NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
26
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE IMPL. INST. OF VETY. RESEARCH,
were found infested, the maximum number of warble-grubs recovered
from a single bull being eleven. Between 27th February and 13th
April 1931 about 130 bulls were examined, all with negative results.
This work, as also observations on the bionomics of the larvae, is being
continued.
Through the courtesy of Mr. P. N. Nanda, Assistant Superinten-
dent, Hissar Cattle Farm, two consignments of warble grubs recovered
from Chinkara (Gazella bennetti) at Hissar were made available for
study at this Institute during the year.
(4) Pathological conditions.
(a) On analogy with the known transmissibility of papillomata of
the buccal mucous membrane of the dog, Mr. Malkani transplanted a
papillomatous growth removed from the under surface of the tongue of
a bull at Muktesar into the tongues of other cattle. Some evidence was
obtained that such growths may be transmissible also, but the work
requires repeating before any definite conclusion is arrived at.
(b) The occurrence of Teratomatous growths in connection with the
eyeballs of new-born calves at the Military Dairy Farm, Quetta, was
again brought to our notice during this year. An examination of simi-
lar specimens sent from the farm in 1924 had previously been made at
Muktesar, when it was diagnosed to be Atresia palpebrarum, and
thought to be definitely heriditary in origin.
(5) Mineral deficiency.—An analysis of representative samples of
grass and hay fed to animals at Muktesar revealed a surprisingly low
calcium content in the bulk of the fodder, and this result lead to the
planning of a series of experiments, which are still in hand, with a view
to determining if improved body condition, stamina and particularly
milk yields could be effected in the Muktesar Dairy and Experimental
Herds by supplementing the deficiency by the feeding of bone-meal.
XII.—SHEEP AND GOAT DISEASES.
(1) Caseous lymphadenitis in sheep.—Mr. Naik discovered this con-
dition in a sheep breeding farm in the Punjab during a tour made by him.
A study of the statistics of mortality apparently due very largely to this
disease revealed an extremely grave position, jeopardising the con-
tinuance of breeding in the flock. He obtained the casual organism,
the Preiz-Nocard bacillus, in pure culture from the lesions.
(2) Abortion in Goats.—The investigation of an epizootic of abor-
tion among goats at the Hissar Cattle Farm referred to in last year's
report was continued by Mr. Naik upon a large amount of material
sent to this Institute. During the year he visited the farm also in order
to study the disease on the spot, and to obtain more satisfactory materia1
to work upon. He succeeded in isolating a strain of Brucella melitensis,
which appears to be the causal organism, as indicated also from the,
MUKTESAR, FOR THE YEAR ENDING THE 31ST MARCH, 1931. 27
results of a large number of agglutination tests carried out with samples
of serum from affected animals.
(3) " Phet " or "Pitto " disease in Sind.—This condition referred
to in the last year's report was again brought to our notice when we
were asked to send a research officer to investigate it on the spot, but,
unfortunately, owing to shortage of staff no action could be taken to
continue this interesting study.
(4) " Athela " in transport goats.—Again, also owing to shortage
of staff, it was impossible to take up this extremely important investiga¬
tion, which is also referred to in last year's report.
XIII—EQUINE DISEASES.
(1) Strangles.—The results of the application of control measures in
Army Remount Depots during the season 1929-30 became known
during the year. Although the use of Tryparsamide is reported upon
favourably by the Veterinary officers concerned, Besredka's anti-
virus prepared and issued from this Institute as noted in last year's
report definitely failed when given intravenously. A further trial of
this product is, however, being made at Mona Remount Depot during
the present strangles " season ", using it for intra-tracheal injection at
the suggestion of Major T. F. Arnold, R. A. V. C., and the results are
awaited.
(2) " Paddock Fever ".—The use of an anatoxin prepared at this
Institute from strains of the so-called Bacillus X, mentioned in last
year's report, failed to show any beneficial results in the control of this
disease.
(3) Glanders.—Work was continued mainly in connection with
Mallein production with the assistance of Messrs. Naik and Keiller.
(a) The study of an atypical strain of B. mallei, referred to in last
year's report, was continued by Mr. Naik. The main difference
between this strain and typical ones available for comparative study, is
that in bulk cultures used for the production of mallein it reveals a
growth resembling rather closely B. Whitmori. In subculture from
this atypical growth taken from the bulk culture, the same characters
were retained at the outset, but by repeated subculture in small tubes
quite typical B. mallei characters were again assumed after 12 subino¬
culations in 20 days.
