MUKTESAR, FOR THE TWO YEARS ENDING THE 31ST MARCH, 1924 37
to be superior in that the production of unsightly local abscesses, which
also had for their effect a depressing action on the potency of the serum,
was avoided. However, tests on a large scale during the Bareilly season
of 1922-23, when one-half of the buffaloes were treated by the sub-
cutaneous method and the other half by the intra-peritoneal failed to
show a marked advantage in the latter method over the former. The
serum was of about the same potency with both methods, but the (cit-
rated) blood injected intra-peritoneally tended to form extensive fibrin-
ous clots which entangled the bowel and became infected notably with
corynebacteria. Hence, the mortality rate by the method was rather
unfavourable.
The knowledge now available, however, has indicated that steps
should be taken to abandon completely the process of so-called hyper-
immunization for the production of an anti-rinderpest serum. A plenti-
ful supply can be obtained, from suitable serum-producers, of good
potency for a sufficiently long period of time after " setting " the initial
rinderpest reaction to the desired degree of intensity, and for econo-
mical, utilitarian, and humane reasons the adoption of a routine pro-
cedure based upon these principles seems justified.
Economic considerations and the phenomenon that susceptibility to
mortal attack from accidental Piroplasma bigeminum infection is
increased with advancing age, suggested extensive tests upon the pos-
sibility of applying effectively the method of active immunization
against rinderpest upon very young calves. The results of work hither-
to conducted indicates that the procedure is a sound one.
Directions for the active immunization of cattle against rinderpest
had implied that in "plains " conditions the process could only be applied
successfully during the cooler months of the year. In order to ascertain
whether there was any real ground for this restriction, a brew of potent
anti-serum (B 31) was tested upon hill bulls systematically several times
throughout the two years' period simultaneously at Muktesar and
Bareilly.. the dates of testing being chosen so as to gain knowledge upon
the limiting influences in a "tropical" or " sub-tropical "and a temperate
climate. Contrary to what had been assumed, the serum manifested
much the same protective action throughout at both stations, and indeed
at one of the later simultaneous tests conducted during the hottest time
of the year, the potency appeared to be higher at Bareilly than at Mukte-
sar ; this paradoxical observation is readily explained in the light of the
investigations of recent workers upon climate in relation to the health of
human beings, wherefrom it would appear that the basal metabolism
of inmates of confined dwellings in temperate countries may be much
lower than that of residents in the tropics, and it is therefore pertinent
here to remark that the animals under test at Muktesar were housed in
substantially-built, closed, stone sheds designed to protect against the
adverse effects of cold weather, whereas the Bareilly animals received
shelter only in lightly-built, temporary, straw chuppers, within which