NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
2
REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE OF VETERINARY RESEARCH,.
The total number of doses of anti-rinderpest serum manufactured dur-
ing the year was 71,41,301, of which 67,44,183 were made at Izatnagar.
A feature of special interest was the manufacture of 5,33,500 doses.
of a highly potent anti-rinderpest serum for the Mysore State, who under-
took the active immunization of cattle against rinderpest on a large scale
during the year.
Approximately 45,000 c. c. of rinderpest virus for the active immuni-
zation of cattle against this disease were despatched from Muktesar by
post during the year, the largest consumers being the Izatnagar Branch
Laboratory, Mysore State, and the Military Department.
Stocks of both the anti-serum and vaccine used in the prophylaxis
of hæmorrhagic septicæmia were manufactured on a large scale to meet
the demands.
As a result of further researches, a large quantity of the new, safe,
and efficacious product known as blackquarter aggressin was made to-
wards the end of the year, and there has already been a considerable
demand for it.
The demand for mallein and tuberculin, particularly avian tuberculin,
remained high. Research work directed towards the standardization
of mallein has been undertaken.
III. RESEARCH.
The Institute was very short-handed during the year for the prosecu-
tion of research. The schemes for the additional staffing of the Insti-
tute in this respect, submitted to Government in August 1925, had not
materialized by the close of the year. Moreover, the extraordinary
demands for the routine products of the Institute absorbed most of the
time and energy of the available staff.
Rinderpest. Experiments were continued amongst the animals of the
experimental half-bred herd regarding the duration of immunity follow-
ing upon the active immunization of cattle against rinderpest, and de-
finite results have been obtained as a result of three years' observations.
Experiments were continued also regarding the role played by insects
in the transmission of rinderpest, and a Memoir on this work, prepared
by Mr. S. K. Sen. Assistant to the Imperial Entomologist, Pusa, who was
lent to this Institute for the purpose, is now in the press.
In conjunction with Mr. Haddow at Izatnagar and Mr. D'Costa at
Muktesar, accurate information was obtained concerning the periods
during which serum-producers are capable of yielding a potent anti-
serum and the gradation in potency of the serum during the period of
profitable yield.
Hæmorrhagic septicæmia. Research upon the factors that govern the
maintenance of antigenic properties in the virus, and upon certain ad-
ditional points of information required in serum manufacture were con-
tinued with the result that the routine manufacture of anti-hæmorrhagic
septicæmia serum is now a very simple matter.
MUKTESAR, FOR THE YEAR ENDING THE 31 ST MARCH, 1926
3
Anthrax. A considerable amount of research work was done upon
the methods of vaccinating different classes of animals in India, and an
investigation of the most suitable methods of anti-serum manufacture
has effected considerable economy in the production of this serum.
Blackquarter in cattle. Some work was done in ascertaining the types
of organism responsible for this affection in India, by comparison of the
strains obtained from the field with standard types received from
Europe. It would seem that the type commonly responsible for actual
outbreaks in India is Bacillus chauvœi, while the so-called malignant
œdema types, notably Vibrion septique, are not infrequently the cause of
sporadic cases of the disease.
Contagious bovine abortion. Mr. Edwards made this important disease
the subject of his especial study, and investigated different types of the
causal organism isolated from numerous herds in India in which the
affection is present. His results will, no doubt, be published separately
in due course.
Contagious equine abortion. Researches upon this common affection
in some of the most inportant breeding studs in India were continued.
Numerous samples of sera were tested by means of the agglutination
test, and a considerable amount of advice was offered concerning the con-
trol of the disease.
Coccidiosis in cattle. This protozoon condition was the subject of
continued investigation by Mr. Cooper. Most of his work was directed
towards the factors that govern the resuscitation of this parasite in ani-
mals harbouring it, and his results will be published in due course.
Piroplasmosis. Mr. Cooper was also engaged in the question of the
resuscitation of this parasite, particularly in animals suffering from
rinderpest. His results will be of particular interest to those engaged
in the active immunization of cattle against the last named disease.
