NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
MUKTESAR, FOR THE TWO YEARS ENDING THE 31ST MARCH, 1924 23
animal subsequently possesses a solid permanent immunity following
upon the symptomless infection set up by the suppressed virus. How-
ever, at the present time, we are not in a position to press forward the
application of this method in the field.
If the information in the reports of the Civil Veterinary Department
of the Central Provinces again are to be taken as fairly representative
there does not seem to have occurred an abatement in the prevalence of
hæmorrhagic septicæmia parallel to that which happened in the case of
rinderpest:—
(i) 1922-23.—" Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia occurred in almost all the
districts
The losses from the disease were 1,916 against
1,134 in the previous year. In 85 outbreaks the disease
was microscopically confirmed and in 31 outbreaks 3,163
inoculations were done with successful results."
(ii) 1923-24.—" Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia occurred in all parts of
the provinces during the rainy season
Being
of a virulent type the losses from it were 4,152 as against
1,916 in the previous year. In several instances the disease
was of so acute a type that it had subsided by the time the
veterinary assistants arrived at the affected area. In 240
outbreaks the disease was microscopically confirmed and in
75 outbreaks 8,790 animals were inoculated with most satis-
factory results."
(c) Black-quarter vaccine. During 1922-23, 63,000 doses of vaccine
were prepared and 57,550 issued, against 35,000 prepared and 32,864
issued during the preceding year. During 1923-24, 29,600 doses were
prepared and 40,600 doses issued..
The vaccine which has hitherto been prepared in the laboratory has
taken the form of the first vaccine of the original Arloing method, and
has been put up in " pillules" for convenience in inoculation. It is
now well known that vaccination by the method depends upon infection
with minimal, safe quantities of virulent spores. Also, that the so-
called vaccines which are sold and guaranteed to be perfectly safe very
often contain no spores or, at least, they do not contain the spores of the
black-quarter organisms; hence, they are quite inefficacious. During
recent years, especially after the study of the similar condition known as
" gas-gangrene " in man during the War, much advance has been made in
our knowledge of the bacterial flora responsible for the disease conditions
and upon the methods of setting up an immunity. It would seem that
the clinical condition known as black-quarter is not an etiological entity,
but may be caused by at least two different spore-bearing organisms.
Further, in suitable culture media, or in the tissues, these organisms
elaborate a powerful toxin, which can be filtered free from the
accompanying organisms. The germ-free filtrate, or the so-called
" aggressin " when the filtrate is derived from infected tissues, can
be injected into a susceptible animal, which, subsequently, after
passing through a safe, suppressed infection, possesses a durable
26
REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL BACTERIOLOGICAL LABORATORY,
observations made in the course of executing the ordinary, subcuta-
neous test, in which the reaction is merely a thermal one. For the subsi-
diary method, known as the intracutaneous test, performed by injecting
the test material into one of the anal folds and comparing the subse-
quent increase in thickness with the thickness of the opposite, control
fold, a special " concentrated " tuberculin was manufactured and stocks
kept on hand available for issue for compliance with the terms of the
directions in the revised circular instructions.
(g) Strangles serum and vaccine. The preparation and issue of
these products were undertaken systematically upon an experimental
basis on a large scale during the period under report, and the significance
of the work will be discussed in the section dealing with research.
(h) Vaccine against Contagious Bovine Abortion. The issue of this
vaccine as a routine product was commenced in accordance with the terms
of a printed circular, but for the reasons stated in the section dealing
with research its issue was subsequently confined to an experimental
application upon one, only, of the most important Government Military
Dairies.
(i) Autogenous and specially prepared vaccines. 35 series of doses of
these products were issued in 1922-23, and 37 in 1923-24.
III. INSTRUCTION.
During the period under report the resources of the institution were
diverted to the advanced training of veterinary officers in India in the
following manner:—
(a) Training of officers selected from the Provincial Branches of the
Indian Veterinary Service for Promotion to Imperial Grade. Full reports
upon this system of training have already been submitted to Government.
