CAPE OE GOOD HOPE.
REPORTS
IN REGARD TO
HORSES SENT TO MASHONALAND,
AFTER EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENT AGAINST
HORSE-SICKNESS
AT THE
COLONIAL BACTERIOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, GRAHAM'S TOWN.
presented to botf) Rouses of -parliament bg commanb of f^is <&ccellencg tbc drobenw.
1896.
CAPE TOWN:
W. A. RICHARDS & SONS, GOVERNMENT PRINTERS,
1896.
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.
REPORTS
IN REOARD TO
HORSES SENT TO MASHONALAND,
AFTER EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENT AGAINST
HORSE- SICKNESS
AT THE
COLONIAL BACTERIOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, GRAHAM'S TOWN.
^pHKntrt to liotl) Rousts of $atUamtnf by tommantj of Sjis (Sicdltncjj t&t (SoOcvnot.
1896.
CAPE TOWN:
W. A. BICHABDS A SONS, GOVEBNMENT PBINTEBS, OASTEE ST.
1596.
[G. 73.—'96.] .. B .
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.
Reports in regard to Horses sent to Mashonaland, after
Experimental Treatment against Horse-sickness
at the Colonial Bacteriological Institute, Graham's
Town.
to bot&^ouse* of parliament bg command of ^ts lExctUencg tb* (Erobernot.
1896.
SCHEDULE.
No.
From, or to whom.
Date.
Subject.
1
Acting Secretary, British South
. A frica Company, Cape Town.
16/5/96
Forwarding Mr. May's report upon the
British South Africa Company's Horses
which underwent Dr. Edington's experi¬
mental treatment against Horse-sickness
before proceeding northwards.
2
Director of the Colonial Bae-
teroilogical Institute, Gra¬
ham's Town.
1/6/96
Reporting in regard to the result of the
experiment, and the results of a parallel
series of experiments carried out at the
Institute.
3
Do.
3/6/96
Reporting further in regard to the Mashona¬
land experiment; on Mr. May's report.
The Acting Secretary to the British South Africa Company to the Under
Secretary for Agriculture.
Cape Town, May 16th, 1896.
Sir,—I have the honour to enclose for your information copy of Mr.
May's report upon the British South Africa Company's horses which under¬
went Dr. Edington's experimental treatment against horse-sickness at the
Bacteriological Institute, Grahamstown, before proceeding northwards.
The experiment, I regret to say, has been very disappointing. Of the
19 horses treated only three are now alive, two were destroyed, and, in
Mr. May's opinion, 14 died from Horse-sickness.
Will you kindly forward a copy of the enclosed report to Dr. Edington ?
I have, &c.,
J. A. STEVENS,
Acting Seoretary.
Charles Currey, Esq.,
Under Secretary for Agrioulture,
Department of Agriculture,
Cape Town.
Copy,
(ENCLOSURE TO NO. 1).
Inoculated Horses.
DATES AND PLACES OF DEATH, WITH GENERAL REPORT.
February 14th.—Duke. Grey horse, No. 17. Accidental death, five
miles from Sequani.
February 20th.-^-Jack. Grey horse, No. 15. Died from Horse-sickness
three miles out of Sequani on way to Mochudi.
March 5th.— Charlie. Grey horse, No. 10.
March 7th.—Prince. Grey horse, No. 16. These two died from Horse-
sickness.
March 10th.—Sheba. Bay mare, No. 4. Destroyed suffering from
Horse-sickness and also a very bad leg from which a lot of very strong and
offensive matter was discharged from sores on' the leg up to the knee other¬
wise she would have died , within 24 hours from Horse-sickness. These horses
died half way between Palla and Palapye.
March 13th.—Phoenix. Bay horse, No. 2.
March 14th.—Eliza. Grey mare, No. 7. These two horses died at
Palapye.
March 20th.—Susan. Brown mare, No. 6.
March 23rd.—Brown pony, No. 8. , t
These two horses died on Lotsani River, 18 miles from Palapye.
April 5th.—Polly. Grey mare, No. 5. Pay Up. Grey horse, No. 8.
April 8th.—Black Bess. Black mare, No. 3. April 10th. Chestnut
horse, No. 14.