Tuberculosis. Researches upon the problems of tuberculosis affect-
ing animals in India were continued mainly in the hands of Dr. M. B.
Soparkar, who has been deputed to the Institute by the Indian Research
Fund Association for the purpose. Experiments upon a large scale re-
garding the relative susceptibility of Indian milch cattle and various
breeds to tuberculosis about which reference was made in the previous
report, were completed, and a paper upon the subject has recently been
published in the " Indian Journal of Medical Research."
Reference was also made in the previous report to the great resistance
similar to that shown by European cattle, displayed by Indian animals,
both cattle and buffaloes, towards infection by the human and avian
tubercle bacilli introduced subcutaneously. Further experiments in
connection with this, and also regarding the effect of avian tubercle
bacilli when administered by the intravenous route, are in progress.
The different methods of applying the tuberculin test in cattle were
studied during the year, and the work is being repeated with proper con-
trols.
MUKTESAR, FOR THE YEAR ENDING THE 31ST MARCH,
1926
5
amongst hill bulls in the outkraals of this Institute. At Izatnagar
Mr. Haddow undertook some researches upon the control of the bacterial
contamination of serum, the control of piroplasmosis and trypanoso-
miasis in buffalo serum-producers, and the incidence of distomiasis in
buffaloes.
A paper entitled " On the occurrence of Isospora and Balantidium
in Cattle " by Messrs. Cooper and Amar Nath,and two papers entitled
" Experiments on Treatment of Hookworms in Dogs " and " On the oc-
currence of a Lung Fluke Paragonimus edwardsi, n. sp. in a Wild Cat
(Palm Civet) in Kumaon Hills " by Mr. Amar Nath, were sent for publi-
cation during the year.
IV. INSTRUCTION.
The two years' course arranged for Mr. Krishnamurthi, Professor
of Pathology at the Madras Veterinary College, terminated in June 1925,
and one officer of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps attended a short
course during the year.
Six Civil Veterinary Assistant Surgeons also attended short courses,
and the two Veterinary Inspectors of the Mysore Civil Veterinary Depart-
ment, who began a 3 years' course in January 1925, continued to be at-
tached to the Izatnagar Branch Laboratory for training. The Govern-
ment of India have now decided that elementary short-term courses are
primarily the concern of Provincial Governments and should not be held.
at this Institute without their special sanction.
V. PATHOLOGY.
Mr. H. Cooper held the post of Pathologist throughout the year. He
acted as an examiner in Pathology at the Punjab Veterinary College,
Lahore, in June 1925, and also visited the laboratory of the Camel Spe-
cialist at Sohawa, and the Central Research Institute at Kasauli, during
the same tour. He again proceeded on tour in December 1925 to attend
the Meeting of the Indian Science Congress at Bombay, visiting en route
Babugarh and Meerut to conduct tests for Johne's disease and tuberculosis
in military animals. On his return journey he visited Poona in connec-
tion with simultaneous inocluations against rinderpest, and then he pro-
ceeded to Lucknow and Mona to make inquiries in regard to bovine
contagious abortion and Johne's disease in military animals at those
places.
Attached to this section were one Veterinary Inspector for routine
post-mortem and histological work and Mr. Amar Nath, M.Sc.,who carried
out helminthological and protozoological examinations. The routine
work of the section comprised 1,745 post-mortem and 6,834 blood smear
examinations, in addition to the examination of the outside specimens
and carrying out of the tests shown in Appendix III.
In addition to his research work, which is referred to under that head,
Mr. Cooper supervised the Library, which subscribed to 130 periodicals
and purchased 59 text-books and other books of reference during the
year.
6
REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE OF VETERINARY RESEARCH,
VI. IZATNAGAR BRANCH LABORATORY.
Mr. J. R. Haddow, third Veterinary Research Officer, was in charge
of the Branch Laboratory throughout the year under report. In July
he visited the experimental farm of the United Provinces Agricultural
Department at Shahjahanpur in order to consult the Deputy Director
on questions relating to cultivation work at Izatnagar, and in October
and November he visited the Army Remount Depôts at Sargodha and
Mona, respectively, in connection with the control of strangles at those
depôts. In December he attended the Board of Agriculture meeting at
Pusa, and thereafter most of his time was spent at Muktesar helping
the Director in his administrative duties.
