PUBLIC RECORD
OFFICE
Reference :-
TLC.O. 885
luluilluíliu
20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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May, although the temperature had not risen, it was noted that the animal, had lost flesh a good deal and that trypanosomes continued in the blood; it was clear that the mercurial treatment had failed. It was now thought worth while trying sub- cutaneous injections of blood from Horse F as treatment, for at this time Horse F had already been treated for the disease by mercury, and his blood was free from trypanosomes. On the 5th May injections of blood were begun and continued daily up to the 15th May, with the exception of two days on the 12th and 13th, when the temperature of Horse F suddenly ran up high and his blood showed trypanosomes. The total quantity of blood injected into Calf I by way of treatment was 76'5 c.c., but this had no beneficial effect, for the blood of Calf I continued to show trypano- somes right up to the time of death, which occurred on the 13th June.
On Post Mortem nothing noteworthy was seen.
Remarks. The points worthy of note in the case are: (i) That the onset and course of the disease was not marked by any great rise of temperature, but that trypanosomes continued in the blood all the time, and that the animal rapidly lost flesh; (ii) that treatment by mercurial injections proved a failure, even so far as removing the trypanosomes from the blood, which it did in horses; (iii) that after the treatment by mercury the daily injections of blood from Horse F, which had already been treated for the disease by mercury and from which trypanosomes were absent, failed to have any curative effect, although Calf I was originally inoculated with the disease from Horse F.
Calf C (see Charts 15a and 15b).--This calf was infected with trypanosomes by the inoculation of 5 c.c. of blood from Calf D on the 19th January, when the blood was found to contain trypanosomes although the animal had been subjected to treat- ment by injections of mercury. On the 1st February the calf was found infected, the temperature ran high, but treatment was deferred until the 14th February, when intravenous injections of perchloride of mercury and methylene blue solution were aaopted for 10 days, but failed to have any effect, and the animal died on the 24th February.
Remarks. In this case treatment by mercury and methylene blue was deferred until 14 days after the animal was found to be infected, but failed completely to reduce the temperature or remove the trypanosomes from the blood, a rapid fatal termination taking place.
The next two calves, F and G, were first infected with the disease and then treated, first by intravenous injections of methylene blue to note if there was any effect of removing the trypanosomes from the blood, and then by injections of per- chloride of mercury.
Calf F (see Charts 16a to 16j).-This calf was infected by the subcutaneous inocula- tion of 2c.c. of blood from Calf C on 16th February, and five days later was found to be infected. Two days later, on the 23rd February, treatment by intravenous injections of methylene blue solution 10 c.c. daily was begun, and continued for ten days up to the 3rd March. On the day following, the blood, on examination, still showed trypanosomes, so on the 5th March injections of perchloride of mercury solution (1 in 1,000) 10 c.c. daily were begun, but before doing so 6 c.c. blood were inoculated into Calf H to infect it. The injections of mercury were continued for nine days, and then the dose was reduced to half and continued up to the 16th, and this had a decided effect in lowering the temperature and removing the trypano- somes from the blood, for on the 27th March Dog P was inoculated with 10 c.c. of blood, which failed to reproduce the typical disease in the dog as manifested by the appearance of trypanosomes in his blood. The temperature rose slightly at various times after the 27th March, but from 1st September the temperature has practically run a normal course up to the 31st October, when the observations ceased. During all this time from 17th March to 31st October the blood never showed the presence of trypanosomes. After 31st October the calf was kept under general observation at Maifoni by Dr. Alexander, who relieved me. After the treatment by mercury the calf fell off considerably in condition, but again improved as the temperature began to run a more normal course, and on the 31st October he was in good condition, did not look ill at all, and had grown considerably since. I had bought him for experiment.