April 14th.—Fidget. Bay pony, No. 1. -: •
April 16th.—Baron. Bay pony, No. 18.
April 4th.—Billy. Chestnut horse, No. 15.
The three remaining live horses, Nos. 9, 11, 19, were left at Tati;
Nos. 9 and 11 have salted, but not No. 19.
With the exception of the two horses Nos. 4 and 17, that were
destroyed, all the horses have died from the same disease that is known up
in that part of the country as Horse-sickness, and the general external signs
of that disease is a swelling over the eyes and under the jawbones, heaving
at the flanks, high temperature, and sometimes just before death the horse
seems to be suffocating and coughs up a lot of froth, but generally the froth
bursts out from the nostrils immediately after death.
The horse Baron that died at Tati on April 16th first took the sickness
at Palapye, and as Mr. Henning, the Colonial Government Yeterinary, was
in the district, I took the opportunity of showing him the horse, and he said
the horse then to. all appearances had salted, as it was then two weeks since
the horses first showed signs of it. Another horse also that I particularly
drew his attention to was horse No. 11, who had then the sickness several
days, so I consider that horse has salted, and yet is liable to have a relapse at
any time.
Baron had a relapse at Tati after a very heavy rain from the effect of which
he died and immediately after death froth came from his nose and mouth.
. Horse No. 9r that has salted at Tati, first showed signs of sickness on
March 30th, and on the 3rd April, was heaving at the flanks and froth was
coming in small quantities from his nostrils and he kept on coughing it up.
As so many of the horses had already died I thought there would be no
harm in trying to save this one and so I bled him in the roof of the mouth
which seemed to ghe ;nm relief and for nine days he simply lived on a
small quantity of oatmeal ami Water and since then he has been daily
improving.
5
Horse No. 18 has never shown any signs of sickness whatever.
The first part of our journey we were delayed by our wagon driver and
after that as the horses went sick we were obliged to wait for them to die.
At Palapye, we were detained on account of the cattle disease, there being
no wagons available to take us on, and after waiting nearly three weeks I
thought it advisable to ride on to Tati leaving all our baggage, &c. at
Palapye.
From every horse that died I had the branded hoof cut off as well as
off all the four troop horses as they all died from the same sickness.
On my way down by coach from Tati we were capsized by carelese
driving and a box in which I had a dozen bottles of lungs was smashed and
every bottle broken.
REPORT OF THE INOCULATED HORSES FROM THE BACTERIO¬
LOGICAL INSTITUTE, GRAHAM'S TOWN.
Nineteen inoculated horses left Graham's Town for Bulawayo to test Dr.
Edington's experiment for the prevention of the disease known as South
African Horse-sickness. There were five mares, and fourteen horses of
different ages, ranging from four years upwards. Several of them were
almost thoroughbred, whilst others were of a very rough breed. Some of
them were in very fair condition, whilst one or two were very poor.
On arrival at Mafeking, four unsalted horses were added to the party,
so that if they had only died from the sickness and the inoculated ones had
not, it would have been a further proof of the success of the experiment.
The horses arrived at Sequani on February 13th, with one mishap, the
death of one horse, Duke, grey horse, No. 17, by accident; the other horses,
with the exception of Sheba, No. 4 and Baron, No. 18, had been keeping in
excellent health, and the two mentioned had a slight Influenza cold at *
Ramoutsa, which I cured by steaming their heads. As we were proceeding
from Sequani to Mochudi on February 20th, Jack, No. 13, showed symptoms
of sickness very suddenly. I therefore sent all the other horses on to
Mochudi, and remained with my assistant, Mr. Fulder to attend to the sick
horse which died the same evening from what I presumed to be Gastric
Horse-sickness as described by Dr. Hutcheon, Government Veterinary
Surgeon, in his book on the diseases of the horse.
From that date until March 4th, the horsey seemed to be in good health ;
on the following day one of the unsalted horses showed symptoms of sickness
and died within 24 hours.
On Varch 5th, about half-way between Palla and Palapye, another
unsalted horse died on the 9th. This horse I bled in the jugular vein and
drew off about a quart of blood, and gave him a third of a bottle of brandy
every three hours, with 1 oz. of turpentine at intervals of six hours.