The history of the undertaking is, in short, that the Government of India
upon the recommendations contained in the report of the Islington Com-
mission, issued in 1921, that a proportion of Indians belonging to the
Provincial cadres of the Service should be eligible for promotion to
Imperial grade, obtained advice in India upon which a two years' scheme
of study at various centres in England was to be undergone by selected
officers nominated by Provincial Governments. The scheme was trans-
mitted to the Secretary of State for India for approval, who referred it
for expert opinion as to its merits to the Chief Veterinary Officer of the
Ministry of Agriculture, and the Professor of Hygiene, Royal Veterinary
College, London. The advice forthcoming from both authorities envis-
aged the scheme as set forth with disfavour, in that it was feared the basic
attainments of the selected officers were not sufficient to enable them to
derive benefit from the disconnected form of tuition laid down, and it
was believed a much more advantageous policy would be to develop
the resources already existing in India for the imposition of a superstruc-
ture of training relative to modern knowledge concerning disease in
MUKTESAR, FOR THE TWO YEARS ENDING THE 31ST MARCH, 1924 27
animals upon the men of the type that would be considered suitable to
absorb the further training. Upon my arrival in India (after relinquish-
ing the above-mentioned post at the Royal Veterinary College, London)
Government raised the matter again, and after having pointed out the
unique facilities afforded at this institution in the form of suitable material
and personnel for teaching visiting officers in the aspect of veterinary
science in which competence is to be demanded of them as State servants
the outlines of a scheme for a course of training here, extending over two
years, were drawn up, and, at the request of Government, placed for
consideration before the Meeting of Principals of the Indian Veterinary
Colleges held at the Bombay Veterinary College on the 8th to 10th
February 1922. This meeting reported:—" The suggested post-gra-
duate course of study was briefly discussed and the meeting was of the
opinion that it had not had sufficient opportunity to study the subject
fully and that it could not express definite views on its merits without
mature consideration. It was further of the opinion that pending final
consideration of the suggested scheme the proposal to send Provincial
officers to England should be held in abeyance and that, in the meantime,
Mr. Edwards' scheme should be circulated to Provincial Governments for
opinion at the very earliest opportunity."
The scheme was circulated accordingly, but to save time it was decided
by Government to test the merits of the scheme by instituting during the
same year the commencement of one of the suggested courses on an experi-
mental basis. Provincial Governments were then asked to depute the
men they had had in mind to attend the courses for training for the
Imperial cadre, and the following six officers arrived at the institution on
15th July, 1922, to commence the course:—
(1) Mr. S. Sultan Ahmed, Lecturer, Bengal Veterinary College;
(2) Mr. P. N. Das, Assistant Director, Civil Veterinary Department,
Bihar and Orissa;
(3) Mr. V. R. Phadke, 2nd Assistant Professor, Bombay Veterinary
College;
(4) Mr. R. V. Pillai, Deputy Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Depart-
ment, Central Provinces;
(5) Mr. M. B. Menon, Veterinary Inspector, Imperial Bacteriologi-
cal Laboratory, Muktesar;
(6) Mr. Torabaz Khan, Veterirary Inspector, Imperial Bacterio-
logical Laboratory, Muktesar.
The last named two officers were Veterinary Inspectors on the staff
of this laboratory who had already been nominated for the contemplated
course of training in England prior to my arrival.
The first session of the course lasted from 10th July, 1922, to 23rd
December, 1922.
The second session of the course lasted from 1st April, 1923, to 23rd
December, 1923.
28
REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL BACTERIOLOGICAL LABORATORY,
During the interval between the first and second sessions the officers
under training visited the Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, for a
demonstration tour.
