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Transmission of Equine Scabies from Horse to Man
Glanders in Man from Eating Infected H orse/lesh .
431
to a prison, where, on the pretext that they were all deserters, they were shot. Such is an instance of the " summary" and " humane" methods adopted by the Bolshevist. TRANSMISSION OF EQUINE SCABIES FROM HORSE TO MAN. By LT.,COL. COCHRANE, C.B.E., F.R.C.V.S., Royal Army Veterinary Corps, W oolwich. DURING the South African War, when I was in charge of the Veterinary Hospital at Middelburg, Transvaal, there were some cases of skin disease diagnosed as scabies amongst the forge staff, and considered' to be communicated to them from horses suffering from that disease. The ' number of animals in the hospital was generally over 1 ,500, and at one time reached 2,200. The large majority of these were cases 'of scabies, combined with debility. The conditions which existed in the veterinary service during the South African War differed greatly from the conditions under which this service worked in the Great War. There was no Veterinary Corps personnel to staff the veterinary hospitals in that. country excepting a few farrier quartermast ersergeants on the Indian Subordinate Establishment, and the staff of these hospitals were a mixture of soldiers lent from regimental duty and civilians of all nationalities, none of whom had any training in the nursing or care of sick animals or the precaution necessary to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. Under these circumstances, and bearing in mind the fact that hospitals were greatly underst affed in veterinary officers, it will be understood that detailed supervision was impossible. When mange was at its height the senior farrier reported to me that som e of the men in the forge were suffering from a rash and from intense itchiness. I inspected the forge staff, which consisted of about a dozen farriers-soldiers, Englishmen, Dutchmen, and one Russian J ew. Three m en had a pronounced reddish eruption over their backs varying in degree, and all suffered from intense itchiness. The Russian Jew was much the most severe case. It was ascertained he had a rooted objection to washing, and therefore was a very suitable subject for the development of this disease. The cases were reported to the medical officer, who diagnosed them as scabies, and took the usual steps to cure them and preventive measures to arrest further spread of the disease. The men were quickly returned to duty, and, with a recognised system of preventive
43 2
The Veterinary Journal.
measures, there were no more outbreaks of scabies amongst the men in the forge. Owing to the lapse of time I am unable to state whether the medical officer confirmed his diagnosis by examinations of scrapings under the microscope; at least 80 per cent. of the cases of scabies in the Veterinary Hospital were of the dermatodectic variety, but probably this infection was of the sarcoptic variety. The man who was most severely affected had an eruption from his neck all the way down his back, and, having rubbed and scratched it, had made the eruption worse. Naturally I did not go into details over the cases, but handed the men over to the medical authorities and took steps to prevent further infection, which I considered was incurred by the men in the forge handling 'horses suffering from scabies. The forge staff were divided into those men shoeing clean horses and those shoeing horses affected with scabies, and only men attending to the latter cases were affected. Bv J RUSSELL GREIG, M.RC.V.5. , Prof essor of j\l1edicine, R oyal Vetel'inary College, Edinburgh.
A LIGHT draught aged gelding was admitted to college hospital in an advanced condition of generalised sarcoptic mange. A groom and the present writer both contracted slight scabies froin the animal. As it was considered advisable from an economic standpoint to discontinue treatment the horse was destroyed and the body was made use of for the class of surgical anatomy. About twenty students were in more or less close contact with the carcase for periods which varied from a few minutes to two hours. About 60 per cent. of them became affected with scabies. In one case severe itchiness was observed I5 minutes after contact. In another severe generalised symptoms were shown. It is interesting to note that this individual had contracted severe generalised scabies from his nurse when an infant-apparently a case of susceptibility. TRANSMISSION OF SARCOPTIC MANGE FROM CAMEL TO MAN. BY GUY SUTTON, F .RG.V.S., Late Major, Royal Army Veterinary Corp s.
MANY men of the Imperial Corps became badly affected with camel mange in Egypt and Palestine during the late war, close contact with their mounts being inevitable in the case of troops operating in the field.
