NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
SURRA.
93
Camel No. 27.
Day.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
Tryps.
F. 1 in sp.
F. 1 in 15 f.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
Treatment.
3000 c.c. neutral Arsenic
sol. (10 gms.) plus 2
drachms Pulvis Opii in
drench.
200 c.c. of a 10% sol. of
Soamin subcut.
Died.
Arsenic and Soamin.
Remarks.
No symptoms.
„ „
2 days after Arsenic and one
day after Soamin.
Off feed.
„ „
„ „ Diarrhœa.
„ „ Dull.
„
„ Dull.
Total amount of Arsenic—10 grammes.
Total amount of Soamin—20
„
This amount of Arsenic and Soamin proved fatal.
Camel No. 28.
Day.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th-7th
8th-13th
14th
Tryps.
N. 10 in f.
A.
A.
A.
A.
F. 1 in f.
Lithium Antimony Tartrate.
Treatment.
100 c.c. of a 10% sol. of
Lithium
Antimony
Tartrate subcut.
Remarks.
No symptoms.
Tryps. disappeared in 24 hours.
Swelling infiltrated over brisket.
Swelling decreasing.
Thickening.
Tryps. reappeared in 13 days.
Lithium Antimony Tartrate—10 grammes.
Trypanosomes reappeared thirteen days after the injection.
The skin at the seat of injection became necrosed and
sloughed.
Camel No. 29.
Day.
1st
2nd
3rd
8th
Tryp3.
N. 9 in f.
F. 1 in 10 f.
A
F. 1 in sp.
Treatment.
100 c.c. of a 10% sol. of
Atoxyl subcut.
1 dose of Atoxyl.
Remarks.
No symptoms.
Tryps. disappeared in 48 hours
Atoxyl—10 grammes.
Trypanosomes reappeared five days after the injection.
94
SURRA.
Camel No. 30.
Day.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Tryps.
N. 15 in f.
A.
A.
A.
A.
Treatment.
5000 c.c. Arsenic Trisul-
phide sol. (50 gms.) in a
drench.
Died.
Arsenic Trisulphide.
Remarks.
No symptoms.
Tryps. disappeared in 24 hours.
Diarrhœa.
Off feed. Diarrhœa.
„ „ „
„ „ „
Total amount of Arsenic Trisulphate received—50 grammes.
This amount of Arsenic Trisulphide proved fatal.
Camel No. 31.
Day.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
Tryps.
F. 1 in 15 f.
F. 3 in f.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
Treatment.
3000 c.c. Arsenic Trisul-
phide sol. (20 gms.) in
a drench.
Died.
Arsenic Trisulphide.
Remarks.
No symptoms.
Tryps. disappeared in 48 hours.
Off feed. Watery diarrhœa.
Feeds slowly. Watery diarrhœa.
Off feed. Watery diarrhœa.
„ „ „ „
„ „ „ „
„
„ Bowels setting.
Arsenic Trisulphide—20 grammes.
This amount of Arsenic Trisulphide proved fatal.
Camel No. 32.
Day.
1st
2nd
Tryps.
A.
A.
Treatment.
100 c.c. of a 10% sol.
of
Soamin
subcut.
Died.
Soamin alone.
Remarks.
No symptoms.
Off feed. Diarrhœa. Lying
down.
Soamin—10 grammes.
Ten grammes of Soamin injected subcutaneously cause
death within 30 hrs.
SURRA.
95
Camel No. 33.
Day.
1st
2nd
3rd
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
Tryps.
F. 1 in f.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
Treatment.
200 c.c. of a 10% sol. of
Soamin subcut.
Died.
Soamin alone.
Remarks.
No symptoms.
Tryps. disappeared in 24 hours.
Off feed.
Feeds fairly.
„
„
Off feed.
„ „
„ „
Soamin—20 grammes.
Twenty grammes of Soamin injected subcutaneously
caused death in 9 days.
Camel No. 34.
Day.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
16th
17th
18th
19th
20th
21st
22nd
23rd
24th
Tryps.
F. 1 in sp.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
Treatment.
300 c.c. of a 10% sol. of
Soamin subcut.
Died.
Soamin alone.
Remarks.
No symptoms.
Tryps. disappeared in 24 hours.
Off feed.
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„
„
„ „ Shows signs of inter-
nal pain.
Off feed. Shows signs of internal
pain.