While in past years it has been customary to carry on active work at
the Branch Institute during the cold season only, during the year under
review active work was in progress throughout. The demand for anti-
rinderpest serum was exceptionally high and as a result of this and also
the increased working period 1,614 buffaloes were purchased, as against
496 in the previous year, for the routine manufacture of anti-rinderpest,
anti-hæmorrahagic septicæmia, and anti-anthrax sera. The average
cost of buffaloes was Rs. 34 as compared with Rs. 36 in the previous year,
and after completing their useful period of production 983 of them were
sold at an average price of Rs. 12-8 and 70 of them were transferred to
Muktesar.
The buffaloes which were sold were for the most part in good condition
and quite fit for work, and possessed the additional advantage of being
completely immune to rinderpest, so that the price obtained for them was
not their true value. In order to overcome the prejudices of the ryot
against and increase the demand for these " discontinued " buffaloes the
co-operation of the district officials was sought, and 30 of them have
been distributed free amongst needy persons who suffered in the floods
of the previous year.
As a result of the elimination of the method of hyperimmunization
in the manufacture of anti-rinderpest serum and improvements in the
arrangements for the distribution of virus, it was not necessary to main-
tain large numbers of hill bulls at Izatnagar as in previous years.
The lease of the cultivable portion of the estate, about 700 acres,
which had been granted to a contractor, expired on 30th June, 1925,
and the land was then taken over by the Institute and placed temporarily
under a Veterinary Inspector. The results of the cultivation under-
taken by the Institute after the land was taken over were poor, but
nothing more could be expected. As the result of constant cropping
without replenishment the land is very unproductive ; operations could
not be commenced in sufficient time for the kharif season, and lack of
rain affected the rabi crop. A great deal of the land is still over-run
with coarse grass, and only 436 acres were sown with kharif and 430 with
rabi crops. During the year 10,528 maunds of grain and 38,855 maunds
of hay and grass were consumed at Izatnagar, and of this amount 48
MUKTESAR, FOR THE YEAR ENDING THE 31ST MARCH, 1926
7
maunds of grain and 15,762 maunds of hay and grass were obtained from
the area under cultivation.
The animals are still housed in temporary chuppers which were renewed,
during the year under report departmentally whereby a considerable
saving was effected. The charge of the permanent buildings passed from
the Public Works Department, United Provinces, to the Chief Engineer,
Imperial Works, Delhi, in July 1925. A road was constructed during the
year and one cattle shed was commenced.
VIII. FIELD.
In connection with military dairies, remount depôts, and dairy farms,
a very large amount of testing for such diseases as tuberculosis, Johne's
disease, strangles, contagious equine and bovine abortion, and also the
serum simultaneous inoculation of cattle against rinderpest, is now
undertaken by the staff of this Institute. Some of the work done during
the past year has been referred to under other sections, but by far the
greatest part of it was performed by Mr. M. B. Menon. This officer was
officiating in the post of Second Veterinary Research Officer until the 11th
July, 1925, after which a post of temporary Assistant Veterinary Research
Officer was created for him.
He was on tour at the beginning of the year, and did not return to
headquarters until the middle of February 1926, and he left again for the
Imperial Cattle Breeding Farm, Karnal, in the middle of March. Other
places visited by him were the Imperial Institute of Animal Husbandry
and Dairying, Bangalore, and its Branch Institute at Wellington, the
Madras Cattle Breeding Farm, Hosur, the Dairy attached to the Madras
Agricultural College, Coimbatore, and the Rayankere Dairy, Mysore.
VIII. VETERINARY.
This section was under the charge of Mr. J. D'Costa, Veterinary Deputy
Superintendent. Being mainly concerned with routine production and
the general care of animals under experiment, it does not call for much
comment although its importance cannot be overestimated.