(b) Two new and typical strains of B. mallei were isolated by Mr.
Naik from material sent to the Institute. It became evident during the
year that mallein of maximum potency can be manufactured from such
freshly isolated strains and that strains kept for a number of years in
artificial culture, even when regularly passaged through guinea pigs, are
probably unsuitable for mallein production.
(c) Mr. Keiller carried out the production of an unheated mallein for
comparative tests with mallein prepared by the routine method, where
the growth is autoclaved before filtration. The unheated mallein,
however, was not in any way superior to the routine " brews ". It was
D
28 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE IMPL. INST. OF VETY. RESEARCH,
found that the organisms were effectively killed even in two-litre flasks
by the addition alone of 0.5 per cent. carbolic acid.
(d) The maintenance of ponies infected with glanders suitable for
potency tests upon mallein has been the subject of much research during
the last two years. It has been found that the most suitable method
of infection consists in the intravenous injection of a small dose of
living culture of B. mallei, although as many as 20 per cent. of the
ponies may die before they can be used. Infection by rubbing living
cultures into the scarified skin of the nostrils of ponies is also a suitable
method, but it leads to "open " infected lesions in many cases, which is
obviously objectionable.
(4) Equine Contagious Abortion—
(a) Work upon this condition was continued as in previous years by
Mr. Naik consisting of agglutination tests for diagnosis, cultural ex-
aminations of material sent from aborted foetuses, and the collection of
statistics. Three strains of B. abortive-equinus were isolated from
sixteen foetuses examined during the year.
(b) Work was also taken up by Mr. Naik to study other organisms
obtained in culture, namely, a strain of Bacillus coli and certain
Streptococci, with a view to determining their etiological significance, if
any. This work is still in progress.
(c) History of Imported Stallions.—An attempt is being made to
follow the history of certain stallions imported into this country for
breeding purposes. The animals consist of three donkey stallions which
arrived in 1930 and twelve which arrived in 1931, all imported from
America. The study consists in submitting samples of serum obtained
from them at regular (one or two months) intervals to agglutination
tests against B. abortivo-equinus. The results already indicate that the
stallions arrived here apparently free from the infection, as indicated by
negative results given at the first tests, but that some of them showed a
fairly high titre of agglutination within two months after arrival in
India, while the titre in others is increasing only very slowly. The
study is being continued.
(5) Equine Piroplasmosis.—A larger number of blood smears than in
previous years has been examined from cases of Biliary fever in equines.
The bulk of the specimens were received from Jhansi and examination
of 96 smears showed Nuttalia equi in 40 of them and Babesia, caballi
in only three cases. No cases of mixed infection were detected during
the year.
XIV CANINE DISEASES.
(1) Piroplasmosis or " Tick Fever ".—The most important research
work upon disease conditions in these animals taken up during the year
was the study of the transmission of Piroplasma gibsoni by Mr. Sen
assisted by Mr. Krishna Iyer. Mr. Sen's report is reproduced in original
below :—
30
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE IMPL. INST. OF VETY. RESEARCH,
XV.—FOWL DISEASES.
(1) Avian Distemper.—Kerr (P. J.) in his Annual Report of the
Civil Veterinary Department in Bengal for the year 1928-29 referred to
outbreaks of disease among poultry, which were undoubtedly due to the
disease previously referred to in our reports as " Ranikhet disease",
under the name Avian Distemper. In view of a number of features
that are common to this disease of fowls and to the well-known disease
Distemper of dogs, it appears to be a remarkably apt and descriptive
name by which the disease should be known in future. The diseases
of both fowls and dogs are due to a filter-passing virus, are highly infec-
tive, and are characterised by marked respiratory symptoms accompanied
by discharges followed by nervous complications. Confusion has
already occurred in some published work on this condition in fowls, due
to the use of such names for it as " Avian pest " and " Pseudo-Fowl-
pest" which are similar to a quite different and already well-known
disease of fowls, namely, Fowl Plague. This confusion is likely to
increase in future unless one name can be adopted by all workers for the
relatively new disease, and the name Avian Distemper is now suggested
for universal use in future.