431
to a prison, where, on the pretext that they were all deserters, they were shot. Such is an instance of the " summary" and " humane" methods adopted by the Bolshevist. TRANSMISSION OF EQUINE SCABIES FROM HORSE TO MAN. By LT.,COL. COCHRANE, C.B.E., F.R.C.V.S., Royal Army Veterinary Corps, W oolwich. DURING the South African War, when I was in charge of the Veterinary Hospital at Middelburg, Transvaal, there were some cases of skin disease diagnosed as scabies amongst the forge staff, and considered' to be communicated to them from horses suffering from that disease. The ' number of animals in the hospital was generally over 1 ,500, and at one time reached 2,200. The large majority of these were cases 'of scabies, combined with debility. The conditions which existed in the veterinary service during the South African War differed greatly from the conditions under which this service worked in the Great War. There was no Veterinary Corps personnel to staff the veterinary hospitals in that. country excepting a few farrier quartermast ersergeants on the Indian Subordinate Establishment, and the staff of these hospitals were a mixture of soldiers lent from regimental duty and civilians of all nationalities, none of whom had any training in the nursing or care of sick animals or the precaution necessary to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. Under these circumstances, and bearing in mind the fact that hospitals were greatly underst affed in veterinary officers, it will be understood that detailed supervision was impossible. When mange was at its height the senior farrier reported to me that som e of the men in the forge were suffering from a rash and from intense itchiness. I inspected the forge staff, which consisted of about a dozen farriers-soldiers, Englishmen, Dutchmen, and one Russian J ew. Three m en had a pronounced reddish eruption over their backs varying in degree, and all suffered from intense itchiness. The Russian Jew was much the most severe case. It was ascertained he had a rooted objection to washing, and therefore was a very suitable subject for the development of this disease. The cases were reported to the medical officer, who diagnosed them as scabies, and took the usual steps to cure them and preventive measures to arrest further spread of the disease. The men were quickly returned to duty, and, with a recognised system of preventive
43 2
The Veterinary Journal.
measures, there were no more outbreaks of scabies amongst the men in the forge. Owing to the lapse of time I am unable to state whether the medical officer confirmed his diagnosis by examinations of scrapings under the microscope; at least 80 per cent. of the cases of scabies in the Veterinary Hospital were of the dermatodectic variety, but probably this infection was of the sarcoptic variety. The man who was most severely affected had an eruption from his neck all the way down his back, and, having rubbed and scratched it, had made the eruption worse. Naturally I did not go into details over the cases, but handed the men over to the medical authorities and took steps to prevent further infection, which I considered was incurred by the men in the forge handling 'horses suffering from scabies. The forge staff were divided into those men shoeing clean horses and those shoeing horses affected with scabies, and only men attending to the latter cases were affected. Bv J RUSSELL GREIG, M.RC.V.5. , Prof essor of j\l1edicine, R oyal Vetel'inary College, Edinburgh.
A LIGHT draught aged gelding was admitted to college hospital in an advanced condition of generalised sarcoptic mange. A groom and the present writer both contracted slight scabies froin the animal. As it was considered advisable from an economic standpoint to discontinue treatment the horse was destroyed and the body was made use of for the class of surgical anatomy. About twenty students were in more or less close contact with the carcase for periods which varied from a few minutes to two hours. About 60 per cent. of them became affected with scabies. In one case severe itchiness was observed I5 minutes after contact. In another severe generalised symptoms were shown. It is interesting to note that this individual had contracted severe generalised scabies from his nurse when an infant-apparently a case of susceptibility. TRANSMISSION OF SARCOPTIC MANGE FROM CAMEL TO MAN. BY GUY SUTTON, F .RG.V.S., Late Major, Royal Army Veterinary Corp s.
MANY men of the Imperial Corps became badly affected with camel mange in Egypt and Palestine during the late war, close contact with their mounts being inevitable in the case of troops operating in the field.