On the 7th my wagon being ahead, I ran short of brandy and turpentine,
therefore my treatment ceased in that way, but I kept the h-rse well rugged
up, and was obliged to let the horse take his chance; could I have kept on
with my treatment, I have every reason to think that the horse would have
pulled through. As regards his temperature, on the 5th it ranged from
103 degrees in the morning to 105 degrees at night. On the 6th, it went up
to 107 degrees at night. On the 7th, it was 101 degrees in the morning and
103 at night. On the 8th, it went up again at night to 105 degrees, and on
the 9th, it ranged from 106 degrees to 107 degrees the whole day; but just
before death the temperature dropped down to normal.
In the meantime, three other horses had shewn ^symptoms of sickness.
On the 4th, Charlie, grey horse, No. 10, was sick, and died the following
day.
[O 73.-'««.] c
6
On the '6th, Prince, grey horse, No. 16, was sick, and died on the 7th,
another nnsalted horse also died during the day, and Sheba, hay mare, No.
14, showed symptoms of sickness. '
On the 9th, I noticed a number of small sores had broken out on the
near-fore-leg. I took her away at once, and on the following day as the leg
was much worse and a very strong and offensive matter was discharging from
the sores, I thought it safer to destroy her.
On the 12th, Phoenix, bay horse, No. 2, showed symptoms of sickness
about 20 miles from Palapye. This horse had been ridden the day before, and
had been very spirited and fresh, and there were then no symptoms of sickness
whatever, but the following morning seemed very dull, and disinclined to go
about.
About midday he commenced coughing, and heaving at the flanks, and
brought up small quantities of yellow fluid, and at 8 o'clock in the evening
suddenly dropped dead. Immediately after death, a large quantity of froth
burst from the nostrils; on the post-mortem examination it was seen that the
lungs were in a very diseased state.
The following day, 14th, Eliza, iron-grey mare, No. 7, died with ex¬
actly the same symptoms, both external and internal.
The same day an unsalted horse showed symptoms of sickness and lingered
on until the 19th, when he died ; this horse, I was told was supposed to be
salted, which I firmly believe, and that the horse had died from a relapse.
On March 20th, Susan, brown mare, No. 6, died about 18 miles from
Palapye.
March 23rd, Chimney, brown pony, No. 8, died.
We arrived at Tati on March 31st. On April 4th, Polly, grey mare, No.
5, and Pay-up, grey horse, No. 8, were bad, and both died the following
day. Billy, chestnut horse, No. 15, was also in the same condition, and died
during the night.
On April 8th, Black Bess, black mare, No. 3, died; and on April 10th,
chestnut horse, Tommy, number 14, died; on April 14th, Fidget, bay pony,
No. 1, died ; and April 16th, Baron, bay pony, number 18, died.
The three remaining horses, Nos. 9, 11, 19, were left at Tati, Credit,
bay hcrse, No. 19, having recovered from the sickness whilst at Palapye;
Chappie, bay pony, recovered from the sickness at Tati, and Earl, black
horse, No. 19, did not show any symptoms of sickness whatever.
With the exception of horses No. 4 and 17 that were destroyed, tlie
other 14 inoculated horses and 4 troop horses have all died from the same
disease, known in that part of the country as Horse-sickness.
This is not only my opinion, but also of the residents in that part of the
country through which we passed, and also of the travellers passing up and
down the road, who not only saw the horses when they were alive, but also
when they were sick and after death.
The general symptoms of the sickness were as follows :—
Ihe day or two before death the hollows over the eyes puffed up,
and a swelling appeared under the jawbones ; about six hours before death the
horse began to heave at the flanks, followed by coughing, as if suffocating,
and occasionally a yellow fluid was brought up and froth began.to run at the
nosirils, and in most cases immediately after death a large quantity of froth
was blown from the nostrils and mouth.
As to the post-mortem examination, the following is a general report of
the internal symptoms of the sickness :—
1. Pericardium always contained a large amount of yellow fluid,
generally clear, but sometimes blood-stained.
2. '1 he pleural cavity generally contained a fair amount of the same
fluid. . •
1
5. The windpipe generally contained a large amount of white froth,
hut in one or two cases no froth was visiVde.
