7

be detected in the earliest stages, when it may be rapidly cured. The
reason why "Surra" has hitherto been so uniformly fatal he believes to
be simply because its real nature was not apprehended, and the disease
allowed to run on till the vital powers were sapped by the constantly
recurring fever. Giles investigated several cases which occurred at the
latter end of an outbreak in Shillong, which from first to last resulted in
the loss of between sixty and seventy animals.

The disease described by this observer was certainly not "Surra,"
but was due to the presence of the Sclerostomum tetracanthum. As
early as 1865, Franck, and Fischer, working independently, published
papers dealing with the anæmia, hæmorrhagic enteritis, and fatal colics
produced by these nematodes.

Lieutenant J. Baldwin, R.A., has given the following information
re surra in Burma:—

A section of No. 6 Bombay Mountain Battery left Bhamo in January
1891, and took part in the Wuntha expedition. (Wuntha is noted for
the prevalence of surra.) No deaths occurred during the expedition, and
the section returned to Bhamo at the beginning of April. In May,
several of these animals which had had the hardest work during the
expedition, i.e., the baggage mules, suffered for two or three days from
high fever. They apparently recovered, but fell off slightly in condition.
In June they had another attack of greater severity. In July the same
thing occurred, the animals becoming greatly debilitated. During this
month the attacks came on once a week, and this continued through
August; all the symptoms clearly indicated surra.

In September four of the mules died, in October six, and in Novem-
ber five. This left only seven out of the original twenty-two baggage
mules; of these seven mules, three had suffered from intermittent
attacks of fever, and four appeared to be quite healthy. These seven
mules started on another expedition in December 1891, and seemed
at first to be picking up and doing well; however, in January 1892, two
of them were again attacked with disease in so virulent a form that
in the space of a week they were unable to stand, and had to be de-
stroyed. The third mule had to be destroyed on the 1st April 1892;
the remaining four mules were never sick, and are still working.

It will be seen from the above that "supposing the disease to have
been contracted in Wuntha, which appears probable, as no other animals
were attacked in Bhamo," the disease in one case lasted at least a year
before a fatal termination.

On the expedition above referred to, which started in December 1891,
the number of animals exceeded 400; there were among these only two
other fatal cases—one from tetanus, the other from an accident.