Work upon the disease was continued intensively at Muktesar
during the year, mainly in collaboration with Mr. Menon, and the
following new observations are worthy of report:—
(a) A new strain of virus was received from Java where the
disease has been called "Pseudo fowl-pest" by Picard
(1928). Complete experimental tests carried out proved
it to be similar to the Indian, English and Philippine
strains previously studied, with which it is certainly
immunologically identical.
(b) A new strain of the Indian virus was also obtained from
Kodaikanal in South India, which behaved in an exactly
similar manner to the previous Indian strains used when
injected into healthy fowls at Muktesar.
(c) Each of the four strains of virus proved to be highly virulent
for Indian green parroquets (Psittacula krameri, Scop),
and for pigeons, but, although occasionally geese and
ducks became affected by artificial inoculation and the
virus could be recovered from them, these birds were
found to be relatively highly resistant.
(d) Confirmation that crows are highly susceptible to the Indian
virus was obtained during the year when upon two occa-
sions healthy crows were captured at Muktesar. Both of
them died within 4 days after having received an injec-
tion of virus, and material taken post-mortem in each
case proved fully virulent for fowls. Further, a crow
that was obviously ill was also captured at Muktesar, and
material taken from it set up Avian Distemper upon
inoculation into healthy fowls,
MUKTESAR, FOR THE YEAR ENDING THE 31ST MARCH, 1931.
31
(e) A number of serum tests were carried out during the year,
which proved that an anti-serum could be produced from
fowls using each of the strains, and each serum was pro-
tective against all the four viruses. Attempts to produce
serum from geese and ducks, however, failed.
(2) Fowl Typhoid.—Investigation of an outbreak among a flock
of fowls privately owned at Bhowali in the Kumaun Hills revealed
that it was due to a disease, Fowl Typhoid, which has not previously
been reported to exist in India. The causal organism, Salmonella
gallinarum, was isolated in culture and was studied by Mr. Naik and
it was shown to be serologically identical with strains of S. gallinarum
and S. pullorum obtained from England.
A vaccine prepared from the organism, failed to protect fowls
against an injection of the living organism, but since fowls which had
passed through the outbreak and recovered also died when given the
same living virus, it is probable that the virulence of the organism
when injected artificially was so great as to overcome the immunity set
up, and it is possible that a similar vaccine might still prove to be of
value in the scene of natural outbreaks of the disease.
XVI.—ENTOMOLOGY.
In addition to the survey in connection with the Warble Fly Pest
referred to above, Mr. Sen continued his observations upon the follow-
ing entomological problems:—
(a) The Role of Blood in Ovulation in Culicidae.—A fairly
extensive series of experiments were carried out on the
effect of some of the blood constituents and also of cer-
tain types of food in ovulation, and these will form the
subject of a detailed paper when definite results have
been obtained.
(b) Bionomics of certain local species of Tabanidae.—In this
connection the young stages of an undetermined species
of Tabanus were bred and figured.
(c) Oak defoliators. —Work undertaken for the Forest Entomo-
logist, Dehra Dun, upon insects responsible for extensive
damage to the trees in the Muktesar Reserved Forest is
being continued. Numerous specimens of moths and
parasitic Diptera have been bred out from materials col-
lected from the bases of affected trees, whilst systematic
notes have been maintained from month to mouth of the
habitat of the pupae and the nature of the soil cover in
infested localities.
(d) A number of interesting specimens of ticks, mites and
biting flies have been identified and added to the Insti-
tute collections.
32
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE IMPL. INST. OF VETY. RESEARCH,
XVII.—MISCELLANEOUS
CONDITIONS.
(1) Toxicity of Greenland Cryolite.—The suitability of sodium
fluosilicate for employment in the destruction of locusts in the field
having been proved, as the result of the experimental work carried out
previously and referred to in last year's Annual Report, at the request
of the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research a sample of Green-
land Cryolite, a fluoride of aluminium and sodium which occurs in
natural deposits on the coast of Greenland, was submitted to similar
toxicity tests upon animals at Muktesar under the supervision of Mr.
P. C. Banerji. Whereas sodium fluosilicate had been proved definitely
toxic in half ounce doses when drenched to. hill cattle, Greenland
Cyrolite caused no evidence of toxicity whatever in hill cattle or
buffaloes at the relatively enormous dose of one pound. No grazing
experiment was therefore deemed necessary.