Off feed. Dull.
„ „ „
„ „ „
„ „ „
„ „ „
„ „ „
„ „ „
„ „ „
„
„
„
Tryps. re-
mained absent 23 days.
Soamin—30 grammes.
Thirty grammes of Soamin injected subcutaneously caused
death after 24 days.
96
SURRA.
Camel No. 35.
Day.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
(5th-7th
8th.9th
10th
Tryps.
F. 3 in f.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
F. 1 in 4 f.
Lithium Antimony Tartrate.
Treatment.
100 cc. of a 1% sol. of
Lithium Antimony Tar-
trate subcutaneously.
Remarks.
No symptoms.
Tryps. disappeared in 24 hours.
Swelling at seat of inoculation.
Swelling slightly increased and
infiltrated.
Swelling decreasing.
„
„
Feeds fairly.
„ „ „ „
Thickening only.
Tryps. reappeared in 9 days.
Lithium Antimony Tartrate—1 gramme.
Trypanosomes reappeared nine days after the injection.
Camel No. 36.
Day.
1st
2nd
3rd
4th-5th
6th-10th
11th
Tryps.
F. 1 in 15 f.
F. 1 in 5 f.
A.
A.
A.
F. 1 in 5 f.
Treatment.
125 c.c. of a 1.5% sol. of
Trypanblau, subcuta-
neously.
Trypanblau.
Remarks.
No symptoms.
Swelling at seat of inocula-
tion painful.
Tryps.
disappeared in 48
hours. Swelling same as
yesterday. Increased.
Swelling same as yesterday.
Swelling decreasing.
Tryps. reappeared after 9
days.
Trypanblau—1.875 grammes.
Trypanosomes reappeared nine days after the injection.
The skin at the seat of injection sloughed.
CONCLUSIONS.
(1) Arsenic appears to be an unsuitable drug for the treat-
ment of Surra in Camels. Its action is uncertain; in two cases
10 grammes were tolerated without marked symptoms of ill-
ness ; in one case 5 grammes produced a fatal result; 4
grammes was followed by diarrhœa for 48 hours. When con-
tinuous doses are given the toxic effect is rapidly cumulative
SURRA.
97
and treatment with large doses cannot be continued for any
length of time. The effect of small doses from 3 grammes to
5 grammes, on the trypanosomes in the circulation is slight.
Full sub-toxic doses have a more marked effect, keeping the
circulation free from parasites from four to five weeks.
(2) In one case (Camel No. 13), twelve small doses of Arse-
nic appear to have exercised a beneficial effect. The trypano-
somes were absent from the blood from date of treatment to
time of death, 182 days. Death was mainly due to exposure
to rains and want of proper food.
(3) Arsenic in form of Trisulphide, Atoxyl and Soamin
were tried without success.
20 grammes of Trisulphide proved fatal.
An injection of 10 grammes of Soamin was followed by
death in 24 hours. After 20 grammes the animal died in nine
days and after 30 grammes the camel showed symptoms on the
second day and died after 24 days.
(4) Arsenic in combination with Tartar Emetic gave no
better result than Arsenic alone.
(5) Tartar Emetic in single doses is better tolerated than
Arsenic, but the effect on the trypanosomes in the circulation
is not marked. In continuous treatment Tartar Emetic gave
results superior to Arsenic. Camel No. 18 received six doses.
Trypanosomes were absent from the circulation up to time of
death, 196 days. Death was mainly due to exposure and want
of suitable food.
Camel No. 20 was given six doses. Trypanosomes were
absent from the circulation for 118 days.
(6) A subcutaneous injection of 125 c. c. of a 1% solution
of trypanblau caused necrosis of the skin at seat of inoculation
and had no effect on the trypanosomes in the circulation.
(7) Subcutaneous injections of Lithium Antimony Tar-
trate caused lesions at the seat of inoculation and had little effect
on the trypanosomes.
7
98
RINDERPEST.
PART II.
RINDERPEST.
Experiments carried out to test the susceptibility to
Rinderpest of cattle from several districts in India and on
improved methods of Rinderpest serum preparation.*
BY
MAJOR J. D. E. HOLMES, M.R.C.V.S., M.A., D.Sc., I.C.V.D.,
Imperial Bacteriologist to the Government of India.
INTRODUCTION.
