MUKTESAR, FOR THE YEAR ENDING THE 31ST MARCH, 1928
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under report, and also to the concessions in the price of anti-rinderpest serum made to
certain authorities in the preceding year (United Provinces Government for hill cattle;
Persian Government).
(b) The technique of manufacture remained substantially the same as in the preceding
two years, prior to which a complete overhaul of nearly all the systems of manufacture
had been made. The new systems have now settled down to a routine order. The
main innovations during the year were :—(i) Use of goat virus, from goats inoculated
locally with virus received from Muktesar, for the immunization of the anti-rinderpest
serum producing buffaloes at Izatnagar; (ii) manufacture of crude blackquarter aggressin
at Izatnagar from animals discontinued. from anti-rinderpest and anti-hæmorrhagic
septicæmia manufacture.
(c) There has been a very marked increase in demand for the products made by the
laboratory for combating hæmorrhagic septicæmia and blackquarter. These products
are now being taken up on a considerable scale in fresh Provinces, and the reports received
upon their efficacy are most highly satisfactory.
(d) There was a very large increase in the demand for mallein, from the Army mainly.
Following upon the careful investigations of recent years, the procedure of manufacture
has been strictly standardized, and the malleins now issued are of very high reliability.
(e) No report of any accident following upon the use of our products was received
during the year, nor was any complaint received of any lack of their reliability.
(f) It is also worthy of mention that as many as 377,426 doses were issued for the
serum-simultaneous inoculation—without any report of untoward incident. This rapid
increase in the issue of anti-rinderpest serum for the serum-simultaneous inoculation is a
hopeful augury for the future development of this system of combating rinderpest in
India—a system which we believe to be the only one capable of yielding satisfactory
and durable results in the peculiar conditions prevailing in the country. Our chief
customers for serum for this purpose were Mysore State and Madras, and the Veterinary
authorities of this State and province deserve a tribute for their initiative in propa-
gating the system.
(g) As the Institute performs its functions in relation to the Provinces almost
entirely by the issue to them of products of this kind, the manufacture of these pro-
ducts, and research in discovering means of improving them and increasing their
number, to combat other diseases, receives the first attention of the direction and staff
of the Institute.
(h) Charts (II-VIII) indicating the annual variations in demands for the various
products since the inception of the Institute are appended to the Report.
IV.INSTRUCTION.
Systematic instruction was imparted at the Institute during the
year under report from the 5th May to 25th November 1927. The
classes were attended by the various officers on visit to the Institute, and
opportunity was also taken to train all the junior members of the staff
at Muktesar (Veterinary Inspectors) by causing them to undertake the
evening lectures and discourses, which were held daily on all working
days, according to pre-arranged weekly programmes. The total number
of lectures given was 131, of which the Director gave 46, the Officiating
Pathologist (Major Stirling) 19, and Mr. Sen, the Protozoologist, and
the other technical members of the staff the remainder. In addition, a
considerable number of practical demonstrations and exercises were
given to the class by the above officers. Literary discussions, held
among the members of the class according to a system laid down, preceded
the lectures, and were held on 191 occasions.
A special course of practical and theoretical training, extending from
10th October to 24th November 1927, was given to 8 subordinate Indian
D