A STUDY OF THE SEROLOGY, THE CEREBROSPINAL 
FLUID, AND THE PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE 
SPINAL CORD IN DOURINE 1 
By Harry W. Schoening, Veterinary Inspector , and Robert J. sFormab, Patholo¬ 
gist, Pathological Division, Bureau of Animal Industry, United States Department of 
Agriculture 
HISTORY OF THE CASE 
The subject supplying the material for this study was a 15-year-old 
brown stallion/ No. 128, which had contracted dourine under natural 
conditions. The serum of this animal gave a positiVe reaction to the 
complement-fixation test for dourine in 1913 in the course of routine 
diagnosis in connection with the campaign of control and eradication 
of dourine conducted by the Bureau of Animal Industry and the various 
States infected. This animal was purchased from its owner m Montana 
and shipped to the Bureau Experiment Station at Bethesda, Md., in 
1913, together with 16 other horses giving positive reactions to the 
complement-fixation test for dourine, for observation and study. 
Dourine was found to be quite prevalent in the section of the State 
from which this animal was obtained. The animal at the time of pur¬ 
chase was 7 years old, in excellent condition, and showed no clinical 
evidence of dourine. Repeated examinations of the blood for the 
presence of trypanosomes were negative. 
This stallion was bred a number of times to a native mare (i. e., an 
eastern mare), No. 103, free of dourine infection, to determine whether 
the infection could be transmitted by him. The first service was Novem¬ 
ber 10, 1913. On September 19, 1914, the mare aborted. She had 
been losing flesh gradually and exhibiting evidence of muscular weak¬ 
ness, but gave no other indication of dourine infection. On September 
24 the mare died. Serum collected before death, however, gave a 
negative reaction to the complement-fixation test for dourine. The 
stallion was kept under continued observation, but at no time did he 
show any clinical evidence of dourine. He developed into a good work 
animal and was used for this purpose for several years. 
During the two years 1920 and 1921 the animal was not worked and 
gradually fell away in flesh. During 1921 symptoms indicating an affec¬ 
tion of the central nervous system appeared from time to time. The 
animal would turn rapidly in a circle in one direction for several minutes, 
sometimes falling to the ground, and after several minutes he would 
arise and be apparently normal. He was found down December 10, 
1921, and dead the next morning. 
POST-MORTEM FINDINGS 
On post-mortem examination a gelatinous infiltration was noted in 
the subcutaneous tissue and the abdominal muscles. The penis was 
normal. The left testicle was atrophied, being about half the normal 
size. The glandular substance was soft and flabby and was tightly 
1 Accepted for publication, Oct. a, 1923. 
Journal of Agricultural Research, 
Washington, D. C. 
aih 
(497) 
Vol. XXVI, No. 10 
Dec. 8, 1923 
Key No. A-67 