4. The lungs were in all> cases more or less diseased]; the lungs when
taken out were generally very patchy with disease, which looked a yellow
gelatine colour, and when cut open bubbles of froth came from the different
cells.
5. The liver at times was very much congested and enlarged.
6. The kidneys were generally very healthy, but in one or two cases
they contained a large amount of pus; this I noticed in 'the uninoculated
horses chiefly.
7. The bowels were in most cases generally healthy,! and only in a few
cases were they at all inflamed.
As regards Baron, bay pony, No. 18, this horse hadfthe sickness and
recovered from it at Palapye, but whilst at Tati he had a relapse, from which
he died.
Knowing this expedition to be a test for Dr. Edington's experiments,
the horses were allowed every chance to contract the sickness. They were
never stabled at all from the time they left Mafeking, and were turned out
to graze every morning at daybreak, besides being fed on forage and mealies
as far as possible.
It seems to be a very common occurrence for a horse that is salted to
have a relapse and die, through perhaps being sent to a district some months,
where the disease is less deadly.
Whilst I was at Tati a number of old salted police horses were brought
up ; they had been salted in different parts of the country, but before they
had been in Tati a fortnight every one of them had a relapse of the sickness,
although the sickness season was supposed to be over.
I am informed on very good authority that this last sickness season has
been a very severe one, and that the coach contractors have lost a very great
number of their mules.
Therefore, I think the inoculated horses had they lived would have had
a very fair trial.
FREDERICK MAY,
In charge of the inoculated horses.
[No. 2.]
The Director of the Bacteriological Institute, Graham's Town, to the Under
Secretary for Agriculture.
Bacteriological Institute,
Graham's Town, June 1st, 1896.
Sir,—I have had the honour to report to you already very fully as re¬
gards the work done and researches prosecuted in this Institute during the
preceding year, but as certain experiments dealing with Horse-sickness have
been made that have aroused considerable interest, I feel that I may with
propriety issue this interim report; and although one set of my experiments
(Mashonaland) has been attended with a high mortality, and although it is
insisted that horses salted in the Colony cannot be held as protected against
Mashonaland sickness, I purpose showing that despite this belief my hope of
producing a vaccine which shall prove satisfactory even in the worst areas of
Mashonaland rests on a very secure basis.
I may remind you that I have not any opportunity myself of investi¬
gating any cases of Mashonaland Horse-sickness; that which I have myself
dealt with has been that of the Colony, Natal, and the lower portions of the
Transvaal.
8
I may also remind you that in a communication made to you by the
Divisional Council of Vryburg it was asserted that the Horse-sickness of
Mashonaland is much more virulent than the Colonial form. I am also in
receipt of a letter from Mr. May—who has returned from Mashonaland,
having gone there with the Chartered Company's horses—and while he states
that colonialy-salted horses are not found to be protected against the
Mashonaland. disease, he further emphatically asserts, what I have not hitherto
been made aware of, that horses salted in Mashonaland, and even in the most
deadly districts of that country, may yet take a second attack, and may die
from it.
I have myself learned, while in the Transvaal, that horses salted there
take second attacks, to which the name of " Anmanning " is given.
If this belief, therefore, that salted horses may take a second attack
from which they may die is to be accepted as absolute, then it is evident that
any attempt to salt horses here would meet with resulting failure if they were
sent to Mashonaland. It should be noted, however, as something very re¬
markable, and in the highest degree hopeful, that of the nineteen horses sent
to Mashonaland, while two were killed and fourteen died, three horses have
successfully passed through the very worst areas of that country, and during
a season which has been admitted as being most severe, and while two of
these have had slight attacks of the malady, or at least of some malady, one
has passed through this most severe trial without showing the slightest
symptoms of any illness at all.
As I have in my report for 1895 promised that a parallel series of ex¬
periments should be made here for the purpose of demonstrating the amount
and character of the immunity granted to the horses sent, I have the honour
to invite your attention to the following brief account of the results which
have attended such experiments.
Five horses have been dealt with. Of these, three have been immunized
by the same method made use of for the animals sent to Mashonaland, while
the two 9,ther horses were left untreated.
The two untreated animals were inoculated with 1| cubic centimetres of
virulent virus.
