep by Stohr, 

 Eichbaum, and Wilke on one occasion in a district where there were 

 cases of cerebro-spinal meningitis in man. Roloff (1868) observed it in 

 a flock of lambs. Microscopic examination showed only perivascular 

 cellular infiltration of the pia mater. Schmidt (1868) described an epi- 

 zootic among sheep in Eastern Prussia, in which there were punctiform 

 hemorrhages of the pia mater and cellular infiltration of the membranes 

 of the brain. Popow (1882) and Wischnikowitsch (1889) believed that 

 in an enzootic occurring in Russia, in which there were lesions in the 

 lungs, the possibility was not excluded that the meningitis might be 

 secondary. Prietsch (1896) saw an outbreak in a flock following drink- 

 ing from a brook which was suspected of containing the infective ma- 

 terial of the socalled Borna disease. In 1899 Walther described the 

 occurrence of the disease in the district around Borna. Further obser- 

 vations have been made by Savigne and Leblanc regarding the disease 

 in sheep, calves, and lambs. 



In 1868 cerebro-spinal meningitis was observed by Renner in the 

 dog. In one town there were 20 cases, almost exclusively confined to 

 hounds. In these cases there was a purulent exudate between the mem- 

 branes. The disease was not distemper. 



Several diseases more or less resembling cerebro-spinal meningitis have been 

 described by a number of authors, but these are apparently of a different nature. 

 Apostolides (1880) described a very fatal disease occurring in Cairo and the sur- 

 rounding district (more than 500 horses, 700 mules, and 200 asses died). This 

 disease was, according to Nocard and Leclainehe, a septicemia analogous to Mas- 

 sauah typhus. In the cases published by Pearson, Martin and Lucet, the possi- 

 bility of poison does not appear to have been excluded, and McCarthy and Eavenel 

 have apparently observed symptoms of meningitis in certain eases of poisoning. 



Occurrence. The disease appears to be associated with cer- 

 tain low-lying districts, and tends to break out either every year 

 or at intervals of a few years. The outbreaks are variable in ex- 



