14
(g) Tuberculine.—On October 8th, 1898, at the time of my proceeding on
sick leave, I left pure cultures of the Bacillus Mallei, Bacillus Tuberculosis and
Bacillus Tetanei ready for the preparation of the different forms of bacterial
products, used in the diagnosis and cure of certain diseases in animals ; and I
am unable to find any records bearing upon the results of the two latter pre-
parations, but there is no doubt that whatever was prepared, were destroyed
at the time of fire.
The preparation of this material in the crude form is an easy matter, but
it will be impossible to produce anything like Professor Koch's A. and R.
Tuberculine manufactured at Höchst. As is known, tubercle in the human
subject in India is of frequent occurrence, in some localities, but up to the
present, I have not met with any Veterinary Officer who has ever observed
Tuberculosis in cattle in this country.
Immediately the Laboratory building is finished, the preparation of
Mallein and other products will be taken in hand and endeavours made to
meet all requirements.
(h) Roorkee Disease.—During the past 15 years certain symptoms have
been observed in equines quartered in or passing through Roorkee ; after the
appearance of these symptoms in an animal, death frequently supervenes in
a few hours. In 1895, the Cantonment Magistrate requested me to investi-
gate the disease and discover the " materies morbi." Although I visited the
station when opportunity offered in the hope of observing the symptoms and
pathological appearances of the disease, yet in this I was unsuccessful.
The following table shows the number of cases which occurred during the
years 1895 to January 1900, and includes bazar tats as well as Officers'
chargers :—
1895 .
1896 .
1897 .
1898 .
1899 .
1900 .
Total .
January.
0
0
2
1
0
0
3
February.
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
March.
0
0
1
0
0
...
1
April.
2
3
0
0
0
...
5
May.
0
3
0
0
1
...
4
June.
1
0
1
0
0
...
2
July.
5
0
0
0
0
...
5
August.
1
1
0
0
0
...
2
September.
0
0
0
0
1
...
1
October.
4
0
1
1
1
...
7
November.
1
0
0
0
0
...
1
December.
2
0
2
0
1
...
5
Total.
16
7
7
2
4
1
37
Recovery.
5
0
6
0
2
1
14
Death.
11
7
1
2
2
0
23
It will be observed that one or more cases of the disease occurred in each
month of the year. During the first six months 16 cases or 43.25 per cent.
occurred, while in the latter half of the year 21 or 56.75 per cent. Of the total
of 37 cases, 34 or 37.84 per cent. recovered and 62.16 per cent. succumbed to
the poison or were destroyed as beyond recovery.
The symptoms noted by Honorary Lieutenant O'Connor (retired list) in
veterinary practice at Roorkee, who had attended nearly every case in the station
during ten years, were profuse discharge of saliva from the mouth, violent
contractions and spasms of the muscles of the neck at intervals of from 10 to
20 minutes (attempts at vomiting). Weakness across the loins, which appear-
ed to increase from behind forward, great desire but inability to lie down,
Profuse sweating in fatal cases only. Death in from 2 to 20 hours from the
appearance of the first symptoms.
The chief point of interest I ascertained during my visit was, that animals
on the march from Mussourie to the plains or vice versâ, might arrive on the
encamping ground and within two hours show symptoms as above described,
followed by death in 4 hours. At the same time a Dâk proprietor at the edge
of the maidán, an owner of 70 horses, had never lost a single animal from this
disease, although several had succumbed within a few hundred yards of his
stables. Such acute symptoms clearly pointed to the fodder as the means by
which the poison was carried into the system.