Of the other three immunized animals two each received S^cubic centi¬
metres of the same'virus, while one received two cubic centimetres without
effect, and was thereupon inoculated with five cubic centimetres. The un¬
treated animals which had received small doses each died of virulent ^Horse-
sickness.
Of the immunized the first two mentioned each suffered from a febrile
attack without any bad symptoms, and have since been proved absolutely
immune.
Of the third, which received in all 7 cubic centimetres of virus it also
became the subject of a febrile attack, which under slight treatment passed
off. At this stage, however (when the temperature had just regained its
normal) the animal was allowed to drink freely of water and was allowed to
be exposed, with the result that during the same evening a relapse came on
with congestion of the lungs and it died on the following day. I may here
state that the death could easily have been prevented if the animal had only
been carefully watched for 24 hours after the descent of the temperature, but
the experiment made is one of value as illustrating the danger of a relapse
during the course of a slight second attack of the disease. I may also state
that if during convalescence from the second attack the animal becomes
affected with Biliary fever this fever will have the effect of making the
slight attack of Horse-sickness change into a most virulent form. This ex¬
periment has already been made here. These experiments carried to a ter-
imucdion prove ni. vd tmmistakeably that the horses sent to Mashonaland were
immunized to a considerable degree, and is borne out by the fact that of four
0
unsalted horses taken from Mafeking, which were used for tiding,
all four died, from Horse-sickness, although considerable care was taken of:
them. Regarding the other horses no care whatever was taken, and Mr. May
in his report says:—"Knowing this expedition to be a test for Dr. Edington's
experiments, the horses were allowed every chance to contract the sickness.
They were never stabled at all from the time they left Mafeking, and were
turned out to graze every morning at daybreak."
As I have already stated to you and explained in my report for 1895 the
method made use of for salting the Mashonaland horses was a modified form
of that already described in my report, and had it proved absolutely success¬
ful would have been, by reason of its simplicity and freedom from mortality,
quite capable of being made use of by farmers generally. On this account
the method was used, but also because of the fact that the animals arrived
here very late in the year, and were being so frequently affected. by Biliary
fever that it was impossible to carry them through the intensive method
which results in the animals suffering from a fairly severe attack of Horse-
sickness, although in a modified form.
I regret, however, that the instructions which I gave to Mr. May to
forward to me a careful report of the temperatures of the animals has, from
various reasons, not been carried into effect, and I still more regret that the
lungs of the animals dying have not been sent here. Only the lungs of five
have reached us, and it is of interest to note that although one of these has
all the characteristics of the disease as I know it, the others are very differ¬
ent. Contrarily to what I have seen, Mr. May reports that in several
instances the kidneys were filled with pus. Owing to this last report you
will remember that I wrote to you requesting that the Chartered Company
might be asked whether there was any other disease in their country which
they knew of that was affecting and causing death among horses.
While therefore this experiment is disheartening in its results, I feel
bound to say that it has given us much real information which otherwise
could not have been obtained, and seeing that by this simplified and safe
method three out of 17 have successfully passed through the most dangerous
tracts of country being at the same time exposed to infection in a way that
no one would do in that country who wished his horses to live, X feel that
the real result is one of the most hopeful description.
Six horses were also sent to Bechuanaland which had been treated by
the intensive method and of these all are yet alive.
I would therefore recommend that the intensive method should alone be
made use of for Mashonaland, and as this method requires careful supervision,
although, owing to my later work the mortality has been largely reduced,
if the Chartered Company will erect some stabling in a suitable place and
will send a competent man here, I will be glad to instruct him in the method
of salting by this method.
If the Company will allow me I will purchase for them a small number
of horses which I will myself immunize during the year, and they can1 be sent
at their convenience to Mashonaland, and if left to run in the most dangerous
area it will then be satisfactorily demonstrated as to the true value of this
method I have myself no hesitation in saying that I believe this method
will be shewn to be absolutely satisfactory for the most dangerous areas, and
I trust therefore that this experiment will be authorised.
Regarding the Cape Colony it has been shown that the virulence of
Horse-sickness is not so great (as it occurs with us) and hence should any
epidemic visit us, I would advise the immediate adoption of the simple method
which I haye used for Mashonaland.