After the end of the systematic training at Muktesar for the second
session they visited a number of institutions of particular interest to them
in the Punjab:—(i) Government Cattle Farm, Hissar; (ii) Punjab
Veterinary College, Lahore; (iii) Sheikhupura Hospital; (iv) Rakh
Chandrai Dairy; (v) Lahore Municipal Slaughter Houses; (vi) Renala
Stud; (vii) Ferozepore Slaughter Houses. They were conducted during
these tours by Mr. Bennett, the Second Bacteriologist, who displayed
most commendable zeal in developing their enthusiasm for the prac-
tical application of the teaching imparted to them.
It is beyond the scope of this report, which deals mainly with adminis-
tration of the laboratory, to discuss the methods of the teaching and the
capacities of the officers under training. These subjects have already
been reported upon at length in correspondence with Government.
Briefly, the programme of tuition set down in the time tables of work
was :—
First Year. (a) Hygiene (Director); (b) General Bacteriology
(Second Bacteriologist); (c) Pathology (including morbid anatomy and
histology) (Pathologist); Helminthology and Entomology (Third Bacterio-
logist).
Second Year. (a) Epizootiology and Preventive Medicine (Director);
Pathological Bacteriology, Disinfection, Toxicology," Food Poisoning,"
Milk Hygiene (Second Bacteriologist); Pathological Anatomy and His-
tology of Animal Diseases, Meat Inspection (Pathologist); Diseases due
to Protozoan Parasites (Director); Helminthology and Entomology
(continued) (Third Bacteriologist).
In the above subjects the officers attended a systematic course of
lectures, and practical instruction was given daily. During the second
year they were also attached in relays to the various officers executing
research work at the laboratory, so that they received intimate training
in modern practical methods of disease investigation.
(b) Short courses of instruction for officers of the Imperial Branch of
the Indian Veterinary Service and of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps in
India. An endeavour was made early in 1922 to institute systematic
courses of training for the above officers extending over four or five months
of the hot weather season, and Government was asked to arrange for
deputation to Muktesar and accommodation of about ten officers for
these classes. On account of the small numbers of officers in both cate-
gories of service in India and the inability of authorities to arrange
effectively for deputation of their officers on study leave these numbers
were not forthcoming, and officers were therefore admitted for training
at any time to suit their convenience, but nevertheless they were given
systematic instruction in the form of lectures and practical work from the
teaching members of the staff, often with some inconvenience., for the
MUKTESAR, FOR THE TWO YEARS ENDING THE 31 ST MARCH, 1924 29
teaching of individual visitors necessitated the same amount of time as
that of larger classes. The following officers received tuition at the
institution in this manner:—
Name
1. Major H. Greenfield,
R.A.V.C., D.A.D.V.S.
2. Mr. W. Harris,
M.R.C.V.S.
3. Mr. P. T. Saunders,
O.B.E., M.R.C.V.S.
4. Mr. G. G. Howard,
F.R.C.V.S.
5. Mr. T. F. Quirke,
M.R.C.V.S.
Province or Army
United
Provinces
District, Meerut.
Superintendent, Civil
Veterinary Depart-
ment, Assam.
Superintendent, Civil
Veterinary Depart-
ment, Vizigapatam
District, Madras.
Deputy
Director,
Civil Veterinary Dep-
artment, Bihar and
Orissa, Patna.
Chief Superintendent,
Civil Veterinary Dep-
artment, Punjab.
From
20th June, 1922.
1st July, 1922.
9th April, 1923.
3rd May, 1923.
2nd June, 1923.
To
15th August, 1922.
21st Sept., 1922.
27th June, 1923.
16th July, 1923.
17th Sept., 1923.
In the matter of instruction, as stated above, the institution is much
indebted to Mr. S. C. J. Bennett, the Second Bacteriologist, for the manner
in which he conducted demonstration tours, and for the thoroughness and
competence he showed in imparting lecture and practical information.
The services of Mr. H. Cooper, the Pathologist, and Mr. T. M. Timoney,
the Third Bacteriologist, must also receive appreciation, as also the
generosity shown by the heads of the various institutions through which
the men under training were conducted.
