NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
16
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL BACTERIOLOGIST
In October Mr. Phadke was deputed to Bareilly to
continue and supervise experiments initiated by the Assist-
ant Bacteriologist.
During November, 1916, the Assistant Bacteriologist
and Mr. Phadke carried on inoculations by the simultane¬
ous method in the Government Military Dairies at Sitapur
and Cawnpore.
During December and January the animals at Allaha-
bad, Agra and Karnal dairies, were inoculated and
frequent visits were paid by the Deputy Superintendent to
all these five dairies to supervise the reactions of inoculated
cattle.
In February, 1917, the Assistant Bacteriologist initi-
ated inoculations in the dairy cattle in South India and
Mr. Phadke carried them on in the Dairies at Bangalore,
Wellington and Belgaum.
A detailed report on the inoculations carried out in
November and December, 1916, at the Sitapur, Cawnpore,
Allahabad and Agra Dairy Farms was duly submitted by
Mr. Shilston to the Assistant Director of Dairy Farms,
Northern Circle, in January, 1917.
During winter of the year under report, 446 animals
were treated by the serum simultaneous method at the Mili-
tary Dairy Farms in India. Of these, 306 including 60
buffaloes, 94 country bred, 119 half bred and 3 Ayrshire
bulls, were treated in Northern Circle Dairies at Sitapur,
Cawnpore, Allahabad, Agra and Karnal, and 142 animals
including 80 country bred, 53 half bred, 1 pure bred, 2
Australian short horn and 4 Ayrshire bulls in the Southern
Circle at Bangalore and Wellington.
The majority of these animals treated by the above
method at the various farms showed moderate reactions, and
it is anticipated that an active and lasting immunity
against rinderpest has been established.
There were no mortalities amongst these animals from
rinderpest as a result of serum simultaneous inoculation,
but some 8 animals (7 half bred and 1 country bred) while
FOR THE YEAR ENDING THE 31ST MARCH,
1917
17
reacting to the simultaneous inoculation developed piro¬
plasmosis, diagnosis being confirmed by the detection of
piroplasmata in blood by microscopic examination. Of
these, 6 were successfully treated by the subcutaneous
administration of Trypan Blue, but in the case of two half
breds death was so sudden that treatment could not be
carried out.
Besides these inoculations, natural outbreaks of rinder-
pest at Belgaum and Mhow were attended to and suppressed
by inoculating all the animals on the farm (some 1,300) with
serum alone.
At Bangalore a natural outbreak occurred amongst the
untreated milking stock: this was suppressed by means of
serum inoculations. None of the animals previously
treated by the simultaneous method became infected during
this outbreak.
III. RESEARCH WORK.
Several factors have combined to limit the amount of
research work that could be carried out during the past
year. The routine work of the Laboratory and the diffi-
culties of administration were greatly increased. The
departure of Dr. Macalister, shortly after my arrival, again
reduced the number of officers on the staff to two. During
the first half of the year Mr. Shilston's time was very fully
occupied with duties of administration and the mainten-
ance of the increasing output of sera and vaccines. Later
he was touring in the Madras Presidency, supervising in-
oculations at the Military Dairies and initiating tests for
the diagnosis of dourine, outbreaks of which disease have
assumed serious proportions in the Punjab and Baluchistan.
In these circumstances the amount of time that I was
able to devote to research work was very small.
Rinderpest. A large number of observations have
been made regarding the vitality of the virus of rinderpest
under various artificial conditions. A report of the results
obtained will be submitted for publication shortly.
18
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL BACTERIOLOGIST
The method of obtaining serum by the oxalate process
is being practised on a larger scale in order to cope with
the enormous increase in the demands, and will shortly be
applied to the whole of the serum production at Muktesar.
In the course of the inoculations carried out at. the
Military Dairies several valuable observations were made
regarding methods of immunization.
Anthrax and Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia. Efforts are
being made to accelerate the production of the anti-sera for
these diseases. It is anticipated that labour and materials
will be economized.
Kumri. A report on Kumri was submitted for publi-
cation by Dr. Macalister before he left Muktesar for mili-
tary duty. It embodies an account of the disease and his
work regarding the nature of the pathological changes
produced.
Further research on the disease has had to be postponed
for the present.
Strangles. Anti-strangles serum and vaccine have
been supplied in fairly large quantities for the treatment of
the disease and have given satisfactory results.
Contagious abortion. Contagious abortion in cattle
has been reported from some of the military dairies.
Efforts are being made to isolate the causal organism of this
disease.
Pleuro-pneumonia of goats. During the last month or
two of the year under report some experiments were carried
out in connection with this disease. Failure to obtain sus-
ceptible animals for experimental purposes interrupted the
work, but the subject will be taken up again when suitable
animals become available.
Surra. Some experiments in connection with the treat-
ment of surra have been carried out but so far without
success.
Tuberculosis. Modification of the culture medium
used for the preparation of tuberculin has accelerated its
FOR THE YEAR ENDING THE 31ST MARCH, 1917
19
production very considerably, and a large stock is now
available. The study of strains of the tubercle bacillus
isolated from cattle in this country is being continued.
Dourine. During the past year a trypanosome infec-
tion of horses transmitted by coitus made its appearance in
the Punjab and Baluchistan and evidently has a wide dis-
tribution in the horse-breeding areas. Its existence is
seriously interfering with the progress of horse-breeding,
especially in the Army Remount Department Circles. The
diagnosis of the disease in its early stages presents great
difficulties. A laboratory method of examining the serum
of suspected cases known as the complement fixation test
has been successfully applied in America, for the detection,
of infected animals and the study of its applicability to the
disease in this country has been taken up by Mr. Shilston.
A large number of tests have been carried out with
promising results, and it is hoped that by this means the
officers of the Civil Veterinary Department and Army
Remount Department may be assisted in stamping out the
disease.
Miscellaneous. The occurrence of a chronic form of
enteritis has been reported from one of the military dairies.
Examination of specimens from two cases appears to indi-
cate that the condition is that known in Europe under the
name Johne's Disease. Two animals suspected of being
infected are under observation.
Publications. During the year under report the fol-
lowing papers were submitted for publication :—
(a) " Vitality of the rinderpest virus outside the animal
body under natural conditions" by A. W. Shilston,
M.R.C.V.S., Assistant Bacteriologist. Memoirs of the
Department of Agriculture in India, Veterinary Series,
Vol. III, No. 1.
(b) "Rinderpest—Preparation of Anti-serum," by A. W.
Shilston, M.R.C.V.S., Assistant Bacteriologist. Pusa
Agri. Res. Inst. Bull. No. 64.
(c) " Kumri—Combined diffuse Sclerosis and Central Polio-
myelitis of Horses," by G. H. K. Macalister, M.A.,