BUESATEE. 145 



Bursatee 



appears in the form of unhealthy sores which break out on the 

 surface of various parts of the body. It is, as far as I know, 

 peculiar to India, although somewhat similar sores are found in 

 horses of other countries. Its name (bursat signifies rain in Persia) 

 implies that it has a connection with the rainy season. 



REASONS FOR CLASSING BURSATEE AS A PARASITK 

 DISEASE. — According to Major J. E, Holmes, bursatee i* ai 

 mycosis due to a sporotrichum, the ;S'. min'wtissimum. Adamsosm 

 does not consider it as easily xecognisable as the S. heurmanii 

 found in sporotrichosis of humans and animals. He suggests that 

 further evidence should be awaited before definitely placing this 

 disease among the sporotrichoses. It has been classed as a parasitic 

 disease for the following reasons : — 



1. Influence of altitude on its occurrence. It is practically re- 

 stricted to " the plains " in India. Although it may be found in a 

 few rare instances at hill stations ; such cases are simply exceptions 

 to the general rule that it neither originates nor continues its 

 course in horses kept at elevations of about 5,000 feet or upwards 

 above the level of the sea. It is most frequently met with in low- 

 lying districts. 



2. Influence of the water supply, and sanitation. The purer 

 the water supply, the fewer are the oases of bursatee ; and vice 

 versa. Surgeon-Colonel Branfoot, who has had an extensive ex- 

 perience of horses in India, told me that, formerly, bursatee was 

 very common in Madras, when the water for stable use was pro- 

 cured from lt)cal sources, much contaminated by low forms of life ; 

 but that the disease has almost entirely disappeared from that city, 

 since the introduction of a pure water supply from neighbouring 

 hills. I can vouch for the same fact, as regards Calcutta and other 

 places in India. Although biu-satee was formerly very prevalent in 

 Indian stables, it is now comparatively rare ; owing, apparently 

 to improved sanitary arrangements, of which the supply of purer 

 water has undoubtedly been the most important factor in the pre- 

 vention of this disease. It is practically uijknown among horses 

 whose stable management, feeding and watering are properly at- 

 tended to. 



3. Efficacy of antiseptic measures in prevention and treatment. 

 Antiseptic treatment (which has a destructive influence on para- 

 sites) of wounds appears to confer immunity from bursatee on them. 



In some of the late Bengal studs even the smallest scratch was 



10 