(c) Occasional officer for instruction. Mr. Riazul Hussain, Assistant
Professor of Punjab Veterinary College, from 6th July to 24th Septem-
ber, 1923, and was attached to the Pathologist for a course of training.
It is now felt that great assistance to the research schemes of the
laboratory could be effected by imparting training in the rudiments of
laboratory methods as applied to disease investigation to selected veteri-
nary subordinates from the provinces, notably those retained at head-
quarters for laboratory work. Much difficulty has been experienced
here in obtaining material taken with proper precautions for useful
further study, not because of the inaccessibility of the laboratory, for the
institution is excellently situated for bacteriological study but because
the material was badly taken initially and would never have suited the
purposes of the laboratory worker. The provinces were, therefore,
consulted with a view to deputing selected men to the laboratory for
short periods (2-3 months) training in subsequent years, and arrangements
were made to receive a number in the warm weather of 1924. In order
30
REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL BACTERIOLOGICAL LABORATORY,
that the provinces may take full advantage of the facilities thus offered,
it is necessary to extend considerably the living accommodation now
available for visitors at Muktesar. These courses must be regarded as
of a special nature, and they are not intended in any way to compete
with the courses of postgraduate instruction now given at some of the
veterinary colleges in India.
IV. RESEARCH.
It is only intended to deal with this subject cursorily in this report,
and to limit reference to the main schemes of research. Since my advent
to the laboratory the resources of the institution have been organized
to the utmost for research, and at the end of the period under report
there had accumulated a large volume of records dealing with a consider-
able number of projects taken up. It is hoped soon to embody this
knowledge in technical publications, but as the investigations have been
in the nature of prolonged experimental researches and most of the staff
have had to be patiently trained to turn out substantial results there has
been hitherto hardly any output of literature, and the policy has been to
restrain publication until results worthy of the facilities afforded by the
institution have become available.
(a) Rinderpest (Etiological researches). Research work on this disease
has been undertaken on a very large scale, as its importance in the live-
stock economy of India is immeasurable and, also, the advances made
in recent years in research upon diseases of similar nature warranted the
intensive application of modern methods of research to obtain further
light upon the problem. Moreover, the rugged hilly nature of the station
makes it admirably suited for experimental research upon the very
infectious diseases, and so when work on rinderpest was first taken up
seriously, in April, 1922, a series of 65 chuppers were specially construc-
in various places, in each of which a susceptible animal could be
isolated and observed without risk of accidental infection during the
period while it was under test.
The factors which made for the survival in virulence of the causal
agency of the disease were first investigated. It had been found by
Olitsky (1922) that typhus blood, mixed with about an equal volume
of diluted horse serum or peptone solution, survived considerably longer
when exposed to air than when it was stored " anaerobically " under a
seal of liquid paraffin. Experiments with virulent rinderpest blood
stored at body temperature, however, showed that the infective agent
became inert usually within three days when it was exposed to air, but
that it survived very considerably longer, 10 days or more, when it was
covered with a seal of liquid paraffin. At first sight, it might be assumed
that the rinderpest virus was anaerobic, but tests showed that the survi-
val in an atmosphere of hydrogen was no longer than that in atmos-
pheric air. The work of Kligler and Robertson (1922) on the gaseous re-
quirements of the spirochaete of human relapsing fever seemed then
suggestive, for these authors had demonstrated that the utility of
40
REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL BACTERIOLOGICAL LABORATORY,
for a very long time on culture media and had completely lost virulence,
as judged from the large quantities that could be injected without ill-
effect, were most disappointing, for no mitigation of the effects of the
disease was observable. Towards the end of 1923, the procedure was
adopted to inoculate the herd with a " virulent" strain recently isolated
from the Dairy. Some anxiety was caused before the dosage rate was
suitably decreased; however, the results hitherto available are encourag-
ing.
Work was in active progress at the close of the period upon the pos-
sibilities represented by differences in virulence of strains of the causal
organism isolated at the laboratory. The laboratory work was executed
by Mr. Bennett.