(2) Spirochaete infection of guinea pigs.—A strain of spirochaetes
in guinea pigs was sent to us for study by the Principal of the Punjab
Veterinary College, Lahore. The history of the infection was that a
sample of Ornithodorus crossi used by Cross in his experiments upon
the transmission of Surra in animals by means of these ticks, had
been fed upon guinea pigs at Lahore with a view to testing their
infectivity with T. evansi, the causal organism of Surra. Although
T. evansi failed to appear in the guinea pigs, spirochaetes were detected
in their blood. The spirochaete was studied by Mr. Naik, who con-
sidered it to be identical with Spironema theileri. It was transmissible
to rabbits and dogs in addition to guinea pigs, but not to horses or
fowls. No evidence of disease occurred in any of the infected animals.
(3) Identification of Indian Leeches—Eight specimens of leeches
in the collection at this Institute, including six removed from hill
cattle, (three from the nostril, two from the trachea and one from a
bronchus) and one each from the nostrils of a man and a horse, were
identified for us by Dr. Percy Moore, the leading American authority
on the subject, through the courtesy of the Director of the Zoological
Survey of India, Calcutta. All of the specimens proved to be Dinob-
della ferox (Blanchard).
XVIII.—ROUTINE EXAMINATIONS.
(1) Outside specimens.—Altogether 923 specimens were received
in 463 consignments from outside sources, representing another very
large increase, Last year 553 specimens in 276 consignments were
received.
(2) Post-mortem examinations.—A total of 2,078examinations were
made against 2,428performed during the previous year. The species
of animals included :—
Cattle
Equines
Goats
Sheep
Dogs
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
869
17
485
7
5
Rabbits
.
.
Guinea pigs
.
.
Poultry and other birds
Others
.
..
.
.
265
180
244
16
MUKTESAR, FOR THE YEAR ENDING THE 31ST MARCH, 1931.
33
Etiological diagnosis arrived at included Rinderpest in 920 cattle
and goats, or nearly 68 per cent. of the total number; "Redwater"
(B. bigemina) in 64 cases or nearly 7 per cent. of the cattle, and
Bovine Coccidiosis in 83 cases or over 9 per cent. of the cattle. Both
the last named diseases occurred almost entirely as complicating affec-
tions resuscitated by Rinderpest. It has already been mentioned above
that 495 or nearly 24 per cent. of all animals were found with pneu-
monia post-mortem.
(3) Routine Paethology.—Other routine examinations made in the
Pathological Section included:—
Outside specimens
Urine test
Skin scrapings
.
.
.
Faecal examinations for worms
Rectal smears
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. .
. . .
.
Total
.
.
.
.
.
.
109
718
33
2,225
23
3,108
(4) Routine Bacteriology.—Routine work in the Bacteriological and
Biochemical Sections included:—
(a) Maintenance of nearly 200 stock cultures.
(b) Special vaccines prepared for issue :
Bovine abortion
..
Equine „
.
.
Bovine mastitis
..
Mixed anti-streptococcic
Rabbit septicaemia .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Total
.
.
.
.
.
.
74 doses.
200 „
18 „
234 „
1,200 „
1,726 „
(c) Other examinations:
Agglutination tests
.
Rinderpest virus, sterility tests
Sera and vaccine, bacterial counts
Smears from outside sources .
Tissues „ „
„
.
pH estimations upon sera
.
Mineral poisoning
. .
Miscellaneous
. . .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Total
226
196
129
134
58
99
4
11
857
(5) Routine Protozoology.—Owing largely to the formation of a
Protozoological Section in a separate laboratory under the charge of
Mr. Sen assisted by Mr. Krishna Iyer, no fewer than 15,809 blood
smear examinations from animals within the Institute were made
during the year, or more than double the number reported last year,
which was 7,067. This number included 11,252 from cattle, including
buffaloes, and Theileria mutans was found present in 3,690 or nearly
24 per cent. and Babesia bigemina in 738 or just over 6.5 per cent.
34
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE IMPL. INST. OF VETY. RESEARCH,
REPORT OF THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR, IMPERIAL
VETERINARY SERUM INSTITUTE, IZATNAGAR.
(MR. J. D'COSTA, G.B.V.C., Temporary.)
I.—SUPPLIES.
