138
we take into consideration that Professor Koch has shown that virulent blood from
a case of Rinderpest may completely lose its virulence after being exposed to a
temperature of 87.8 F. for four hours, it is a matter for surprise that, taking into
consideration that the material was obtained in the month of June in the plains, it
ever reproduced the disease at all, and the fact that it did, must testify to the
great care exercised in its collection and the precautions taken in its conveyance
to the Laboratory.
808. I do not purpose to follow all the experiments carried out by Professor
Koch at Muktesar. A full description has been furnished in the reports submitted
by those Officers who attended. These reports are about to be published in the
Agricultural Ledger, Special Veterinary Series.
809. We now require information as to the applicability to this country of
Professor Koch's methods of immunising cattle against Rinderpest, enquiries were
therefore made from the various Local Governments whether experiments could be
carried out by the Officers who attended the demonstrations. The Bombay Govern-
ment states that until there are more substantial grounds for expecting that the
measure will be efficacious, it would be inexpedient to attempt any extensive
measures of inoculations in the Province where the difficulties are very great.
They state that the slaughter of cattle for experiments would almost everywhere
in the Presidency proper, be objected to; but that should the occasion arise in Sind,
where owners of cattle are not likely to object to such a step, or should Rinderpest
break out in a Government Farm, experiments may be made on the spot by an expert.
810. I trust that the Government of Bombay will give effect to this decision,
as occasions arise, as the value of these experiments will gain in importance in
accordance with the different conditions of climate and other circumstances under
which they are conducted.
811. In an interview with His Honor the Lieutenant-Governor of Burma, he
informed me that he was quite willing to sanction any reasonable expenditure
which might be entailed in conducting these experiments, and with Veterinary-
Captain Evans in that Province I feel certain that we shall receive help from this
direction.
812. But it has rested with Bengal, thanks to the energy and scientific
attainments of its Superintendent, Veterinary-Captain Raymond, to be the pioneer
in this important work, and as his last report is of great professional interest and
as it may be a guide to other Officers conducting experiments, I have deemed it
advisable to insert it in extenso:—
It will be within your recollection that I reported in my letter of September that a number of cattle (107) had
been inoculated against Rinderpest at Kanti near Muzufferpore.
Although Rinderpest existed then, and has since appeared in the immediate neighbourhood of the herd, none of
the 107 animals have showed any sign of infection with the exception of certain experimental cases of which more
below.
On the 7th January a telegraphic report reached me of the appearance of Rinderpest in the village Harsair near
the out-work of Raghai, near Kanti. I proceeded there and found that typical Rinderpest was raging. Mr. Toomey
requested me to inoculate his cattle that were on the out-work, but the usual difficulty arose as to obtaining a suffi-
cient and suitable supply of material. It was, therefore, arranged that a small Experimental Station should be erected
where material could be prepared and some further experiments carried out. The place selected was isolated and
exceedingly bleak at night, but warm in the day, on the banks of Little Gunduk. There was practically no shelter,
and the weather during the experiments was cyclonic.
I mention these facts because I think they affected the experiments to a certain extent. A bamboo enclosure
was arranged and a chowkidar appointed. The attendants were all isolated during the experiments.
On the 17th January, 8 young buffaloes were infected with material from a typical case of Rinderpest. On the
night of the 28th January, there was a very bad hailstorm, and the exposure expedited the death of one buffalo calf
No. III, which died on the morning of the 27th, the bile was rejected. On this day also buffalo No. IV was destroyed
in a dying condition, bile was taken and found good.
On the 28th, the bile from buffalo No. IV was injected into 23 bullocks at Raghai branded "K." On this day
also buffalo No. I was destroyed, bile was taken, found good and used to inject 13 bullocks at Raghai. They were
branded 'T.'
On the 29th buffalo No. V was destroyed. Bile was taken and found good.
On the 30th, buffaloes Nos. VI and VII were destroyed, bile was taken, but that from No. VII was rejected.
On this day, bile from buffalo No. V was injected into 33 bullocks branded 'K'/I and that from buffalo No. VI was
used for 26 bullocks, branded 'T'/I.
On the 4th February, bullocks Nos. VII and VIII were destroyed, the bile taken and found to be good. The
bile from No. VII was used for 25 bullocks branded 'K'/T on the same day, the bile from No. II was used for
28 buffaloes branded 'X.'
Besides the animals enumerated, material was procured from buffalo A1 with Rinderpest, found good and used
for 4 bullocks at Buriar branded 'Z.'
It will be seen that 107 bullocks were inoculated in the first experiment, and 126 bullocks and buffaloes were
inoculated in the second. The total number of cattle immunised has been 261.