In addition to routine work some preventive inoculation against
rinderpest, introduced into the villages surrounding Muktesar by cattle
brought from plains, was undertaken by the Veterinary Inspectors of the
section. Altogether, nearly 10,000 doses of anti-rinderpest serum were
used in these inoculations.
The experimental work personally undertaken by Mr. D'Costa
included tests to ascertain the effect of the injection of certain inorganic
salts on serum-producing buffaloes, and the results of these are not yet
available.
IX. ESTATE.
The post of Farm Manager, the officer in charge of this section, was
held by Mr. A. J. Hearsey for the whole period under report., except
8
REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE OF VETERINARY RESEARCH,.
for 21 days in January 1926 when he was on leave and the Farm Overseer
officiated for him.
Cultivation. The area under cultivation by this section was increased
during the year from 53 acres to 71 acres. The total produce consisting
of Indian corn, barley, oats, mixed grasses, vegetables, etc., amounted
to 6,937½ maunds.
Hay. Contracts were made for the supply of 16,000 maunds of hay
from without the laboratory boundary at Rs. 0-15-9 per maund, and
4,000 maunds from within the laboratory boundary at Rs. 0-12-0 per
maund. In addition, 17,972 maunds of green oak leaves and 2,615
maunds of grass were obtained from the reserve forest by the Institute
coolies.
Grain. Arrangements were made for the supply by contract of 10,900
maunds of grain, including 3,500 maunds of oil-cake, at the average
rate of Rs. 5-6-3 per maund.
Forest. The reserved forest of the Institute supplied 32,376 maunds
of fuel wood, 1,918 maunds of charcoal, and 100 loads of ringals, in ad-
dition to the produce already mentioned. Six pounds of deodar seeds
and two maunds of oak seeds were sown, and 108 deodar trees were plant-
ed out in the station area during the year.
Animal supplies. Two thousand three hundred and forty-eight bulls,
352 buffaloes, 26 cows and calves, 729 sheep, 11 goats, 38 ponies, 1 mule,
and 32 donkeys were purchsed for experiment and production during the
year. Of these, 607 bulls, 119 buffaloes, and 274 sheep died in the out-
kraals before coming under experiment. The causes of this high rate of.
mortality are being investigated.
X. DAIRY.
The management of the dairy remained in the hands of Mr. G. P. Goffi,.
Second European Laboratory Assistant, during the year. This officer
was also in charge of the cultivation around the Latoli outkraal, and it
was therefore decided in December 1925 to move the dairy from its old
site within the station to Latoli, where the experimental dairy herd was
already being kept. The cows in these two herds supplied the station
during the year with 38,014 lb. of milk which produced a revenue of
Rs. 4,942-7-6. Under the orders of Government, since the 1st November,
1925, milk has been sold at the rate of Rs. 0-4-6 per seer, and even at
that rate the demand has exceeded the supply.
The amount of land under cultivation at Latoli during the year under
report was 99 acres, and another 39 acres were in process of recla-
mation. The produce from this area consisted of 5,313 maunds of green
fodder, 1,556 maunds of hay, 212 maunds of straw, and 79 maunds of
grain.
XI. ENGINEERING.
The charge of this section was held by Mr. P. B. Ganguly, Assistant.
Engineer, until 9th November, 1925 on which date he handed over to
Mr. A. Little john, newly appointed.
MUKTESAR, FOR THE YEAR ENDING THE 31 ST MARCH, 1926
9
The engine was run for 2,524 hours and the number of units of electri-
city generated during the year was 26,273. Of this number, 12,992
units were put into the storage battery and used for centrifuge driving,
lighting, chlorogen manufacture, and incubators. The remainder were
distributed amongst the 3 water pumps, and the dairy and farm machi-
nery.
The amount of gas generated by this section during the year was
4,97,164 cubic feet. This was used for the incubators and various other
laboratory operations.
The boilers worked for 2,258 hours, evaporating during this period
29,740 gallons of water. The steam obtained was used in the sterilizing
house, and a small quantity for the purpose of distilled water.