As regards the intensive method, I consider that it puts it in our power
to produce almost absolute immunity in horses against Horse-sickiiess, but
has the one drawback, that a certain percentage of mortality must be expected
10
to occur through inoculation. Wore it possible to increase the immunity
which is granted by the simple method, I believe that it would equally prove
efficacious in the worst areas. I am still experimenting in this direction and
have hopes yet of producing a safe and yet most efficient vaccine.
I have, &c.,
ALEXANDER, EDINGTON, M.B.
The Under Secretary for Agriculture.
[No. 3.]
The Director of the Bacteriological Institute to tlhe Under Secretary for
Agriculture.
Bacteriological Institute, Graham's Town,
June 3rd, 189G.
Sir,—I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of papers, consisting of
report from the * Acting Secretary of the British South Africa Company,
covering report sent in to them from Mr. F. May, who went to Mashonaland
in charge of horses sent from here. 1 have already reported to you yester¬
day very fully on this subject, but after perusing this report I desire to
draw your attention to several points.
When Mr. May started from here, he bore with him written instruc¬
tions from me that he was to carefully note the temperatures of the horses
daily, and report to me the observations made. Secondly, should any horses
die, the lungs were to be taken out and a small portion of each sent to me.
He was also specially told that when the animals were cut open he should
describe in simple but carefully chosen language what he saw. My reasons
for this were that, he not being either a veterinary surgeon or pathologist,
and not being in any way trained in science, could not report to me or any¬
one else the nature of the diseased organs, if any. I deemed that a simple
description might enable me to judge of the actual conditions. Since his
departure, the lungs said to be taken from five horses have arrived here, but,
saving that, all the other instructions given would seem to have been
entirely forgotten, as no reports on these lines have ever reached me.
While, therefore, I am left unable to verify the causes of death in the
greater number of the animals that have died, I desire to direct your atten¬
tion to certain portions of his report, which will serve to show you that the
information sent in by him leaves me still further in the dark.
On February 22nd, writing from Mochudi, he states: " Grey horse,
Jack, No. 13, I first noticed to be sick on the morning of the 22nd; the
night before his temperature was normal—it was 102 all day; he died at
10 p.m."
In the whole course of my experience I have failed to observe any horse
dying of Horse-sickness which first had no abnormal temperature the pre •
ceding evening, and whose temperature during the day of death maintained
an even course of 102 degrees. The inference is either he did not take the
temperature or that the disease from which the animal died was not Horse-
sickness.
On the 11th April I wrote semi-offieially to the Acting Secretary of the
British South Africa Company, stating that I had heard privately that the
whole of the horses had been lost in the veldt between Palla and Palapye for
at least ten days, and asking if he had any information on the subject. Mr.
May himself called in here one afternoon last week, but denied that the
animals had ever been lost
11
Under the circumstances, I deemed it well to see my informant, Mr.
Espin, the son of the Key. Canon Espin, Principal of St. Andrew's College,
Graham's Town. Mr. Espin has lately come from Bulawayo, and states that
on the way down, having heard of the horses, all were anxious to meet or
hear of them, and that they met four transport riders who said they were all
lost, and that men were then out searching for them. They added that Mr.
May and party were travelling with them, and that they had delayed while
they were searching, but as they could not wait any longer, they had come
on without them. Later Mr. Espin met some of the police, who verified this
story, and he adds that Corporal Betts will substantiate what he says.
I merely give the information as it has come to me, and it is curious to
note that while I have a letter from Mr. May, dated Mochudi, February 22nd,
the next report, being a wire, is from Palapye, dated March 17th. It would
seem to be very slow travelling if the animals could only cover about 100
miles in three weeks.
My reason for bringing this forward is that the report from Mr. May
states that in some cases there was pus in the kidneys of the animals dying,
and he speaks of having to kill one owing to the sores on its body, adding
that it would have died within twenty-four hours from Horse-sickness.
Horse-sickness, when it is observed in the veldt, does not usually give such
a long warning before death, and I have concluded that all the horses dying
did not die from simple uncomplicated Horse-sickness. I am, therefore, of
opinion that these facts ought to be considered together with the report which
I had the honour to forward to you on this subject.
I have, &c.,
ALEXANDEK EDINGTON, M.B.,
Director.