3
(c) to protect animals against Rinderpest by the subcutaneous injection
of bile, and other modified processes.
A full report was submitted under my covering letter No. 115, dated
Muktesar, August 5th, 1897.
Embodying the various prophylactic measures adopted by Professor Koch—
as far as they have been worked out—with a view to determine whether his
methods applied in South Africa to protect animals against the above disease
would prove equally efficacious in protecting Indian cattle.
9. As a result of some 22 Experimental inoculations, it was pointed out in
the above report that the virulent Rinderpest blood which at first produced
death in the usual time and accompanied by well marked symptoms of the
disease, when inoculated into other animals, gradually lost its power of repro-
ducing Rinderpest, and finally became so attenuated that it almost failed to re-
produce any symptoms at all.
10. As Professor Koch had received instructions from his Imperial Govern-
ment to at once proceed to German East Africa, his visit to Muktesar terminated
therefore, somewhat prematurely on June 15th. At his request, however, a
report embodying the results of the above Experiments, was forwarded to him
at the beginning of August.
11. In consequence of the Experiments having come to a standstill for
want of virulent Rinderpest material, and being single-handed at the Labora-
tory, I applied to Government (letter No. 83, dated July 8th, 1897) that I
might be supplied with necessary material, according to Revenue and Agri-
culture Circular No. 26—133, dated 4th July 1893.
12. On July 20th, 1897, Veterinary-Captain W. D. Gunn, Assistant to the
Inspector General, was detailed to visit the seat of an outbreak of the disease
and collect the necessary blood; and on August 16th, this officer arrived at
Kathgodam and handed over one flask containing 300 or 400 c.c. of blood to
my representative, who forthwith proceeded to the Laboratory, where he arrived
at 7 P.M. on the 17th in rain accompanied by thick fog. Unfortunately, there-
fore, we were unable to throw and inoculate the animals that night. On the
following morning the 18th, two bullocks (plains' animals) were inoculated
with 10 c.c. and 8 c.c. of blood respectively; but no rise in temperature or
symptom of Rinderpest followed durirg the next 21 days.
13. From this it will be observed that between July 8th and my call to
Simla on September 26th, no Rinderpest Experiments were proceeding for want
of virulent material. During this interval, however, the following reports
were submitted to Government:—
(i) Preliminary Note on Rinderpest, dated 5th August;
(ii) Letter submitting details of further requirements for the Laboratory,
dated 5th August;
(iii) Annual Report for the year 1896-97, dated 31st August;
and a report dealing with the results of Rinderpest Experiments inaugurated
by Professor Koch sent to that officer in German East Africa.
In addition to the above, the preparation of Surra, Volume II, for publica-
tion was proceeded with. At the beginning of 1898, the complete manuscript,
etc., was handed to the Superintendent, Government Central Press, Bombay.
The appendices and charts are now ready, and after the report proper is in
print, its publication should be the work of a few weeks.
14. On the 28th August, a letter was sent to the Inspector General, inform-
ing him that two bulls were inoculated on the 18th August, with the blood
supplied by Veterinary-Captain Gunn, but up to the present time (10 days)
no symptoms of Rinderpest have supervened. Further daily reports of severe
outbreaks of Rinderpest in the North-Western Provinces and Punjab were
asked for, so that the Imperial Bacteriologist might visit the locality and obtain
blood.