According to Babès, who described it under the name of gurceac du mouton, the same disease appears to occur in the islands and low parts of the Danube valley.
Symptoms. The development of this parasite produces in the patient loss of appetite and high fever, accompanied by the passage of dark coloured hæmoglobinuric urine. Icterus is frequently present. The animals rapidly become exhausted, collapse and die.
On post-mortem examination carried out immediately after death the spleen is found to be large, the pulp being like wine lees. The liver is soft and yellowish; the kidneys are soft and black.
The disease is said not to be transmissible by direct transfusion (?).
It would appear that this disease has also been seen in Turkey by Nicolle and Laveran, near Constantinople, in 1899. The parasites (Piroplasma oris) are round or slightly elongated and occur near the periphery of the red blood corpuscles. It is to be hoped in the interest of breeders in localities where this disease rages that Lignières’ method of vaccination against bovine piroplasmosis may prove reliable and equally applicable in the case of sheep.
DISEASES PRODUCED BY TRYPANOSOMATA.[[5]]
[5]. An interesting article and a series of figures on the “Evolution of the Trypanosoma Evansi” were published in the Jour. of Comp. Path. and Therap. for September, 1904, p. 210. The same number also contained articles on several piroplasmic diseases.
In 1904 Professor Koch delivered an address, from which the following is a summary, to the Berlin Medical Society regarding his experiences and observations on diseases produced by trypanosomata in Africa:—
A wide field of study has recently been opened by the discovery of various pathological protozoa. Three discoveries especially have directed attention to these special disease organisms—
(1.) Laveran’s discoveries regarding malaria. Ross has shown that the malaria parasites are carried by mosquitoes (Anopheles claviger).