24
REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL BACTERIOLOGICAL LABORATORY,
immunity. In the light of this important knowledge and also bearing
in mind that black-quarter is a widespread serious disease of
cattle in India, steps were taken to prepare from strains of organisms
obtained in morbid material from various parts of the country
the " germ-free " safe product and to press forward its use in the different
provinces. At the request of the veterinary authorities in the Bombay
Presidency an anti-serum was also prepared against black-quarter (to
the extent of 140 litres) for use in cutting short the virulent outbreaks
which often occur in the villages in this province.
(d) Anthrax serum. As in past years the laboratory limited its
efforts to preparing a serum against this disease. In 1922-23, 65,118
doses (15 c. c.) were prepared and 34,496 doses issued, as against 47,206
doses prepared and 32,600 doses issued in the preceding year. In 1923-24
there was sufficient stock available to meet anticipated demands without
further preparation and 29,834 doses were issued. There was, therefore,
a steady demand for this product, but the magnitude of the demand would
lend the impression primâ facie that anthrax is a disease of very minor
importance in India, at least in comparison with its known prevalence
in countries like the Union of South Africa and Argentina. The reports
of the provincial veterinary authorities likewise do not give great pro-
minence to the disease, although one notes in the Central Provinces
reports, for example, that the recorded mortality for the years 1921-22,
1922-23, and 1923-24 was 2,124, 2,035, and 1,388, respectively. Never-
theless, it was agreed unanimously by the Second Meeting of Veterinary
Officers in India, at Calcutta, in March 1923, that: " The evidence
available shows that anthrax is a serious disease of live-stock in India
and is much more prevalent than the official records would indicate."
The failure to recognize the importance of the disease would seem to be
due to the fact that fatalities occur usually in sporadic form, and pass
undetected and the absence of adequate machinery for the notification
of animal disease. At the time of the Meeting the disease in India had
got to assume an unusual economic significance following upon the threat
of an embargo upon the importation of East Indian wool, hair, and hides
into manufacturing countries unless steps were taken to eliminate infec-
tion, as the result of the action taken by the Special Anthrax Committee
of the International Labour Organization of the League of Nations.
Action was contemplated in the form of compelling exporting countries
to undertake disinfection of wool at the ports of export or to institute
a proper sanitary organization for the control of the disease among ani-
mals. No action has yet materialized. The conditions that obtain in
India would probably present great impediments towards the enforce-
ment of sanitary police measures, such as are known to be effective in
Western countries. It is probable, however, that vaccination against
the disease would have to be adopted in many localities where the disease
was prevalent, and the laboratory was prepared to face a demand for
products for the inoculations. However, the manufacture of a" spore-
vaccine " has not been started hitherto, as there has been no demand for
it from field workers.