(1) Fodder.-During the year 11,883 mds. of grain and 26,813
mds. of fodder were consumed by the Institute animals as compared
with 9,769 mds. of grain and 38,120 mds. of fodder in the previous
year.
(2) Fuel.—2,910 mds. of fuel were consumed during the year as
against 2,951 mds. in the previous year. The fuel was supplied by
the grain contractors and the supply was satisfactory.
(3) Animals.—During the year under report the following animals
were purchased for or transferred to Muktesar:—
Buffaloes
Ponies
Rabbits
Guinea pigs
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
17
10
84
207
Out of 1,872 buffaloes purchased during the year, 1,869 of them
and 78 from the balance of last year were used for the manufacture of
Anti-Rinderpest serum, as against 2,082 in the previous year, and
following the usual practice, 217 of these were afterwards used for
Haemorrhagic Septicaemia serum against 372 in the previous year.
The mortality among buffaloes in the course of Anti-Rinderpest serum
production was 3.8 per cent. against 10.8 per cent. in the last year,
and in the course of subsequent Anti-Haemorrhagic Septicaemia serum
production it was 4.9 per cent. against 12.3 per cent. in 1929-30.
For the manufacture of Anti-Blackquarter serum 57 buffaloes
discontinued from other work were used against 49 buffaloes in the
previous year.
Most of the large buffaloes were purchased departmentally from
local cattle fairs. A supply of healthy buffaloes in addition to
departmental purchases was also obtained from local dealers towards
the end of the year under review.
The local cattle fairs were inspected periodically by the Veterinary
Deputy Superintendent and Deputy Director in order to examine the
prevailing conditions there and the general market rates of animals
brought for sale and also to supervise the purchases made by the
Dressers.
The average cost of buffaloes purchased departmentally was
Rs. 32-4-0 per head including feed and keep en route, in comparison
with Rs. 29-8-3 in the previous year.
MUKTESAR, FOR THE YEAR ENDING THE 31ST MARCH, 1931.
35
In addition 310 buffalo calves were purchased at Rs. 8 per head
from the Government Lymph Depot, Patwa Dangar, for the manu-
facture of Blackquarter Aggressin against 418 obtained from this
source in the previous year.
After completing the period of productive yield 1,898 buffaloes
were sold at an average price of Rs. 16-4-3 against Rs. 14-10-0 in the
previous year.
104 buffaloes discontinued from serum-making were transferred
from the Veterinary Section to the Farm Section for cultivation.
Two buffaloes declared to be the stolen property were handed over
to the police and their cost was recovered.
60 plains bulls were purchased for Anti-Rinderpest serum testing
and 458 bulls—454 hill bulls for Blackquarter Aggressin and 4 cross-
bred bulls for cultivation—were transferred from Muktesar.
53 plains bulls discontinued from serum testing were sold for
Rs. 1,580 during the year.
II.—LABOUR.
The average daily number of coolies and gwallas employed was 253
as compared with 301 in the previous year, and of these 108 were em-
ployed on cultivation. Out of 9 dotiyals on the Muster Roll of the
Veterinary Section on 1st April 1930, three were discharged during the
year and the vacancies were filled up by local recruitment. The health
of the menial staff was good throughout the year. The average daily
number of sick was 85 against 1 in the previous year.
III.—CULTIVATION.
During the year under report 361.31 acres were sown for the kharif
crop and 83.89 acres for the rabi crop, as compared with 300 acres for
the kharif crop and 96 acres for the rabi crop in the previous year.
The total income from the Farm was Rs. 33,368-3-5 as compared
with Rs. 24,437-13-0 in the previous year and the expenditure was
Rs. 39,550-12-7 as against Rs 38,275-8-10 in the previous year.
This shows a loss of Rs. 6,182-9-2 as against one of Rs. 13,837-11-10
in the previous year, and the loss may again be ascribed mainly to the
unsatisfactory supply of canal water, as well as to partial failure of the
rains.
About 40 acres of land were irrigated with Sarda canal water
through a new 'gul', which was constructed during the year, but the re-
sult so far has been unsatisfactory owing to the villagers cutting outlet,
on the way, and this 'gul' being at the tail end of the distributory,
so that the supply is very small. Arrangements are being made to
obtain a larger supply of water in future.
The breeding of guinea pigs and rabbits was discontinued and the
stock of these animals was either sold or transferred to Muktesar.