42 REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE OF VETERINARY RESEARCH,
Cross-bred
European, Pusa
European, Bangalore .
European, Lucknow .
European, Kirkee
Number
12
8
2
4
Source
Imperial Agriculturist Pusa
Imperial Dairy Expert, Bangalore.
Manager, Government Military Dairy,
Lucknow.
Government Military Dairy, Kirkee,
Experimental inoculation of individuals from each breed commenced on 2nd October
1924 and finished on 21st December 1924.
The crude results of the experiment were :—
A. Indian indigenous calves.
I. Number died of tuberculosis within a 90-day period of observation—93 (namely,
(i) generalized tuberculosis, slight, 50, (ii) generalized tuberculosis, moderate,
32, (iii) generalized tuberculosis, severe, 11).
II. Number survived above observation period, and then sacrificed for post-mortem
examination—48 (namely, (i) localized tuberculosis, 6, (ii) slight tuberculosis,
38, (iii) retrogressive tuberculosis, 4).
B. Calves with very large admixture of European blood.
I. Number died of tuberculosis within a 90-day period of observation—4 (namely,
(i) generalized tuberculosis, slight, 1, (ii) generalized tuberculosis moderate,
1, (iii) generalized tuberculosis, severe, 2).
II. Number survived above observation period, and then sacrificed for post-mortem
examination, 11 (namely, (i) localized tuberculosis, 2, (ii) slight tuberculosis,
8, (iii) retrogressive tuberculosis, 1).
Considerations of space preclude a further analysis of the results in this brief Report,
and these will be presented in full in Dr. Soparkar's memoir later. However the results
as depicted above are curious. In the first place, it may be stated that the indigenous
breeds do not possess more resistance towards tuberculosis than do cattle containing a
very large admixture (½ to 7/8) of European blood. But, again, the cattle seemed to dis-
play a relatively considerable resistance towards a dose of virus estimated to be sufficient
to overwhelm calves of European origin within the limits of the observation period noted
above. About the highest degree of resistance of all was displayed by a batch of four
young calves with a very large admixture of European blood obtained from the Govern-
ment Military Dairy, Kirkee, and it may be perhaps not irrelevant to state that Johne's
disease has prevailed somewhat intensely at this Dairy.
No appreciably higher degree of resistance was noted in the buffalo groups.
Frequent opportunities were obtained for applying the various systems of tuberculin
testing to the calves, maintained under Indian conditions, and the results of the tests
will be detailed later.
Subsequently, groups of calves, both cow and buffalo, were tested by Dr. Soparkar
by inoculation with (i) tubercle bacilli of human type, (ii) tubercle bacilli of avian type,
(iii) bovine tubercle bacilli grown for some months on the surface of broth in the manner
in which SHEATHER had employed them for comparative tests of susceptibility at the
Institute, and (iv) two strains of tubercle bacilli isolated from localized natural lesions
in Indian cattle at the Cawnpore Slaughterhouse. The cattle displayed the same high
resistance towards the human and avain types as is exhibited by European cattle. They
showed also an apparently high resistance to the old bovine culture grown on broth, due
to the large destruction in organisms that had taken place in the culture with age. The
two Indian bovine strains proved to be quiet as virulent as the British strain that had been
used for tests.