DOURINE OR MALADIE DU C'OIT 13 



As already stated this mare was put to work in October, 1906, and has continually 

 worked since that time in the division of the agriculturist on the experimental farm. 

 At the outset she was worked with her mate (Puss 589) and was very green, having 

 been but partially broken before leaving Alberta. She was soon able, however, under 

 the experienced g-uidance of the farm teamsters to perfonn her share of the work 

 required from time to time. At present (since the rtslief of her mate Puss 589 from 

 work), she is working single or double with another horse and even in a three-horse 

 hitch. In the spring of 1907 she was bred to the stallion (650) but apparently with- 

 out results. 



She at present shows a slight inco-ordination in the movements of her hind limbs, 

 her general condition, however, is good; she is fat, her coat is glossy, she feeds well 

 and there is nothing further which would indicate a dourine infection save the yellow- 

 ish tinge of the mucous membrane of the vagina and the entire absence of pigment 

 from the clitoris. 



Puss 589. 



The history of this mare is similar to that of the one immediately preceding 

 (Sleepy 688) and she was received at the laboratory on the same date. She was an 

 aged brown mare weighing about 1,450 pounds. On arriival her general condition was 

 good but there was at times a marked inco-ordination in the movements of the hind 

 limbs with considerable knuckling of the fetlocks. The genitals were normal in their 

 exterior appearances but the mucous membrane of the vagina was pale, had a marked 

 yellow tinge and was in folds, and there was a complete absence of pigment in the 

 clitoris. She was stabled at the laboratory during the winter and furnished the major 

 portion of the material with which we conducted oun animal inoculations and other 

 experiments. All our experiments with animals were negative and for the greater 

 number blood was the inoculated material. 



During the period from November, 1905, to April, 1906, relatively small amounts 

 of blood were used (up to 25 cubic centimetres) in guinea-pigs, rabbits and puppies) , 

 (.the latter having been used as young as five weeks of age), in an endeavour to obtain 

 an infective inoculation. In none of these experimental animals did we observe a 

 swelling at the point of inoculation nor in fact, any indication of there having been 

 an infective disturbance in the inoculated animals. No parasites were found in 

 material taken from or near the site of inoculation, nor from the general or peripheral 

 circulation, nor was there a subsequent development of the paralytic or eye lesions 

 observed by other authors. The period of experimental observation was from one to 

 three months, therefore, we were forced to conclude that the parasite was not in the 

 material inoculated. 



During the month of January, 1906, in an effort to demonstrate the causative 

 parasite the method of Eogers* was followed. Blood was drawn into citrate solutions 

 of various strengths and also into the combined salt and citrate solutions. These 

 mixtures were subsequently kept at various temi>eratures ranging from 20°C. to 37°C. 

 and examined at stated intervals to determine the presence or absence of trypanoso- 

 mata. The receptacles used in this work were large test tubes two inches in diameter 

 and fifteen inches long. These tubes were sterilized in the autoclave, the top being 

 plugged with cotton wool through which a glass tube was placed for the purpose of 

 attaching a rubber hose when withdrawing the blood from the animal. Before 

 sterilizing, however, the solution which was to act as the diluent was accurately 

 measured and placed in the tubes which were graduated at points to which it was 

 desired to fill with blood. The tubes were filled with blood by the use of a trocar in 

 the jugular vein connected by means of a rubber hose, with the glass tube in a test 



♦Leonard Rogers, M.B., etc., Capt. I. M.S., Preliminary Note on the Development of Try- 

 panosoma in Cultures of the Cunningham- Leishman-Donovan Bodies of Cachexial Fever 

 and Kala-Azar. London Lancet,. July, 1904, page 215. 



