F. W. PRIESTLEY AND D.
ARTIOLI
255
anxiety to the owner and the operator alike. The
most satisfactory method appears to be the use of
adequate quantity of serum which inhibits
severe reaction and thus causes a minimum loss in
milk yield. Such loss is inevitable as inoculation,
operation or even any physical interference with
the buffaloes affects these temperamentally and
usually reduces their milk-yield for one or two
days. It may, however, be mentioned in this con-
nection that in the Central Provinces and Berar
the method of blood virus-cum-serum was experi-
mentally found to be the safest; the loss in milk
yield being lowest, viz. 25 per cent [Singh, 1939].
Fall in condition or general health has also been
observed following vaccination in the field. Although
severe reaction is likely to bring about this condi-
tion, the absence of green fodder aggravates it. It
would be preferable as far as possible to undertake
vaccination as far as at a time when there is
ample green fodder.
SUMMARY
A brief description of the types of buffaloes in
Assam and their distribution in different localities,
is given.
Rinderpest is of common occurrence in Assam,
causing heavy mortality among buffaloes. Details
are given of the field experiments conducted to
evolve the most suitable method of immunization
of buffaloes against the disease in the province.
Particulars of the type and degree of reaction
in the methods adopted to control the disease are
described. There is evidence of a wide variation
in the degree of reaction in the local types of buffaloes
and also in buffaloes in different areas, viz. plains,
hills and forests.
Vaccination with goat-tissue virus, along with 30
to 40 c.c. of serum, appears to be the safest method,
as it obviates to a large extent the risk of mortality
and loss in milk yield.
ACKOWLEDGEMENTS
The author thanks Mr A. K. Mitra, Director,
Veterinary Department, Assam, for his keen interest
and encouragement and Mr H. K. Nagchoudhury,
Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, for help and assistance
in the work.
REFERENCES
Achar, S. D. (1941). Indian vet. J. 17, 237
Singh, B. (1939). Indian J. vet. Sci. 9, 286
Blackwood, J. R. (1916). A Survey and Census of the
Cattle of Assam
Chowdhury, Jainti Ram (1941). Indian vet. J. 17, 244
McSwiney, J, (1912). Census of India, 1911, 3 (Assam)
STREPTOCOCCUS MASTITIS IN BUFFALOES
By F. W. PRIESTLEY and D. ARTIOLI, Military Veterinary Laboratory, Lahore
(Received for publication on 27 March 1945)
IT has been generally assumed locally that mastitis
in buffaloes is of little importance. Since relatively
slight experience convinced us that this view was
incorrect, work on the problem was begun with the
results outlined below.
It was soon realized that the examination of several
hundred milk samples by a plating technique was
beyond the capacity of this laboratory. It was
therefore decided to adopt the incubated milk
technique described fully by van Rensburgh [1941]
and since reported with some favour by Rowlands
and Field [1943] and by Field and Smith [1944].
Briefly, this technique consists of incubating mixed
quarter samples of milk from each animal at 37°C.
and examining stained smears for the presence of
streptococci 18 to 24 hours later.
No attempt has been made here to compare the
van Rensburgh technique with any other, but it is
worth mentioning that, when occasion has demanded
the isolation of mastitis streptococci, these organisms
have invariably been isolated from van Rensburgh
positive samples.
Our work is recorded under the three headings,
general epidemiology, vaccination and eradication.
GENERAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
Bacteriology
The vast majority of infected buffaloes examined
by us have been infected with streptococci and this
work has been concerned entirely with that type of
organism. The number of samples containing
staphylococci has been relatively low, although a
certain number of clinical cases have been associated
with Staph, aureus. The number of C. pyogenes
cases has been even lower, though this organism
too has been isolated occasionally. No case of
tuberculous mastitis in buffaloes has been met with,
but serious search for this organism has not been
made.
We have not carried out serological tests in this
laboratory on mastitis streptococci but, judging
by the biochemical reactions, they would nearly
always fall into Lancefield's group B, as might be
expected. These local strains give ß-haemolysis in
horse-blood agar, a final pH in glucose-broth of
about 4.3 after four days incubation, hydrolyse
sodium hippurate, fail to reduce 1 in 5000 methylene
blue in milk, produce acid in lactose and trehalose,
B