Synonym. Definition: Infectious, anæmic, dropsical paraplegia. Origin:
Decomposition of myriads of horse carcasses in torrid heat; rodents;
swine; horses. Causes: Microbe uncertain; infection in corral and
vicinity; manure; rubbish; flies; hot dry weather. Symptoms:
Decreasing severity; preliminary weakness, dulness, emaciation,
dyspnœa. Paresis: Fifty per cent. paraplegic; marasmus; difficult
defecation or urination; paretic penis; anorexia; ardent thirst with
diuresis; rumbling of bowels. Œdema, epigastrium, abdomen, sheath,
mammæ, head. Cutaneous sloughing, stupor, asthenia, rapid emaciation,
hemiplegia, impaired peristalsis. Blood dark, viscid. Lesions:
Intestinal congestion; petechiæ of serosæ; icterus; enlarged, soft,
congested liver; spleen engorged, softened; kidneys swollen,
congested; petechiæ on bladder; congested lungs, thoracic serosæ,
cerebral meninges. Relation to surra. Mortality excessive or constant.
Treatment hopeless. Prevention: Keep sound from sick and from infected
places and things; kill and bury sick; disinfect harness, trappings,
wagons, utensils, buildings, manure and rubbish heaps; destroy flies
and mosquitoes, vermin (rodents), etc.
_Synonym._ Quebra Bunda: Broken Buttock.
_Definition._ An acute infectious disease of horses characterized by a
condition of fever, with rapid loss of condition, resulting in rapid and
extreme emaciation, local dropsies, cutaneous eruptions and ulcers, a
rapidly advancing anæmia and debility, with lessening control of the
hind quarters and death in almost all instances.
_History of the Disease._ Luis Calendrini da Silva Pacheco says the
malady was unknown on the island until 1830, when, on account of the
great excess of wild horses and their devouring the pastures needed for
the more valuable cattle, great numbers were killed and their hides
marketed. This continued for over a year without any attempt to dispose
of the carcasses. These accordingly lay in heaps in a damp climate,
under the equatorial sun, in a condition of putrefaction, exhaling the
most offensive odors. Stimulated by frequent complaints, the government
ordered that the carcasses should be burned to ashes, but no success was
accomplished, in one case 800 bodies having been merely roasted a little
on the surface. The district around Chaves contained the greatest number
of horses, there the greatest number were killed, and there the disease
broke out. A number, variously estimated at from 25,000 to 60,000 were
driven into the little bay of Juncal and killed by burning the grass,
which, however, did not at all consume the bodies. The disease attacked
first the capivaras (rodents) in the district of Chaves, killing off the
whole race; then the wild and domestic swine suffered, and finally it
ravaged the equine race, and though confined to Chaves for two years it
was extended through sales of horses and raged with such fury that in
five years not a horse was left alive in the island, except a small
remnant of a few hundreds in Chaves, where the infection started.
_Causes._ The microbian cause of the disease has not been definitely
ascertained, so it is idle to speculate whether we have to deal with a
saprophyte which has taken on deadly pathogenic properties, or whether
the infection was carried to the island by winged insects or birds
attracted by the decaying carcasses.
Certain conditions may be named as accessory or favoring causes. The
wild horse often escapes so long as he is on the pasture, but when
lassoed, taken to the corral and broken, he will die in four to six
days. This suggests that the infection is laid up and preserved in the
corrals or stables, the mangers or racks, or possibly in the water
supplies. The contact with even the reins (harness) of other horses is
alleged to be a prominent cause of infection. Another significant point
is that around every hacienda, within a radius of a mile, there are
numbers of carcasses, so that there is every opportunity for the
infection of the wild and susceptible horses caught and brought in. Near
the buildings, too, are accumulations of horse and cattle manure and
rubbish heaps of all kinds, the breeding places of the flies, which are
probably important factors in conveying the infection. Again, the
attacks are more numerous and severe and death earlier in the hot, dry
summer weather, while there is a pause and a lesser intensity in the
cool or rainy season. All domestic animals, save when kept up for
breaking or work, live in the open field day and night and subsist on
the green food (capine, gramineæ), and are thereby exposed to all
climatic changes.
_Symptoms._ At the first appearance of the disease (1830) it proved
fatal in a few hours, but after a year’s prevalence, when the more
susceptible animals had been killed off, the progress of the malady
became slower, death being deferred to the 8th or 15th day, so that the
symptoms could be more definitely followed. From 7 to 14 days before the
more obvious symptoms, there were lifelessness, tardy movement, hurried
breathing, debility, weakness and emaciation without work or other
obvious cause. Exercise caused difficult breathing, dilated nostrils and
great agitation of the flanks.