Remarks. The effects of treatment by methylene blue followed by mercury in this case were: (i) to reduce the temperature, which subsequently showed some rises but not to any great height, and finally it ran normal; (ii) to permanently remove the trypanosomes from the blood; (iii) after treatment the calf first fell off much in condition, but again regained it and looked very well, and certainly was very strong
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and difficult to manage. It looked as if the animal had recovered, for early in January, 1909, according to news from Dr. Alexander, the calf was well and strong. This calf will be subjected to further experiment on my return with a view to ascer- taining (i) if he is immune to a second attack of trypanosomiasis; (ii) if immune to a second attack, an attempt will be made to find out if his blood has acquired any immunising properties for (a) cattle, (b) horses. In some respects the effects of treatment in this calf by methylene blue, followed by mercury, resemble the effects of the same treatment in Horse D, only that the latter had several relapses both of temperature and of trypanosomes in the blood, for which he was treated by mercurial injections on two occasions.
Calf G (see Charts 17a to 17d).-This calf was experimented on and treated on the same lines and at the same time as Calf F. He was inoculated subcutaneously with 2 c.c. blood from Calf C on the 16th February, 1908, and by the 22nd February trypanosomes were found in his blood.
On the 23rd February treatment was begun
by first injecting methylene blue solution for ten days, and on the 6th March trypano- somes were still found in the blood, so a course of mercurial injections were given for 12 days. During this period on the 9th and 10th March, when trypanosomes were present in the blood, Dog was inoculated with 6 c.c. of blood and Dog H with After treatment there were several relapses of temperature with trypano- somes in the blood, when the mercurial injections were repeated but without avail, the animal wasted, and finally died on the 26th May, after being ill for 3 months and 4 days.
4 c.c..
Remarks.-The effect of the methylene blue treatment followed by perchloride of mercury had not anywhere near the same beneficial effect in this case as it had in the case of Calf F, although both Calves F and G were inoculated with virus from the same animal, developed the disease, and were treated at the same time and in the same way. In the case of Calf G it had no effect on the temperature, it did not remove the trypanosomes from the blood, the animal wasted and died; whereas in Calf F it reduced the temperature, removed the trypanosomes from the blood, and although the animal fell off in condition it again improved. It was still living and in good condition early in January, 1909.
Calf H (see Chart 18).-On the 5th March this calf was inoculated with 6 c.c. of blood from Calf F, after he had been treated by methylene blue, but the blood proved infective, for Calf H developed the disease in a very virulent form by the 13th March, proving that the methylene blue had not removed the trypanosomes from the blood of Calf F. On the 14th March treatment of Calf H was begun by injections of perchloride of mercury (1 in 1,000), 10 c.c. daily. The animal rapidly grew worse under treatment. On the 18th the dose of the injection was reduced to half its original strength, but by the ninth day the animal rapidly grew worse and died the next day, on the 23rd March. begun, 4 c.c. of blood were inoculated into each of Horses F and G. After death On the 14th March, before treatment was 2 c.c. of blood (post mortem) were inoculated into Dog N.
Remarks. In this case, although treatment by perchloride of mercury was begun as early as possible after infection was known to exist, yet it had no effect on temperature or on the trypanosomes in the blood, and the case rapidly terminated fatally.
Dog P (see Charts 19a to 19d).-This dog was on the 27th March inoculated with 10 c.c. of blood from Calf F to test the blood of the calf for freedom from trypano- somes after it had been treated by mercury, following on methylene blue. From the 13th to the 17th day after inoculation the temperature showed a rise, but several blood examinations made showed no trypanosomes. Subsequently the temperature ran a variable course, and the blood, although systematically examined when the temperature was high, showed no trypanosomes. observations ceased, the dog was now much reduced in condition, and later died, on On the 30th June the temperature the 17th July, after a period of 3 months and 21 days.
Remarks. It is evident from the result attained here that the blood of Calf F was free from trypanosomes as such, but that it contained some other infective matter which
may either have been some other phase of the virus or a toxic product, which produced some chronic infective or toxic process which resulted in irregular rises of temperature without the appearance of trypanosomes in the blood, and finally ter- minated fatally after 3 months-a very long period as compared to the duration of life in dogs, which if inoculated with trypanosomiasis survive, it may be, any- thing from three to six weeks (see case of Dog G, Charts 5a and 5b).