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NOTE ON ATTEMPTS TO INFECT THE FOX AND 
THE JACKAL WITH PIROPLASMA CANIS. 
By GEORGE H. F. NUTTALL, F.R.S., 
and G. S. GRAHAM-SMITH, M.D. 
All attempts hitherto made to infect different species of animals 
with P. canis have failed, and the remarkable fact remains that this 
parasite is apparently only communicable to dogs. 
Robertson (1901, p. 332), in South Africa, obtained negative results 
when he attempted to transmit the disease by blood inoculations to 
horses, oxen, sheep, cats, rabbits, guinea-pigs, rats, mice and fowls. 
Similarly, Nocard and Motas (1902, p. 275), experimenting with the 
European strain of P. canis, failed to infect horses, oxen, sheep, goats, 
cats, rabbits, guinea-pigs, white mice, white rats, fowls or pigeons 
(see Nuttall, 1904, p. 245). Nuttall and Graham-Smith, experimenting 
with the South African strain of P. canis in Cambridge, failed to transmit 
the infection to cats, ferrets, hedgehogs, guinea-pigs and white rats. 
Thinking that other Canidae might serve to maintain the parasite 
in nature, we decided to test various species of Canis, if the opportunity 
arose. The present note describes our experiments on foxes and 
Lounsbury’s experiments on jackals in Cape Colony. 
Experiments with Foxes, Canis vulpes L. 1 
The following experiments were carried out by us in Cambridge : 
Experiment I .—Old Fox. 
26. iy. 07. Received a subcutaneous injection of 40 drops of virulent blood taken from 
the ear vein of a dog with many parasites in its blood. 
1. v. 07. Re-inoculated with 3 c.c. of defibrinated virulent blood. 
1 We are much indebted to Mr W. F. Cooper for kindly supplying us with the foxes. 
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