2
The " serum alone" method, therefore, as adopted by the Department
appears to be perfectly suited to our requirements, being easy of application,
causing little or no trouble to owners, tiding over outbreaks and preventing
spread of the disease, and reducing the mortality in a degree quite extra-
ordinary.
10. In addition to the ordinary liquid serum, 3,538 doses of serum in
powder were prepared and issued to Bengal and Burma for trial in the field.
The experiments were not very conclusive as to its efficacy compared with the
ordinary serum, but, in any case, unfortunately, it is not so well suited to our
purposes as the latter, on account of the fact that no Carbolic or other antiseptic
can be added to it and the powder must be used 24 hours after it has been made
up into solution. It is considered inadvisable to trust Veterinary Assistants in
this particular work in the field, as it requires considerable care. Notwith-
standing, therefore, the bulk and trouble in carriage, it is only in exceptional
cases, such as those in which qualified Veterinary Officers are employed,
that this dry serum can replace the ordinary liquid form as at present prepared
in the Laboratory.
11. Anthrax.—Protective serum against Anthrax was prepared during the
year. One hundred and thirty-seven thousand, three hundred and fifty-five c. c.
against 40,018 c. c. or 27,471 doses against 8,003 during last year. It will be
observed that 14,326 more doses were indented for by the Superintendents
during the year. The results of its use appear to be very good indeed. The
returns show the following :—
PROVINCE.
Madras
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
United Provinces .
.
.
.
.
.
.
Punjab and North-West Frontier Povince .
Assam .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
TOTAL
Outbreaks.
103
70
12
2
187
No. of
cattle
inoculated.
12,437
4,602
2,124
124
19,287
No. died
after
inoculation.
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
Thus, it will be seen that in 187 outbreaks, 19,287 animals were inoculated
against Anthrax without a single death.
12. Hæmorrhagic Septiœmia.—A serum has been prepared during the
year, and 3,133 doses have been issued for trial in the field.
13. Mallein.—This material has been prepared for the first time in the
Laboratory, and 1,514 doses made up and tested and 675 doses issued. In
addition, 563 doses of English and 170 of French, were issued.
14. Dr. Lingard's observations on the decrease in virulence of Rinderpest
when passed from animal to animal through a long series of hill cattle, are
interesting, as showing the great care necessary in ascertaining that blood
used for testing is as virulent as possible. The virus of disease varies in its
behaviour, some becoming more virulent when passed through a succession of
susceptible animals, others losing virulence when so treated. Rinderpest,
apparently, belongs to the latter, and the necessity for obtaining fresh virulent
material in order to ensure the potency of the serum prepared is very great.
As Dr. Lingard remarks, the discovery is of importance and great care will be
exercised in the selection of the material used in future.
15. Experiments in regard to the susceptibility of camels to rinderpest,
were also undertaken. It has been proved some years ago that the disease was
inoculable to camels in Russia, and the experiments conducted at the Labora-
tory with Indian camels are valuable. They show that the inoculated disease
does not, as a rule, produce very serious results in this animal.
16. Experiments regarding the possibility of conferring immunity against
Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia were undertaken, and Dr. Lingard has succeeded in
producing a serum from hyper-immunized bovines and buffaloes which has, in
Laboratory experiments, proved capable of accomplishing this. He has pre-
pared 3,133 doses of this material which is now being tested in the field and, it
is hoped, will be found efficient. This disease causes very heavy annual losses
and anything which tends to decrease it will be much valued by the people.