20
the feeding trough of the animals, and were licked by them, and which were
in contact with their mouths and noses whenever they feed, for a period of
eight days, also failed to convey the infection.
It is evident, then, that under the most favourabe circumstances it is
scarcely possible for the infection of rinderpest to be carried by means of the
skins of animals that have died of the disease for more than a very short dis-
tance, and that it is quite impossible that Indian hides, treated in any of the
usual ways which are adopted in various parts of the country, could convey the
infection of the disease to any country outside India through the exportation
of raw untanned hides, and much more would it be impossible for those
which had been passed through the lengthy and arduous process of tanning
to so carry such infection.
34. Infection in Bones.—As there is a considerable traffic in the bones of
animals, both in the different provinces of India, and an export trade in the
same material, the question as to how long the infection of rinderpest can
remain in them required to be tested. With regard to the surface of bones of
animals which have died of rinderpest, as these will be covered with muscle and
connective tissue, the facts recorded above with regard to the skin experi-
ments will doubtless apply also to the coverings of the bones. On the other
hand, the marrow in the shafts of the long bones would appear to be better
suited for the preservation of the virus, as it was found to be still quite moist
when a bone, which had been placed in the sun daily for six weeks during the
months of January and February, was cut across, so that, although cattle
could not well come into contact with such marrow under ordinary circum-
stances, yet it seemed to be worth testing, and as the results are of great interest,
and also of some practical importance, the experiments will be briefly recorded
here.
Experiment No. IV.—A bull aged 3 years was inoculated subcutaneously
with an extract of 10 c.c. of the marrow from the shaft of the femur (thigh
bone) of an animal which had died of rinderpest 37 days before and which had
been placed daily in the sun except for a short period when snow was on the
ground. The marrow was quite moist when the bone was cut across. The
maximum temperature in the shade during the period when the bone was
exposed to the sun varied between 31° and 60°F.
Result.—The temperature, pulse and respiratory curves remained normal
for 10 days, and no symptoms appeared. The animal was subsequently inocu-
lated with virulent rinderpest blood, and contracted a typical and fatal attack
of the disease.
Experiment No. VIII.—A healthy bull was inoculated with 10 c.c.
of an extract of the bone marrow from the femur of an animal which had
died of rinderpest, and which had been placed in the sun daily for a period
of one month, during which the maximum temperature in the shade had varied
between 37° and 60° F.
Result.—The temperature began to rise on the third day, buccal vesicles
and mucopurulent discharge from the nose appeared on the fourth day,
diarrhœa and the passage of mucus on the fifth day, when the animal died, and
the diagnosis of rinderpest was confirmed by a post mortem examination.
Remarks.—This animal was located in a shed in which another animal
began to get symptoms of rinderpest the day after this one was inoculated with
the bone marrow extract, but the first rise of temperature occurred within
three days of the inoculation, and only two days after the other animal began
to be ill. It appears to be extremely likely that the disease was actually
produced by the bone marrow injection, and this probability is much strength-
ened by the further experiment recorded below.
Experiment No. XV.—A bull aged 1¾ years was inoculated subcutaneously
with 5 c.c. of an extract of the marrow from the shaft of the femur of an
animal which had died of rinderpest and which had been placed daily in the
sun for 13 days. The maximum temperature in the shade during the time
had varied between 66° and 75° F., and the minimum between 46° and 54°F.,
while maximum temperature in the sun recorded by the solar radiation
thermometer varied between 131° and 157°F.