Investigations into the Nature, Causation, and Prevention of Texas or Southern Cattle Fever Page: 70
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TEXAS OR SOUTHERN CATTLE FEVER.
enormous multiplication of the parasite in the blood shows how rapid
in such cases its development and how ephemeral these intermediate
stages must be. The period of retardation may vary in length, but it
seems probable that this stage may remain in the circulation at least
several days.
The stage of the larger forms (pyriform and spindle-shaped bodies).-
The two coccus-like bodies resulting from division begin to grow and
assume fusiform outlines. It is probable that they remain attached to
each other at least for some time, for in stained preparations a very
delicate stained line may occasionally be traced passing from one to
the other. In this stage they stain very well in haematoxylin and basic
aniline dyes. As they continue to enlarge, the two members of the
pair remaining always of the same size, a more elongated, pear-shaped
outline is assumed, and in the unstained condition a minute dark par-
ticle is observed in the broad end of each body. Under conditions not
definable a larger or smaller number of the red corpuscles contain but
one body. These unpaired forms are found most abundantly in the
circulating blood, where they may manifest amoeboid changes.
The larger forms circulating in the blood do not stain so well as the
somewhat smaller bodies found in the capillaries after death. This
may be due to degenerative processes or to a transformation into some
unknown reproductive state. The annexed figures illustrate, dia-
grammatically, the intraglobular stages of the Texas-fever parasite,
i. e., those forms which have only been found in the blood during Texas
fever, and very rarely in southern cattle.
1. 2. 3. 4,
FiG. 3.-Intraglobular forms of the Texas-fever parasite. The shading shows the relative staining
capacity with methylene blue. 1. The peripheral coccus-like body (0.6 , long) in process of division
(from the mild type). 2. Larger spindle-shaped forms from the capillary blood of the heart muscle.
The free ends are but feebly stained. 3. Larger pyriform bodies from the same source staining en-
tirely. 4. Pyriform bodies (2 long, 1.5 wide at the widest portion) staining but feebly; from the
circulating blood. (The last three forms from the acute type.)
Free bodies.-These are set free after they have reached the preceding
stage by the disintegration of the infected corpuscles. They may be
found in capillary blood of the heart muscle in abundance. Their most
common location is in the kidneys, however.
No forms which might be interpreted as reproductive stages have
been recognized at any time in the many cases which have been studied.
That the organism multiplies very rapidly in the blood of susceptible
cattle is demonstrated by the fact that the injection of a small quantity
of infected blood gives rise to the disease. How does this multiplica-70
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Smith, Theobold & Kilborne, Fred Lucius. Investigations into the Nature, Causation, and Prevention of Texas or Southern Cattle Fever, book, 1893; Washington D.C.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth143538/m1/70/?q=%221863%22: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Texas Health Science Center Libraries.