H. K.
LALL
17
Experiment No. 1
Three Lohi (497, 513, 712), five Hissari (149, 888, 893, 706, 915) and five Bikaneri (523, 511,
592, 591, 515) sheep were inoculated with 0.01 gm. of goatis ; while two Lohis (No. 661, 521) were
given a dose of serum along with goatis as a precautionary measure. The reaction in Lohi, except
for the two which received serum and goatis mixture, was more marked than the one observed in
other two breeds. In the Hissari sheep the reaction was milder than that of the Bikaneri and Lohi,
four out of five animals reacted. Among the Bikaneri sheep the reaction was no different in those
that got serum than in the others that did not get it. As the virus was attenuated, due to break-
down of the refrigerator, no definite conclusion could be arrived at. Most of the animals reacted
on the sixth day and the reaction lasted for three or four days ; in two animals it continued for about
a week.
Experiment No. 2
As the goatis had been attenuated in the first experiment, six Bikaneri, two Lohi and two Hissari
were given fresh goatis to observe the difference in the breed reaction if any. All the animals reacted
on the fifth or sixth day. In all the animals the reaction subsided in a few days except in one in which
it lasted for more than a week. None of these animals was dull. This showed that goatis could
be used in these breeds as immunizing agents without any fear of severe reaction.
Experiment No. 3
Fifteen animals of Hissari, Lohi and Bikaneri breeds were inoculated with goatis to confirm the
findings of the above experiment.
Hissari. Of these, eight reacted while seven (46.6 per cent) did not. The reaction was observed
on the fourth day. In three animals the reaction lasted for one day (the day of reaction only), in
three for two days and in two for more than three days. The duration of the reaction cannot be
definitely stated, as the temperature was not taken up to the termination of the period because the
animals were feeding normally. Only one was seen slightly dull.
One of the non-reactors (808), when being transported from the experimental yard to its pen,
suddenly died on the way. On autopsy haemorrhages in the duodenum, ulcers in the intestine and
an inflamed ileum were discovered. Parasitic nodules were also found in the intestine. On opening
the buccal cavity, it was noticed that a clump of green bersseem which the animal had been chewing
before commencing its journey was acting as an obstruction in the larynx; this probably led to
aysphxia. The presence of enteritis and ulceration typical of rinderpest is rather interesting, because
the animal was a non-reactor. It suggested that probably other animals had the disease but were
naturally so resistant that they did not die or show any thermal reaction. This accident revealed
something as to what was happening inside the body of the sheep.
Bikaneri. All the 15 animals reacted; 11 on the third day and four on the fourth, day, but
they retained their appetite.
No. of animals
3 . . . . . . . . . .
4 . . . . . . . . . .
4
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
4
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Duration of reaction
One day
Two day
Three days
Four days
Lohi. These seem to be more susceptible as they showed a severe reaction. They were dull
and off feed and seven of them had severe diarrhoea. Five of these were given serum and two left
as controls, but all recovered at the same time, indicating that serum, given after the reaction had
set in, was not of much use
It may be mentioned here that the degree of dullness and partial loss of appetite did not, in
many cases, correspond with the duration of the thermal reaction. This observation is similar to