143
817. The question having been referred to me as professional adviser to the
Government of India, I recorded my. opinion as follows:—
With reference to the risk run by the exportation of hides and bones, I am of opinion that it is but small, if any
risk at all is run. Professor Koch has confirmed the observations of Semmer and others, in regard to the efficacy of
drying, in the destruction of Rinderpest virus. He states:—In continuation of my experiments with dried Rinder-
pest matter, several animals were fed with dung, flesh, and skin of the pest animals, which substances were dried for
a fortnight in the shade and soaked before feeding. The animals remained perfectly sound.'
The sun at all seasons of the year is sufficiently strong in my opinion to destroy the virus of this disease, still, if
we wish to maintain our export trade, we should certainly carry out experiments to confirm those conducted by
Professor Koch: and in all probability some legislation will be necessary for the exposure of hides to a certain
temperature: this need not he high, or, in other words not sufficiently high to injure the hides. The exact tempera-
ture could be desired by any experiments that would be carried out.
818. The Government of India having decided that such experiments were
to be conducted, I addressed the Governments of Bombay, Madras, Burma and
Bengal, asking whether any objections would be raised to the Superintendents,
Civil Veterinary Department, carrying out the necessary experiments. All have
agreed to do so, but the experiments with hides in Bombay will only be under-
taken if any are conducted to test Professor Koch's method of preventive inocu-
lation.
I trust that by a consideration of the results arrived at in these four centres,
we may be able to prove the inability of hides to introduce the disease.
819. The Imperial Bacteriologist was also asked to assist in these experi-
ments but in his reply he desired to postpone carrying them out until they
could be conducted in the plains, as he was of opinion that few hides were collected
in the hills.
Tick plague
or
Texas Fever.
820. In my Administration Report for last year I showed to what danger
this country was exposed by the importation of horses from the infected districts
of Queensland, showing that although horses were immune from the actual dis-
ease, still that they conveyed the tick which could cause it, amongst cattle; for
it has been proved that the virulence of the parasite, which causes the disease, is in
no way reduced by its having inhabited a tick which has lived upon a horse.
821. The Government of Bombay submitted a report by Veterinary-Major
Mills on the subject and also proceedings of a Committee assembled at Bombay
under the orders of the General Officer Commanding, Bombay District. In
forwarding these to the Government of India, the Bombay Government expressed an
opinion that the imposition of quarantine on animals coming from infected areas
would be of use to provide for the detention of all horses at some specified place
for their inspection and if necessary for their being dipped in Dipping Tanks.
They, however, added that legislation would be necessary to provide for these
measures and suggested that as the importation of Australian horses at Calcutta
and Madras was larger than at Bombay, any action in respect of legislation should
be taken by the Imperial Government.
822. The Government of Madras, with reference to a letter addressed to them
by the Government of India intimating that early measures would be taken to
obtain the necessary legislative authority to prohibit or control the importation
of live stock from infected areas, stated that it was very desirable that all shipments of
Australian horses landed at ports, in the Madras Presidency, should be carefully
watched, and agreed that pending the legislative enactment which is now under
consideration, a site should be selected on which 150 might be segregated if
necessary.
823. This legislative enactment has been submitted for the opinion of Go-
vernments of Maritime Provinces and I trust that we may soon be able to deal with
the matter legally, for we undoubtedly should possess the power of quarantining
all horses arriving from Australia on which ticks are found or which are known to
have come from any of the infected parts of Queensland.
824. The Government of India further sanctioned my proposals, (a) that
Provincial Civil Veterinary Officers should be instructed to examine and report on
the tick disease in its relation to India; (b) that I should place myself in communi-
cation with the American Animal Bureau of the United States in connection with
these investigations, and also suggested that I should avail myself of the aid of the
Trustees of the Indian Museum at Calcutta who would doubtless be able to assist
in the identification of the different species of tick.