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of hide emulsion into a healthy animal causes a re-action which
appears to be sufficient to confer a weak immunity.
(iii) That hides do not convey rinderpest 13 days after removal and
treatment by a native skinner; but if a hide emulsion be pre-
pared and used as described, it appears to exercise a modifying
influence upon a subsequent attack of rinderpest which follows
an injection of large quantities of virulent blood.
595. In addition to the experiments conducted with rinderpest hides,
Veterinary-Major Raymond was able to carry out certain tests with hides of
animals which had died of malignant sore-throat. The hides were cured in
the usual manner, and portions of them were inserted under the skin of healthy
animals. In several cases, there was a distinct temperature re-action, but
no outward sign of ill-health. There was, moreover, no œdema to speak of
in the region of the seton, except what would be attributable to a foreign body
under the skin. It would, therefore, seem that hides from animals which had
died of this virulent disease readily lose their virulence, and thus soon lose their
dangerous power to convey the disease even under most favourable circum-
stances.
596. Burma.—No experiments to determine this question have been
conducted.
597. According to Professor Koch, hides dried in the shade are innocuous
ten days after removal from carcases, and Dr. Edington, South Africa, has also
come to the same conclusion. These opinions, taken in conjunction with the
experiments which have been conducted in India, most clearly prove that trade
in hides and bones is unattended with danger to importing countries, because
the time that necessarily elapses between the death of the animal, removal of
the skin, drying, storing, transit and collection by exporting firms must be at
least seven days. Added to this, is the custom by exporting firms, of immers-
ing the hides in arsenical solution, and the duration of the voyage by ship. It
may, therefore, be safely concluded that the exportation of hides is totally
devoid of all danger.
Tick Fever.
598. During the past year this subject has received very considerable
consideration from this Department. It will be remembered that in 1897 it
was feared that by the importation of live stock, which were infested with
ticks, from Australia, India might become contaminated with a disease which
had carried off thousands of cattle and entailed a heavy pecuniary burden upon
Queensland. With the object of preventing the invasion by this disease, the
Civil Veterinary Department was constantly on the alert, and such reliable
information as could be obtained was periodically placed at the disposal of the
several Superintendents of the Civil Veterinary Department who had control at
the debarkation ports of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras.
599. For much of the information we are indebted to Mr. Gordon, Chief
Stock Inspector, Queensland, Mr. J. Pound, Bacteriologist, Queensland, and
Dr. Sidney Hunt. A précis of all this has been brought up to date in a note
to be published in the Agricultural Ledger, Special Veterinary Series, by
Veterinary-Captain Gunn, Assistant to the Inspector-General, Civil Veterinary
Department. In order to facilitate these enquiries, the Government of India
have very kindly granted permission to this Department to communicate
directly with the Bureau of Animal Industry, Washington, U. S. A., and it is
anticipated that this privilege will prove of considerable help in obtaining the
latest information concerning this important subject.
600. During the year large quantities of ticks have been collected from
the various districts in Burma, Calcutta, Bombay, Central Provinces, North-
Western Provinces and the Punjab, and as it was deemed advisable to clear up
doubt as to whether these were of the same species as those which formed the
hosts in Australia and America, microscopical preparations were made, and
these were found to be very similar to those described by Dr. Sidney Hunt and
Mr. Pound. In order, however, to come to a definite opinion, microscopic
specimens of ticks in their various stages of development, and specimens
preserved in alcohol and glycerine, were forwarded to Australia and America,
and the answers received from Mr. Pound, the expert in Queensland, and Dr.