20 REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE OF VETERINARY RESEARCH,
serum from animals that had recently suffered from a febrile attack
indicating the onset of strangles, and then to be exposed to natural
infection as early as possible ; (c) to be left untreated, as controls. The
results on analysis indicated that pyo-vaccination did not set up any
certain prophylactic effect, and the system was also useless as a means
of therapeutic treatment. The results forthcoming from the serum-
infection treatment were vitiated for a number of reasons and further
observations upon the efficacy of the method are being continued.
Tuberculosis. Dr. Soparkar continued his researches with the financial
aid of the Indian Research Fund Association. The relative value of
methods of applying the tuberculin test upon cattle in India was inves-
tigated. The double intradermal test would appear to be distinctly
superior to the subcutaneous test for the reason that with the latter
method thermal reactions are not infrequently observed in animals in
which no visible signs of tuberculosis can be seen post-mortem.
Dr. Soparkar examined the carcases of a number of slaughtered
cattle at the Ferozepore and Lahore abattoirs, and at Ferozepore found
by close search the lesions of tuberculosis in 100 out of 614 cattle examined
(16 per cent.) and in 87 out of the 100 affected cases tubercle bacilli were
demonstrated. At Lahore, out of 91 animals examined, eight (9 per
cent.) were found tuberculous. These findings would seem to call for a
drastic revision of the generally current views regarding the rarity of
bovine tuberculosis in India. So-called surgical tuberculosis of human
beings, of the kind that is known in Europe to be caused in ascertained
high degree by bovine tubercle bacilli, is disturbingly frequent in India,
and, both in interests of progress in human and animal pathology, it
would seem clear that investigations upon bovine tuberculosis in India
ought to be vigorously prosecuted.
Researches upon the identity of strains of tubercle bacilli isolated
from pigs in India were continued by Dr. Soparkar, and of 11 strains
studied, one was found to belong to the bovine type and eight to the
human type, while two are under further study. These findings are in
marked contrast to those recorded in Europe, where the majority of
porcine strains have been found to belong to the bovine type, while in
America a very large proportion belongs to the avian type.
Camels of the 41st Camel Transport Corps, Lahore, were examined
by the tuberculin test (intrapalpebral method), with both ordinary and
avian tuberculin. Out of 802 camels, seven gave a decided and four a
suspicious reaction with ordinary, and two a decided and one a suspicious
reaction with avian tuberculin. Two of the reacting camels were des-
troyed for examination, but no tuberculous lesions were found in them;
exhaustive laboratory tests on material taken from one of them revealed,
however, the presence of tubercle bacilli.
Tuberculous material taken from bullocks belonging to the Madras
Corporation disclosed on examination tubercle bacilli of the bovine type ;
in material from one animal, however, infection was found to be caused
by a mixture of bacilli of the avian and bovine types.