14
If this experience is confirmed in future outbreaks, the method here adop-
ted—of using a large enough dose of serum to prevent the animals being made
markedly ill, and yet obtaining a sufficient degree of immunity for all practical
purposes,—will be of very great value in India, especially as the dose used was
only about 20 c.c. on the average, and the immunity is produced within a very
few days. It is worthy of note that on my revisiting this village I found the
people so pleased with the result of the inoculations that they brought up some
more cattle to be operated on, showing they were impressed with the value of
the method.
In another village the disease was found to be on the decline, and only five
animals were reported to have died of it. In one herd of seven animals, however,
two were found to be affected, and with the consent of their owner the five
healthy ones were inoculated. When the village was revisited about a week later
none of these inoculated animals had been attacked by the affection, and they
also should be protected by this time. As they were exposed to infection the
whole time from the two diseased animals, which remained with them, it is prob-
able that some at least of them were saved from the disease by the inoculation.
In addition to the above, two animals, which were in the early stages of the
disease, were inoculated with a considerable dose of the serum as a curative
measure, and both recovered, the owners saying that the improvement set in one
day after the dose in one animal and two days after in the other. This curative
serum treatment will be more fully tested shortly when a larger quantity of the
fluid is available„ but it must be remembered that it is only of service in the
early stages of the disease, and as with the same dose that is required for the
treatment of one case in this way, some ten animals may be protected by the
simultaneous method of inoculation, there is a very definite limit to the use of
the serum in this way owing to the great difficulty in making it on a suffi-
ciently considerable scale for extensive use in such large doses.
28. Conclusion.—It will be seen from the above notes that considerable
progress has been made in testing the various methods of inoculation against
rinderpest, and although a good deal of work remains to be done on the subject,
the experiments promise to lead to the adoption of a practical method of
diminishing very materially the great mortality from rinderpest in this
country, when once a final decision is come to and a sufficient organisation
is obtained to put into practice the invaluable methods for which we are
indebted to South African workers.
Report on the duration of the infection in the skins and bones of
animals that have died of rinderpest.
29. Methods of curing hides in different parts of India.—Before
examining into the question of the duration of the infection in rinderpest
hides and the danger of such infection being carried in the skins of animals
that had died of the disease from one part of the country to another, or possibly
from India to other countries, through the export of cured or tanned hides, it
was necessary to know the way in which such skins are treated in different
parts of the country preparatory to being taken to towns where they are
tanned or from which they are exported with or without further treatment.
For the following information on this head I am indebted to Dr. Watts, the
Reporter on Economic Products to the Government of India, who very kindly
made inquiries for me from the different Chambers of Commerce and the
principle dealers in hides, and sent me copies of their replies.
As it seemed very likely, if not absolutely certain, that the process of
tanning would destroy the infection of rinderpest, it was decided to first test
the various methods of drying and curing hides, for, if these were sufficient to
destroy the infection within a reasonable period, then it would be quite certain
that tanning would also render them inocuous, and further inquiry would be
unnecessary.
The processes of curing the hides of cattle and buffaloes, with which only
we are concerned, appear to be much the same all over India, and are three in
number:—
(1) Simple drying of the skins, usually in the sun, but in the rainy season
they may have to be dried in the shade.