THE scheme for the establishment of a second Laboratory
has been brought under consideration owing to the popularity
which the anti-Rinderpest serum has achieved among cattle
owners in most parts of India. The demand for this serum
has been increasing each year, and at the present time, the
Muktesar Laboratory is unable to meet anything like the
amount required. The resources of this Laboratory have been
strained to their utmost in regard to the preparation of this
serum. Each brew of serum is being issued as soon as
prepared; nevertheless, large demands from each province
remain from time to time only partially complied with. The
preparation of anti-Rinderpest serum was commenced at
Muktesar in 1899-1900.
In that year 9,700 doses were manufactured. In 1905-1906,
the output of this serum had increased to 211,407 doses, and in
the same year a scheme for the erection of a second Laboratory
was sanctioned by the Government of India, owing to the
rapidity with which the demands for the serum were increasing
annually. In 1906, I was deputed to select in Southern India
a site suitable for a second Laboratory. A tract of land on the
Palni hills in the Madras District was decided upon as offering
* A detailed report on the same subject submitted to the Government off
India on the 18th April 1911.
RINDERPEST.
99
an almost ideal situation for a Laboratory of this kind, and it
was expected that a supply of susceptible cattle would be ob-
tained from surrounding districts. In the following year,
however, these cattle were tested by the Superintendent, Civil
Veterinary Department, Madras, and found not to possess the
required susceptibility. Consequently, the proposal to erect
a Laboratory on this site was abandoned. In the meantime,
further pressure was placed on the resources of Muktesar, and
in 1906-1907 the output of sera reached 467,993 doses ; more
than twice the amount prepared in the previous year. Dr.
Lingard, then Imperial Bacteriologist, in reply to a question
addressed by the Inspector-General, recorded his opinion that
an average output of 400,000 doses was the maximum amount,
it was possible to maintain and pointed out the inadvisability
of straining to attain to a larger output. In 1908, after going
into this question, I expressed a similar opinion. In the same
year further endeavours were made to comply with the calls
for serum, and 545,974 doses were prepared. In the following
year, owing to the prevalence of Rinderpest and foot-and-mouth
disease in the Kumaun District we were unable to obtain the
requisite number of Hill bulls and the amount of serum pre-
pared fell by about 36,000 doses compared with the previous
year. During the past official year, the manufacture of sera
was carried on under the greatest possible pressure both as
regards the Laboratory staff and the supply of Hill bulls, and
the quantity of serum prepared during this official year will
amount to about 5¾ lacs doses.
I attach a statement showing the number of bulls received
by the Laboratory during the past four years.
During the last two years a record has been kept of the
animals which arrived suffering from foot-and-mouth disease.
In 1909-10, 1,430 bulls arrived with lesions of foot-and-mouth
disease. The treatment and segregation of these animals and
the precautions against the spread of the disease among our
serum preparing animals threw a large amount of extra work
on our staff. The past year 1910-11 was particularly free from
100
RINDERPEST.
the disease, only 199 affected animals were received and these
arrived during the winter months.
Year.
1907-08
1908-09
1909-10
1910-11
Hill bulls started
for Muktesar from
Berinag or other
centres of collec-
tion.
?
?
2,522
2,811
No. died on
road to
Muktesar.
?
?
395
271
No. arrived at
Muktesar.
2,364
2,838
2,127
2,540
No. arrived
affected
with
F. & M.
..
..
1,430
199
No. died
within a
week of
arrival
from
F. & M.
..
..
188
184
Since 1906, it has clearly been demonstrated that the de-
mands for serum cannot be met from the Muktesar Laboratory
alone. During the past three years it has repeatedly been
brought to notice that the supply of Hill cattle is not sufficient
to maintain the manufacture of serum in unlimited amounts.
The source of supply has been overworked, with the result
that the supply of bulls is each year becoming a more difficult
question and will under present demands become practically
exhausted before many years.
The impossibility of continuing to meet the demands for
serum from the Muktesar Laboratory alone and the danger that
the output of that Laboratory may entirely fail if the supply of
Hill bulls become exhausted has again forcibly brought to no-
tice the necessity for some immediate action in order to provide
for the future supply of this serum.
On return from leave in October 1910, I was depu-
ted to select a site for a Laboratory in the Hazara District
and to test the susceptibility of the cattle of that part.
Before proceeding on that duty, and after consultation with
the Inspector-General, Civil Veterinary Department, I sub-
mitted a statement of my views regarding the future supply
of serum and made certain suggestions.
