10
REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE OF VETERINARY RESEARCH,
patch of the necessary rinderpest virus as required from Muktesar. A mortality amount-
ing to 689 hill bulls occurred in the out-kraals before the animals were used, partly attri-
butable to foot and mouth disease but mainly to a form of debility mentioned in the pre-
ceding Report. The bulls were purchased as required according to their estimated suit-
ability for virus production and serum testing, as indicated in last year's Report. No
difficulty was experienced in obtaining adequate supplies.
506 large plains buffaloes were purchased for use at the Izatnagar laboratory from
local fairs by members of the staff (at an average price of Rs. 36-3 per head). The animals
were used for anti-rinderpest serum manufacture, and a certain number after discon-
tinuance used for the production of hæmorrhagic septicæmia serum. Some were used
in experimental work in testing the latter serum, and a small number in experimental
anthrax serum production. After the close of the year 158 buffaloes that had been used
for serum manufacture were placed on the strength of the farm section employed for the
cultivation of the estate, and 193 remained in use. Only 14 animals were thus disposed
of by sale. The mortality among the buffaloes in the course of anti-rinderpest serum
manufacture alone was 74.
(c) Forest supplies. 31,911½ maunds of fuel wood, 1,925½ maunds of charcoal, 4,012
maunds of green grass, 13,855 maunds of oak leaves (for fodder), and 4,000 maunds of
hay were obtained from the Muktesar Reserved Forest. The installation of the steam
boilers, for use in connection with the new autoclaves, has caused an increased con-
sumption of firewood. The operations in the Reserved Forest were carried out as before
according to the prescribed working plan drawn up by the Indian Forest Service, with
success. There were no incendiaries in the forest area.
The fuel requirements of the Izatnagar laboratory were 582 maunds of firewood,
supplied by the grain contractor.
(d) Labour. At Muktesar, the average daily number of coolies employed, in general
farm duties, comprising out-kraal attendance, maintenance and development of estate,
was 320 ; 433 were recruited and 305 absconded or were discharged. In special farm
duties, in connection with the dairy and the attached project of development of cultiva-
tion at Latoli there was also employed a daily average of 121 men ; 174 were recruited
and 90 absconded or discharged. There was employed in the inner sheds, an average
daily strength of 252 gwallas (cattle attendants) in connection with serum making and
experimental work ; 170 were recruited and 60 were discharged or absconded. There
was no difficulty in obtaining labour (mostly Dotiyals), and there were no outbreaks of
disease among them. With the falling in price of food stuffs and in the local rates for
labour the scales of pay were revised and graded systematically during the year, with
resulting considerable economy to the laboratory.
During the period of serum manufacture at Izatnagar, from 27th October 1924 to
the end of the period under report, the average daily labour strength was 141. 89 of
these were men transferred from Muktesar ; the rest were recruited locally at much
cheaper rates, but the local labour does not appear to be quite so proficient for the work
as the Dotiyal labour from Muktesar. Only 18 resigned or were discharged.
(e) Transport. The arrangements, with the same contractor, of the preceding year
were made, at much the same rates, and there were no real difficulties in despatching
serum issues promptly, and in forwarding supplies from railhead and consignments of
serum for storage from Izatnagar.
(f) Laboratory appliances and technical equipment. A sum of Rs. 25,000 had to be
diverted by reappropriation from savings under other budget headings to meet the cost
of necessary materials required in executing the developed functions of the laboratory,
in addition to Rs. 30,000 which Government had sanctioned for some years past, since
the time when mere routine manufacturing work was undertaken and prices of technical
equipment had not materially appreciated. However, the great bulk of expenditure
under this heading is still incurred in connection with the manufacture of saleable pro-
ducts. There was no considerable item of purchase for research or experimental work ;
in fact, for this class of work advances were made almost entirely with the use of such
cheap commodities as glass tubing, medicine bottles, and test tubes, and so it cannot
be alleged that schemes of research made extravagant demands for equipment upon our
budget resources. It has been stated in preceding Reports that endeavours were being
made to obtain glass containers for the issue of sera from manufacturers in India, but
that difficulty was experienced in obtaining suitable standard bottles. Following upon
War conditions, the laboratory had to resort to the use of empty beer and other bottles
procured locally for the issue of its products. Early in the year, negotiations were made
with a firm of British bottle manufacturers for the supply of receptacles for the issue of
sera, and orders were then placed for specially made bottles of uniform size, shape and