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'Possibly observations on a larger scale might give more favourable results, but I cannot say that those
I submit, if they could not be improved upon, would warrant an attempt to introduce a general application of
this system, nor would those results overcome the probable repugnance of people to have virulent blood taken
from one of their oxen to inject into another. If the inoculation was precise in its results, some large cattle
owners might be disposed to try the method in order to run the disease through their herds, and thus feel safe
for a comparatively long time, but even in S. D. series the results in animals of similar size and age have
varied.
"Second group.—Curative treatment. I have used serum as a cure in a number of cases. In no case was
the serum used until the symptoms of Rinderpest were very evident; in some of the cases the disease had made
great an advance, while in others the attack was too severe for the dose I used. In some cases, Foot and Mouth
was a complication. Moreover, the quantity of virulent blood employed to infect the animals was necessarily
large in order to obtain unmistakable results. I find that 56.76 per cent. of the animals were cured, and as
under the most favourable circumstances medicine and nursing have only cured at the utmost 50 per cent. (one
year) at Belgatchia, I am led to report favourably upon the serum I employed as a curative, and I may remark
that, had I always used the serum earlier, i.e., when the premonitory clinical symptoms first appeared and had
there been no complication, more animals could have been saved. Moreover, I am of opinion that stronger
serum than mine could be prepared. On the other hand, I doubt if treatment in advanced cases would be
generally satisfactory, even if larger doses of serum are used."
Experiments with
hides and bones of
animals that have
died from rinder-
pest.
581. The object of these experiments was to ascertain beyond a reasonable
doubt whether raw hides dried in India for export to foreign countries were
capable of transmitting the contagium of rinderpest to the cattle of other
countries. The question was brought up by the Consul-General of Germany
and the Right Hon'ble the Premier of New Zealand. The prevalence of
rinderpest in the Punjab had been brought to the former's notice, and as there
is a very large export trade in raw hides from this country to Germany, it be-
came a matter of serious importance to ascertain beyond reasonable doubt
whether these hides were capable of carrying the contagium in a virulent form.
It was, therefore, considered a matter of immediate urgency to institute enquiries
into this subject, and instructions were issued to the Superintendents of Bengal,
Bombay, Madras and Burma, to carry out certain experiments to test whether
the raw hides, as ordinarily cured in India, were capable of introducing the
disease.
582. The Imperial Bacteriologist was also asked to make a similar set of
experiments so that a satisfactory opinion could be given as to hides coming
from all parts of India, including hills and plains.
583. In order to carry out these experiments in a uniform manner, a
circular was issued from this office indicating the lines on which these tests
should be carried out, at the same time leaving it to the individual officers to
elaborate them in any manner they deemed necessary.
584. The results of these experiments clearly prove that the hides are
incapable of carrying the disease, and as these tests have been carried out in the
extreme portions of this country, the Government of India may be thoroughly
assured that there is no danger to other countries in the export of hides and
bones.
585. The experiments will no doubt be found interesting, but space will
only permit of a few extracts from the several tests.
586. Muktesar.—The Officiating Imperial Bacteriologist made twenty-one
experiments, viz., fifteen with an injection of a saline extract of dried hide
which had been removed from a rinderpest animal, and six with marrow from
the long bones of animals, died of rinderpest. The fifteen were again sub-
divided under three heads, viz.—
(a) Sun-dried skins.
(b) Skins which had been dry-cured by a hide curer.
(c) Similar to (b) but carried out in an uninfected shed.
According to the data given, it is clearly proved that animals in no wise
suffered in consequence of the injections of the saline extract of dried rinder-
pest hide, and a subsequent injection of virulent blood pointed conclusively to
the fact that the animals were highly susceptible, as death invariably ensued
after the administration of the toxic dose.
587. In conclusion of the fifteen experiments, Dr. Rogers states:—
"The above series of experiments prove that the skins of animals which have died of rinderpest and which
have been either dried in the sun or shade, or treated with salt or lime in the shade for two or three days,
and then kept hung up for a further period of from four to twelve days in the different experiments, no longer
contain any infection, even when submitted to the extreme test of extracts of them being injected under the skin
of susceptible animals. Further, skins treated in the same way, which were put in the feeding troughs of the
animals and were licked by them, and in contact with their mouths and noses whenever they fed for a period of
eight days, also failed to convey the infection.