I pointed out that the selection of a suitable site and the
testing of cattle would not solve all the difficulties connected
with the question of a permanent and larger supply of anti-
RINDERPEST.
101
Rinderpest serum, and that the difficulties which had arisen
at Muktesar would, in all probability, arise after a few years
at a second Laboratory established and worked on similar
lines as at Muktesar. Here, again, there was the danger that
the cattle supply would become exhausted, and also that Rin-
derpest might break out and eliminate the susceptibility of the
cattle in the selected district. I also expressed the opinion
that unless some method of preparing a useful serum from
Plains animals alone could be discovered the difficulty of meet-
ing the demands for serum would increase. I consequently
proposed that before any steps were taken regarding a second
Laboratory, the whole question of the future supply of
serum should be carefully considered more especially from the
following points:—
(1) To ascertain if a supply of susceptible cattle could
be obtained from any other parts of India with a view of es-
tablishing a second Laboratory and of supplementing the sup-
ply of serum from Muktesar.
(2) The possibility of working out a method of pre-
paring a sufficiently potent serum from Plains animals
alone.
(3) The prospect of maintaining in the future the output
of serum from the Muktesar Laboratory.
These suggestions met with the approval of the Inspector-
General, Civil Veterinary Department, and the Government of
India, and I was directed to proceed with certain experiments
during the cold weather at Bareilly. The report now submitted
is a statement of the results of these experiments.
Before describing in detail the experiments and their re-
sults, I may briefly explain the objects I had in view and the
lines on which the experiments were carried out.
The experiments may be considered under two headings : —
(1) Tests regarding the susceptibility of Hill and Plains
cattle from various parts of India.
(2) Improved methods of preparing serum with a view
of obtaining a potent serum by use of Plains animals alone,
102
RINDERPEST.
and of curtailing the expenditure of virulent blood in the
preparation of serum.
From my experience of the serum preparation, I am con-
vinced that any attempt to continue and extend the output
of serum by means of the extensive employment of Hill bulls
of high susceptibility will result in difficulties similar to what
have already been experienced at Muktesar. Although a cer-
tain number of animals of high susceptibility are necessary
for the maintenance of the virulence of the infective material
and for testing the potency of each brew of serum prepared,
it appeared to me from the results of some experiments I had
carried out on a small scale in 1909-10, that a serum of suffi-
cient potency for all practical purposes could be prepared by
the exclusive use of Plains animals alone, by making certain
alterations in the time and method of injection of the virulent
material. Our present system of serum preparation is based
on the results of a long series of experiments carried out by Dr.
Lingard, on the question of the most practical and economical
means of preparing an anti-Rinderpest serum of high potency.
The main conclusions arrived at from these experiments
were in brief that—
(1) The blood of highly susceptible Hill bulls supplied
an antigen. (Rinderpest virus) of much greater virulence
than that obtained from Plains cattle of lower susceptibility.
(2) That the potency of the Rinderpest anti-serum de-
pended largely on (a) the virulence of the infective material
injected, and (b) the degree of susceptibility of the serum
preparing animals which received the injection.
It may here be explained that these maxims do not apply to
the preparation of all serums. In the manufacture of tetanus
and diphtheria anti-toxins, non-virulent cultures frequently
provide the best antigen. Diphtheria anti-toxin is prepared
from the horse, an animal of low susceptibility to diphtheria.
(3) That repeated injections (two or more) of infective
material in increased amounts gave a serum of higher protec-
tive power than that resulting from a single injection.
RINDERPEST.
103
(4) That the injection of Hill virus (virulent blood obtained
from Hill bulls), to Hill bulls gave a serum of high potency;
Hill virus to Plains bulls produced a serum of much less protec-
tive power, and Plains virus to Plains bulls gave a weak serum
of little or no practical value.
(5) That the potency of the serum decreased in a variable
and irregular scale in each successive bleedings from an hyper-
immunized animal.
The routine method of preparing each brew of Rinderpest
anti-serum is based on the above conclusions. In the first
instance, the serum preparing bulls are immunized by simul-
taneous injection of virulent blood and a suitable injection
of Anti-Rinderpest serum. After a period of about three weeks
the Plains bulls receive a massive injection of from 3,000 to 6,000
c.c. of defibrinated V. B. according to their weight (about 10
c.c. per pound of body weight). Hill bulls receive, about
three weeks after they are immunized, a first injection of from
1,000 to 1,500 c.c. V. B., and after a period of two to three weeks
a second injection varying from 2,000 to 3,000 c.c. V. B.
