THE PHILIPPINE 



Journal of Science 



B. Tropical Medicine 



Vol. XIII MAY, 1918 No. 3 



PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE VIRULENCE OF CERTAIN BODY 

 ORGANS IN RINDERPEST 1 



By William Hutchins Boynton 

 (From the Bureau of Agriculture, Manila) 



The following results were obtained while endeavoring to 

 devise a method of securing the aggressins of rinderpest. Since 

 the virus of rinderpest cannot at present be satisfactorily cul- 

 tivated under artificial conditions, it was decided to try to ex- 

 tract the virus from the tissues of animals suffering from this 

 disease. From the symptoms, lesions, and microscopical find- 

 ings it is evident that the virus attacks primarily the involun- 

 tary muscles and the endothelial lining of the capillary vascular 

 system and the parenchymatous tissue. This is prominently 

 demonstrated in the intestinal tract and in the lymphatic sys- 

 tem. Upon microscopical examination of sections of intestine 

 from an animal that has died of rinderpest it will be found 

 that the capillary vascular system in the mucosa is flimsy. The 

 vessel walls are stretched, distorted, and lacking tone and are 

 unable to return to their normal shape. This weakened condi- 

 tion of the vessel walls leads to congestion, diapedesis of red 

 blood cells, and exudation of the blood plasma. As the plasma 

 infiltrates the surrounding tissue, it coagulates, resulting in 

 coagulation necrosis and the formation of fibrinous casts, which 

 are constantly present in the colon of fatal cases. From the 

 result obtained by the intravenous injection of various drugs 

 and disinfectants (4) it is evident that the virus of rinder- 

 pest does not have its fountain head of development in the blood 

 stream. The real place where the virus multiplies appears to be 



'Published in Phil. Agr. Rev. (1917), 10, 410. 



154722 127 



