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No. 36.
GAMBIA.
GOVERNOR SIR G. C. DENTON to THE EARL OF ELGIN.
(No. 107.)
MY LORD,
(Received July 20, 1906.)
Government House, Bathurst, Gambia, July 4, 1906.
I HAVE the honour to forward, for Your Lordship's consideration, a copy of a report of his investigations in the Gambia into the diseases of animals, sent in by Captain A. G. Todd, of the Army Veterinary Corps,
2. It will be seen that he has discovered anthrax in the Upper River district,
but that it is not responsible for much mortality here.
3. With regard to the preventive measures suggested, Captain Todd's report will be published in the Gazette," and the Commissioners will be requested to carefully explain to, and impress on, the chiefs and people, immediately after their return to the Colony, and again just before the beginning of the next rains, the precautions which should be taken to prevent the spread of the disease.
4. The visit of Captain Todd to this Colony, though only a short one, has, without question, been of great service, and I believe that as time goes on much benefit will be derived from it. It is to be regretted that the funds of the Colony do not allow of the permanent appointment of a veterinary officer, as there is undoubtedly a wide field for investigation into the tropical diseases of animals in the Gambia Protectorate.
5. Although Captain Todd makes no mention of the over-crowding of cattle in parts of the Protectorate, I know that he recognises the danger of it, and intends to deal with it in his second report.
SIR,
I have, &c.,
GEORGE C. DENTON,
Governor.
Enclosure in No. 36.
Captain A. G. TODD, Army Veterinary Corps, to the Honourable COLONIAL SECRETARY, Bathurst.
July 1, 1906. I HAVE the honour to forward this my report on the existence of anthrax in the Gambia.
As I have not yet completed the examination of all the materials collected in connection with other diseases, I propose to forward a further report on my arrival in England.
I have arranged with the Commissioner of the Upper River for a progress report on the ten cases of trypanosomiasis seen in his district to be sent to me in August. Without this record my description of the disease would be incomplete.
With regard to the disease in sheep resembling parasitic diarrhoea, I suggest that Mr. Lusack should be given a large two-gallon stone jar with a wide mouth, containing a 10 per cent. solution of formalin. When he goes through the Sandu district in August, at which time the disease is prevalent, he should be asked to secure the liver and the whole of the intestines of a sheep that has died of the disease. These could be sent to the Principal Veterinary Officer, Board of Agriculture, 4, Whitehall Place, London, S.W., with whom I will arrange to let me know when they arrive, when I will examine and report on them.
I have, &c.,
SIR,
A. G. TODD, Army Veterinary Corps.
Captain A. G. TODD, Army Veterinary Corps, to the Honourable COLONIAL
SECRETARY, Bathurst.
July 1906.
1
I HAVE the honour to report that I arrived in Bathurst on April 13th for the purpose of inquiring into the various animal diseases, and particularly as to the existence of anthrax in this Colony.
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I left Bathurst on April 18th with His Excellency the Governor for Lower Baddibu. We were met at Karawan by the Commissioner, and marched through that district and Upper Baddibu, arriving at Kau-ur on May 1st. Halts were made at the following towns: Karawan, Saba, Sallikeni, Jabbakunda, Nokunda, His Excellency Iliassa, Farrafeni, Kattaba, N'Geyen, Ballangar, and Kau-ur. called together the chiefs and headmen at the various places and told them the object of my mission. On May 4th, I proceeded to the Upper River, where I was met by the Commissioner of that district. We marched steadily through Wuli, Sandu, and Halts were made at Bantonding, Fulladu, arriving at Borroba on June 14th.
Several Yorobywall, Miseru, Nudi, Wellinghara, Chakunda, Sololo, and Borroba. days were spent at some of these places, and outlying villages visited, the Commis- sioner explaining the object of my visit and making arrangements for animals to be inspected.
The natives, particularly the Fullahs, were at first shy and suspicious, but this feeling soon disappeared, and the longer I stayed in a village the more readily animals were shown up.
General health of animals.—With the exception of horses the health of stock generally was very good. Riding about the villages in the early mornings or even- ings and on the marches, one could not help being struck with the fine sleek appear- ance of cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys. Horses were poor in condition, but this was accounted for by the corn crop having been a failure, and most of the ground-nut hay having been spoilt by the late rains.
Prevalent diseases. The prevalent diseases encountered were anthrax in cattle, trypanosomiasis in horses, donkeys and cattle, and a form of scabies affecting the legs of poultry. When inquiring into past diseases, I heard of other epizootics In Baddibu and Fulladu a disease having which were, for the time being, dormant.
a strong resemblance to red-water (bovine pyroplasmosis) was described. This was reported to be fatal to about 10 per cent. of the cattle affected, and is prevalent in February and March. In Wuli and Baddibu I heard of a disease very like quarter- ill, and in Sandu and Jokado a disease of sheep which might be parasitic diarrhoea. It occurs during the heavy rains in July and August, and is very fatal.
The outbreak which occurred twelve years ago and carried off nearly all the cattle in the Protectorate, was described to me by most of the chiefs. The course, symptoms, and post mortem appearances corresponded with rinderpest.
Anthrax-This disease occurs only during the early rains, and is the one referred to by the Commissioner of the Upper River in his letter, No. 34 of 7th March, 1906, to the Honourable Colonial Secretary. It appears to have been very prevalent in 1903, antelopes as well as cattle dying in large numbers. It is known as "Firo" by the natives, some of whom are aware that it is in some way contagious, as they move their cattle to fresh ground when a case occurs and shun infected herds.
Cause and method of spread of the disease.-The cause of anthrax is the bacillus anthracis, a small rod-shaped bacillus, which has the power to exist in certain soils as well as in the animal body. It affects cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, and human beings. In all animals except man the germ, as a rule, gains access to the system with the food. It does not spread from animal to animal like rinderpest or foot and mouth disease. Cattle and sheep invariably get the disease by grazing on infected land, horses by eating contaminated corn, and pigs by eating the flesh or entrails of animals that have died of anthrax. Human beings contract the disease by handling or working amongst infected hides or wool, and very occasionally through eating infected meat.
Symptoms. In very acute cases in cattle the course of the disease is rapid and the symptoms are often unobserved. The first warning one has of the existence of the disease is the finding of a dead beast. Blood may be oozing from the nostrils or anus, or both. In less acute cases, the animal is noticed dull, off its food, and trembling; the breathing is hurried, and it finally falls down in a convulsive fit and dies.
Post mortem.-The carcase rapidly decomposes, and if an animal has been dead a few hours the abdomen becomes enormously distended. When the body is opened the most noticeable feature is the size of the spleen, which may be two or three times its natural size. It is dark red or purple in colour when cut into, and the pulp much softened or broken down. Other lesions are inflammation of the fourth
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