All these bulls are bled about three weeks after the last
injection. From the hyper-immunized Hill bulls two to three
successive bleedings are taken at intervals of two to three days.
From Plains bulls six to twelve bleedings are taken at intervals
of a week. The stronger serum taken from Hill cattle is mixed
with the weaker serum obtained from Plains cattle in order to
raise the potency of the brew to a certain standard.
The standard of potency aimed at is a serum which will
protect a Hill bull of 600 lbs. body weight, at a dose of 90 c.c.
from a simultaneous injection of virulent blood. It appeared
to me that working on the following lines superior results may
be arrived at—
(1) To give one large injection at a negative phase. Under
the present routine method the serum preparing animal is first
of all immunized ; after an interval of three weeks he receives
a massive injection of defibrinated virulent blood; after a
second interval of three weeks he is again injected with a
104
RINDERPEST.
second and larger massive injection of virulent blood. Three
weeks following the second injection, he is bled for serum.
At both periods of injection the animal is at a positive phase
in reference to the Rinderpest virus, that is to say, he has formed
a large quantity of immune bodies.
By the alternate method suggested, the serum preparing
animal would be immunized as before. As soon as the critical
period of about ten days has passed, he would receive one massive
injection of virulent blood of a volume equal to that of the first
injection under the routine method. No second injection would
be given, and the animal would be bled about fourteen days
after the injection. The serum preparing animal at the period
when the single injection, is given would be in a negative phase
in reference to the Rinderpest virus, that is to say, no immune
bodies would have been formed at that time.
(2) To use for massive injection virulent blood bled direct
into a 0.5% solution of citrate of potash in place of defibrinated
virulent blood. When blood is taken direct into this solution
it does not clot. When blood is defibrinated there is a loss
of from 10 to 15% fibrin clot, in which is included a large
part of red cells. In a 0.5% solution of pot. cit. the red cells
are hæmolysed, and the injection of the diluted virus is much
more rapidly and completely absorbed than a similar volume
of defibrinated blood.
The advantages gained by this new method are:—
(a) More rapid and perfect absorption of the injection.
(b) A saving of 10 to 15% in the volume of the injection,
(c) No red cells are lost, and they are also in a state of
solution. It is stated that the Rinderpest virus is
situated mainly in the red cells. Consequently
the citrated blood contains the virus freed and
in slightly larger quantities than exist in defi-
brinated blood.
(3) To bleed for serum at an earlier period than twenty-
one days after the massive injection. The immune bodies are
present in the serum from eight to ten days after injection
RINDERPEST.
105
and fourteen days is probably the best period at which to
bleed.
For some time past, I have had considerable doubts re-
garding the correctness of all the conclusions on which our
routine methods of serum preparation are based, and several
experiments which I carried out from time to time, as oppor-
tunity arose, convinced me that both theoretically and prac-
tically the method is capable of improvement. When an ani-
mal in the process of serum preparation is being immunized
he passes through a phase of hyper-susceptibility to the
disease—" Negative phase." This is followed by a condition
of resistance to the Rinderpest virus—" Positive phase."
In the present routine the massive injections are given at
positive phases when large quantities of immune bodies are
present in the animal body. It is highly probable that an in-
teraction takes place between the virus of the first injection
and the immune bodies formed during the process of immuniza-
tion, and in a similar manner the virus of the second injection
acts on the immune bodies present in the system.
If this view, which is theoretically sound, be correct, suc-
cessive injection of the virus, lessens the quantity of immune
bodies present at the time of injection. Also, at each
injection subsequent to the immunization process, the virus
becoming united to the antibodies already formed, the reaction
between antigen and tissue cells necessary for the production
of immune bodies is lessened or annulled. In the experiments
recorded in this report, this new system has been applied in
the preparation of serum from Plains bulls and buffaloes using
these animals both for the supply of virulent material and as
serum preparing animals, and the results of our present routine
method are compared with the results of the new system.
Peritoneal Washings.—For the past two years we have
been investigating the practical utility of using peritoneal
washings as an antigen in the preparation of anti-serum.
This method originated in the Laboratory for Rinderpest serum
manufacture of the Philippine Islands. The method is briefly