APPENDIX.
Note on Animal Vaccination in the Central Provinces in 1892.
The experimental depôt at Pachmarhi for the preparation of animal lymph and lanoline
paste was established from the 14th September to the 16 th October. The operations were
conducted by Assistant Surgeon Surrendra Nath Barat under my personal superintendence.
Attached were an Hospital Assistant and a Veterinary Hospital Assistant to inspect the
animals as regards health. There was no necessity for the purchase of animals or establish-
ment of a cattle-farm; calves were easily obtained for hire at the rate of Rs. 2 each, as the
people now are aware that no harm to the animals follows the operation. In a more
populous place no doubt they could be obtained more readily at a smaller cost. The lanoline
paste was transmitted to the various districts in order to start and spread vaccination at the
beginning of the working season, and not with a view of supplying any great part of the
Province with vaccine. Yet enough was distributed for about 30,000 children. The opera-
tions were very successful and were conducted with scrupulous attention to cleanliness. Only
one animal failed to take, though tried repeatedly. The paste proved satisfactory and was very
favourably reported on. It was distributed in ordinary paste-board pill-boxes by post. It
would be a great improvement if it were sent out with antiseptic precautions in short
strong glass tubes with paraffined corks. This would no doubt improve the purity of the
supply and make it keep efficient for a longer time. These results were obtained at a strikingly
small cost. Five hundred rupees had been sanctioned, and only Rs. 160 were spent.
The following is the statement of the operations and results submitted by Assistant
Surgeon Surrendra Nath Barat:—
" SIR,—I have the honour to submit the following report on the cultivation of animal vaccine
at Pachmarhi for the year 1892.
" The experiment lasted from the 14th September to the 16th October 1892.
" Altogether 38 calves were operated on, of which 10 were buffaloe and 28 cow calves.
All of them successfully " took."
Choice of animals.
" As a rule, calves from 8 to 12 months old, weaned from mothers, were taken ; younger
calves were difficult to procure as the owners will not part with
them for the sake of the milk.
" The health of the animals was, in every case, examined by the Veterinary Civil Hospital
Assistant, both before operation and collecting lymph.
Method of Inoculation.
" Chiefly by cross scarifications with scratches, or scalped after
the German system.
Number of insertions made.
" The number of insertions made on a calf varied of course with the size of the animal,
i.e., with the shaved area available, but the
maximum No. tried was ...
minimum
do. ...
average
do. ...
64
23
40
Source of lymph used.
" The calves were vaccinated either with fresh human lymph or calf lymph taken direct.
Calf-to-calf cultivation was not tried after the fifth generation, as
the lymph generally degenerates after that.
Collection of lymph material.
" This was generally done on the sixth day, i.e., after 5 × 24 hours; in some instances 12
hours before or after, according as the vesicles matured earlier
or later.
" The inoculated parts were first carefully washed with tepid water and all adhering
scales and scabs removed. The matured vesicles with their solid and liquid parts were then
scraped off from their basis by means of an ordinary bleeding lancet. The crude material thus
obtained was mixed with five times the weight of lanoline and well triturated in a glass mortar
and pestle until the whole formed a homogeneous " paste."
" This was then ready for use and was distributed to the Vaccinators in pill-boxes.
Total amount of "paste"
prepared.
" The total amount of " Scrapings " obtained from the 38 calves
were 1,695 grains, or about 45 grains per calf on the average.
" The total amount of "paste" prepared from the same was 10,150 grains (1 in 6 of
lanoline).