The approximate total quantity of water pumped during the year was
27,34,300 gallons. Of this quantity 5,94,000 gallons were pumped from
the stream Agarpani Gadhera, and the remainder were obtained from the
springs discharging into No. 1 reservoir. After a report had been re-
ceived from Mr. Littlejohn in the matter, an inspection of the Agarpani
Gadhera, which discharges into reservoir No. 3, was made, and it was as-
certained that this stream is subject to continual contamination, which
would be of considerable danger if the station were visited by an outbreak
of contagious disease. The construction of a sedimentation and storage
tank was commenced at the end of the year, but it is hoped that a new
scheme, which has been initiated for obtaining a purer supply of drinking
water, will commence to function in the current year.
XII. MEDICAL.
The charge of this section was held by Military Assistant Surgeon
O. H. Gade, until the 15th June, 1925, when he was transferred to the
charge of Chakrata Dispensary, and was succeeded at this Institute by
Civil Assistant Surgeon G. S. Bhargava.
No epidemic of a serious nature occurred during the year under report,
except an outbreak of measles amongst the children of the staff. One
case of typhoid fever, 4 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, and one case
of chicken pox were detected during the year.
The total number of outdoor patients treated at the dispensary were
3,786 as compared with 3,488 in the previous year. The number of indoor
patients fell from 144 in the previous year to 64 in the year under report,
but the number of major operations performed rose from 2 to 5.
About 24 children were born to the members of the staff, but as strict
purdha is observed by the majority of them, the services of the Medical
Officer were not utilized in many of the cases. The necessity for a trained
midwife is, therefore, very apparent.
The methods of collection and disposal of night-soil in the station are
primitive, and these and other questions of sanitation are under consider-
ation at the present time.
10
REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE OF VETERINARY RESEARCH,
XIII. FINANCE.
The financial results of the working of the Institute are shown in
Appendix V. The receipts, mostly from the sale of its products, amounted
to Rs. 13,09,497-15-3 as against Rs. 6,66,927-0-5 in the previous year.
This amount includes Rs. 7,472-5-0 realized on account of arrears of
the previous year, while for 1925-26 bills amounting to Rs. 12,194-1-4
remained outstanding at the end of the year. The total expenditure
incurred during the year amounted to Rs. 8,55,815-0-6.
The annual audit of the Institute was carried out during July 1925,
and generally speaking a distinct improvement was noticed in the main-
tenance of accounts, particularly those relating to animals and coolies.
A few irregularities in other sections were discovered and necessary steps
to avoid a recurrence are being taken. At the request of the Auditor-
General a set of account rules has been framed by the auditors, and these
are still under consideration.
XIV.GENERAL.
The year under review is very noteworthy in one respect. For the
first time in its history the Institute showed a profit of receipts over
expenditure and this to the extent of more than four and a half lakhs of
rupees. In view of the opinion of the Inchcape Committee that this
Institute should be self-supporting this is very satisfactory, but to some
it may appear that there is more than one side to this question.
In the first place it seems a moot point whether the products of the
Institute should be charged at such a price that the provinces and its
other customers contribute this amount to the revenues of the Govern-
ment of India, after all expenditure connected not only with the manu-
facture of those products, but also with pure research, has been deducted.
The next point that arises is whether the amount of money available for
research should depend on the varying demand that will exist for the
Institute's products each year. This must be so if the Institute is to
be regarded as one self-supporting whole. The question of separating
research from production at this Institute has many difficulties, but
they do not appear to be insuperable, and the correct policy to aim at
would seem to be the making of the production section self-supporting,
without being a great source of profit, and to provide the different
sections coming under the head of pure research each with its own
budget.
It will be observed that in writing this report an attempt has been
made to describe the work of the Institute under those sections into which
it naturally falls. Such important sections as Bio-chemistry, Proto-
zoology, Helminthology, and Entomology still remain to be formed, but
even without these there are at present 9 independent sections. Up
to the end of the year under report no arrangements had been made to
delegate any powers to Section Officers, with the result that the amount
of work in the Director's office far exceeded the capabilities of any one
man, and Mr. Edwards only just escaped a serious breakdown in health.