(e) Strangles. During the two strangles " seasons " included in the
period under report an attempt was made to ascertain the efficacy of
vaccination against the disease, by the inoculation of dead streptococci
derived from a considerable number of samples of strangles pus obtained
from natural cases of infection at the Remount Depots at Sargodha and
Mona. About 50 strains, of varied bacteriological characteristics,
entered into the production of vaccine and anti-serum.
The method of treatment laid down for the 1922-23 season was to
inject incoming batches of young animals in segregation at weekly in-
tervals first with a dose of anti-serum and vaccine, then with two suc-
cessive doses of increasing size of vaccine alone. After the lapse of nine
days the young horses were to be admitted into the main depot to be
exposed to infection. Unfortunately, at Mona, strangles appeared
early in the segregation camps and infection spread before the full treat-
ment could be carried out. At Sargodha also a proportion of the animals
(47 in all) became infected before the full course of treatment was given.
At both depots, a number of animals ("Late arrivals ") arrived at the
depots after the treatment had begun, and they were therefore not
exposed to infection concurrently with the treated animals, a propor-
tion of animals were kept untreated at each depot, to serve as true
" controls."
The following table indicates the main results achieved, 1922-23
Season.
Depot
Sargodha
Treatment
Vaccinated (full course)
Vaccinated, but infect-
ed before third dose
given.
No.
325
..
Remained
free
211
(64.9%)
...
Became
infected
114
(35.1%)
19
SEVERITY OF
AFFECTION
Re-
covered
108
18
Died
6
(1.84%
1
(5.3%)
MUKTESAR, FOR THE TWO YEARS ENDING THE 31ST MARCH, 1924 41
Depot
Sargodha
-contd.
Mona
Treatment
Vaccinated, but infect-
ed before second dose
given.
Controls ("true")
Controls (not "true,"
but" late arrivals.")
Vaccinated with two
doses only.
Controls (" true ")
Controls (not " true,"
but" late arrivals.")
No.
..
41
189
118
118
118
Remained
free
..
19
(46.4%)
114
(60.4%)
32
(27.1%)
20
(16.0%)
13
(11.0%)
Became
infected
28
22
(53.6%)
75
(39.6%)
86
(72.9%)
98
(84.0%)
105
(89.0%)
SEVEBITY OF
AFFECTION
Re-
covered
27
18
66
80
91
99
Died
1
(3.5%)
4
(9.8%)
9
(4.7%)
6
(5.1%)
7
(5.9%)
6
(5.1%)
Primâ facie, the above results would indicate that both the morbidity
and mortality rates were quite appreciably depressed following upon
preventive vaccination. The number of " true controls " at Sargodha,
however, was relatively very small, and the disease broke out at Mona
so early that it interfered very materially with the estimation of the
results of treatment. The allocation of " controls " in estimating the
effect of any treatment upon a disease of this kind must necessarily be
a problem of first importance, for the army records clearly showed that
the rate of infection and intensity of clinical affection varied from season
to season, so that fallacious deductions could readily be made from the
observed effects of treatment unless an adequate number of animals
were left untreated concurrently with the vaccination of any batch of
animals. Consequently, for the 1923-24 season plans were laid down
for the setting apart of a sufficient number of " true " controls. Also,
the recently published method of Dreyer for the preparation of a so-
called "diaplyte" vaccine seem plausible, and the success reported
following upon its use in the treatment of tuberculosis merited attention.
The rationale of the method resides in the assumption that organisms
which are "acid-fast" or "gram-fast" contain impermeable (waxy)
substances in their bodies which render them resistant to attack by the
tissues. If these substances are " extracted " by the action of acetone
after preliminary fixation with formalin, the organisms become more
absorbable, and hence better " antigens." The vaccine used during
the 1922-23 season was an " ordinary " vaccine, consisting of an emul-
sion of cultures of streptococci killed by heat. In addition to the