VIII, B, 6 Boynton: Rinderpest Blood in Water Leech 515 



feed which had been sprinkled with a small amount of sodium 

 chloride. A few minutes after the leech came in contact with 

 the fodder it disgorged a considerable amount of blood. This 

 fodder was fed to bull 3535, and was eaten readily. This feeding 

 had apparently no ill effect upon the animal. At a later date 

 the same animal was proved to be susceptible to rinderpest. 



Experiment 19. — On December 18, 1912, two leeches, which 

 had fed on November 30, eighteen days previously, were placed 

 in 100 cubic centimeters of physiological salt solution, which 

 caused them to disgorge. The mixture of blood and salt solu- 

 tion was injected subcutaneously into bull 3538. This animal 

 showed the initial rise in temperature on December 23, developed 

 diarrhcea and inappetence on December 27, which symptoms 

 continued until January 4, 1913, when the animal died. Autopsy 

 revealed typical lesions of rinderpest. From these observations 

 it was proved that this animal had contracted a fatal attack of 

 rinderpest. 



During the early part of January, 1913, I visited the Province 

 of Ambos Camarines to investigate a disease affecting cattle and 

 carabaos. A few animals located in Magarao, a barrio of Nueva 

 Caceres, exhibited symptoms and blood changes which are char- 

 acteristic of rinderpest, although in a mild form. A large num- 

 ber of leeches were collected in this locality. 



On January 15, 1913, four leeches which had been collected 

 in the vicinity were allowed to feed on a young carabao in Ma- 

 garao which presented some symptoms of rinderpest. It had 

 a rather high temperature, it refused food, the ears drooped, 

 and a somewhat characteristic diarrhoea was present. When 

 the leeches had engorged themselves, they were placed in a bottle 

 partly filled with water, and were brought to the veterinary 

 research laboratory at Alabang, where the blood that they con- 

 tained was tested upon cattle at various intervals, as shown in 

 experiments 20 and 21. 



Experiment 20. — On January 18, 1913, one of the leeches 

 which had fed on the sick carabao in Magarao three days pre- 

 viously was placed in 50 cubic centimeters of physiological salt 

 solution to cause it to disgorge the blood which it contained. 

 This mixture was injected into bull 3543. The animal presented 

 a rise of temperature on January 24, displayed inappetence 

 January 29, diarrhoea on January 30, and showed a bloody diar- 

 rhoea on January 31. This animal experienced a rather severe 

 attack of the disease, but recovered. 



From the results it was evident that the sick carabao in Ma- 

 garao had been infected with rinderpest. This decided a matter 