One of the most constant symptoms was the loss of power of the hind
limbs which would sway and stagger, the femurs turning inward, as if
dislocated, and on uneven ground the animal could not walk without
falling. When down, he could not rise without assistance. In the earlier
experience of the malady (1835) only 8 to 16 per cent. failed to show
these paraplegic symptoms, whereas in recent years 50 per cent. or more
escape them. In these cases the emaciation goes on alone, gradually
encreasing until the patient appears like a living skeleton. Some retain
an appearance of liveliness, yet all stand on three limbs, and change
from one hind limb to the other every six or eight seconds.
The retraction of the abdomen is a marked feature, yet expulsive
contraction is defective, the patient fails to put himself in the
position for urination or defecation, and there is more or less
detention of urine or fæces, the latter being dry, moulded, covered with
mucus and of a reddish yellow color. After a time the urine escapes in
fine jets, so small that in the absence of stretching to urinate, or
raising of the tail, they are easily overlooked. The urine may be
normally clear, or dark colored. The penis hangs out of the sheath
several inches farther than in health.
Appetite is sometimes impaired, or completely lost, but usually the
patient eats and drinks to the last, but without proper digestion or
assimilation. It does not check the advance of marasmus. Thirst often
becomes excessive and in such cases, there is diuresis together with
frequent and excessive rumbling of the bowels. The loins are very
sensitive to pinching.
About sixty to seventy per cent. in different outbreaks show œdema, in
the epigastric region it may be six inches in diameter, or it may extend
from the sternum back so as to include the abdomen, sheath, or mammæ,
and perineum, and even the hind limbs. Considerable serous oozing takes
place from this for four or five days after which it dries up.
In about seven to fourteen per cent. the head became œdematous and
swollen, with an abundant fœtid purulent discharge from the nose and
eyes, and extensive ulceration of the pituita and conjunctiva. Such
cases became completely blind prior to death. In other cases extensive
ulceration of the skin set in with the formation of most repulsive
sores.
The nervous symptoms assumed various forms; in some there was stupor
with head resting on the ground; in others extreme debility and
paraplegia with phenomenally rapid emaciation; in a few hemiplegia, or
even delirium was shown; in all there was a marked paresis of the
digestive organs and especially impairment of peristalsis. The blood
assumed a dark gluey aspect.
The most constant symptoms appear to be dyspnœa under exercise, paresis
of the hind limbs and intestines, genital atony, a wonderfully rapid and
extreme emaciation, œdema, and a tendency to impaired nutrition or
ulcerous degenerations of the pituita, conjunctiva or skin.
_Lesions._ Congestion or inflammation of the intestines was usually
noted, with petechiæ on the peritoneum, especially the omentum, and on
other serosæ. The serosæ, mucosæ and other normally white tissues were
of a yellowish color, more or less deep. The liver was enlarged, much
softened, gorged with black blood, and sometimes of a greenish color.
The spleen was more or less black, and friable sometimes coming to
pieces in handling. The kidneys were always enlarged and gorged with
black blood. The bladder was usually distended and showed petechiæ on
its mucosa. The lungs and bronchia bore evidences of congestion, and the
pericardium had become dull, rough and lusterless. The horses that had
rested their heads on the ground showed meningeal congestion.
Sr. Calendrini claims to have had recoveries in some cases, followed by
relapses, and states that a second relapse is usually fatal. Many
features of the disease reminds one of surra—for example its relation to
hot weather, its relation to buildings and enclosures with their
accumulations of decomposing organic matter and swarms of flies, the
decomposition of the blood, anæmia, icterus of the white tissues,
petechiæ, extreme weakness, muscular atrophy, and marasmus. Calendrini’s
cures followed by relapses suggest the further coincidence of
intermissions. If now the trypanosoma were discovered in the blood it
might be recognized as at least a near ally of surra.
_Mortality._ _Prognosis._ The disease is nearly always fatal. At the
time of its first appearance (1830) Calendrini had 5,000 horses, and in
1835 he mounted his last horse a half-tamed animal lassoed on the Campo.
One Haziendiero invested $25,000 in horses and in 30 days he had lost
$18,000 worth. Others with 35,000 head lost the whole.
_Treatment_ proved one continuous failure. Bleeding, purgatives,
coloquintidas, saltpeter, cream of tartar, lemon, vinegar, nicotine,
buchu, by mouth and rectum, strychnia, camphor, caustics, prolonged
baths in the river, and a great variety of other measures, only seemed
to hasten a fatal result.
_Prevention._ Calendrini finally struck the true note of rational
prophylaxis, in the immediate killing and burial of all affected
animals, and the strict separation of all sound horses from the places
where they had been, together with the thorough disinfection of all
harness, utensils, wagons, etc. For a number of years his district
(Soure) had by this means been kept free from the plague.
This might be profitably extended so as to include the thorough
disinfection of any buildings and yards where the sick had been, the
removal of manure heaps and disinfection of their sites, also of all
rubbish heaps as breeding places of flies, the use of petroleum on all
stagnant water devoid of fishes and frogs as being the sources of
mosquitoes, and the application of suppressive measures which would
include the rodents (capivaras), and swine which have been shown to
propagate the infection.