NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31ST MARCH 1941.
5
also carried out, as a preventive measure, in some such areas although
no further deaths had occurred, and also of course where both diseases
were definitely known to exist. Altogether 73,467 cattle and buffaloes
received the double inoculation, which is an increase of 9,690 over last
year. The apparent decrease this year in the single hæmorrhagic
septicæmia and single anthrax inoculations, referred to previously, is
partly offset by this increase in the double inoculation. Very nearly
half of the inoculated animals were done in Arakan, while in the Lower
Burma Charge the number was only a little less than twice that for the
Upper Burma Charge and Central Charge together.
Strangles.—By the end of the year under report 75 ponies at the
Pyawbwè Stud Farm had received a full course of autogenous vaccine,
which had been prepared at the Veterinary Research Laboratory,
Insein.
Blackquarter.—180 head of cattle at the Cattle Breeding Farm,
Tatkôn, and another 27 at an old outbreak area in Bassein District
were vaccinated against this disease.
FRONTIER POSTS.
Veterinary Assistants were again posted on inspection duty during
the open season at the two main importation centres on the Thailand
and Shan States border respectively.
The following table shows the animals inspected, last year's figures
being given in brackets :—
Inspection Post.
(1)
From
Thailand—
Thingannyinaung ...
From Shan States—
Leiktho ... ...
Cattle.
(2)
302
(331)
1,310
(4,588)
Buffaloes.
(3)
205
(227)
...
...
Pigs.
(4)
1,051
(822)
...
...
Ponies.
(5)
31
(51)
...
(4)
Goats,
(6)
34
(Nil)
...
...
In addition to the above, 17,988 cart-bullocks engaged in to and fro
traffic between Maesod and Kawkareik were inspected at Thingan-
nyinaung, including re-inspection of the same animals on return journeys.
No case of contagious disease was detected amongst the animals
inspected at Thingannyinaung, but foot-and-mouth disease was detected
at Leiktho.
6
REPORT ON THE CIVIL VETERINARY DEPARTMENT, BURMA,
CHAPTER IV.—VETERINARY EDUCATION.
INSEIN VETERINARY COLLEGE.
1. (1) A seventh batch of students was admitted for the course
beginning on the 1st July 1940. Altogether 25 students began the course,
comprising 8 stipendiary, 9 non-stipendiary, 6 from the Shan States,
1 from the State Colonies and 1 from Messrs. Steel Brothers and
Company, Limited.
(2) Two graduates of the Madras Veterinary College received
post-graduate training before being posted to field work as Veterinary
Inspectors.
(3) No refresher course for Veterinary Inspectors or Veterinary
Assistants was held during the year.
STUDENTS UNDER TRAINING IN FOREIGN COLLEGES.
2. (1) No new candidates were forthcoming for training at the
Madras Veterinary College.
At the end of the year the following students from Burma were
under training in India :—
College.
Madras ... ...
Calcutta ...
Total ...
1st Year.
...
...
...
2nd Year.
2
...
2
3rd Year.
...
...
...
4th Year.
...
...
...
(2) It was with great regret that news was received of the death
from pleurisy of Maung San Htwe, a Burman State Scholar, who was
studying at the Dublin Veterinary College.
The second State Scholar, Maung Hla Kyaw, passed his final
examination for the diploma of M.R.C.V.S. at the Royal Veterinary
College, London, and also his final B.V.Sc. examination and remained
in England to take a post-graduate course at the Institute of Animal
Pathology, Cambridge.
CHAPTER V.—VETERINARY RESEARCH LABORATORY,
INSEIN.
ROUTINE WORK.
(In this Section the figures in brackets are the totals for 1939-40).
1. Pathological Specimens examined.—(a) Bloodsmears.—During the
year 1,115 (1,369) bloodsmears from the districts were examined. Of
these 773 (853) were submitted by officers of the Veterinary Depart-
ment, 267 (436) by the various timber firms and 75 (80) by the Military
FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31ST MARCH 1941.
7
Police, Forest Department and others. 557 (609) smears were from
cattle and buffaloes, 297 (543) from elephants, 113 (120) from equines
and 148 (97) from other animals.
Of the 323 (338) positive smears, 20 (52) were Surra 17 (42) —horses,
1 (6) elephant and 2 (4) cattle and buffaloes ; 63 (61) were anthrax—
4 (5) horses, 2 (2) elephants and 57 (54) cattle and buffaloes ; 94 (95)
were hæmorrhagic septicæmia all in cattle and buffaloes ; 121 (123)
were filariasis—110 (123) elephants and 11 dogs ; 12 (3) were piroplas-
mosis—1 horse, 1 ox and 10 (2) dogs; 9 (2) were epizootic
lymphangitis—all in mules ; 1 (1) blackquarter in cattle ; 2 tuberculosis
in cattle and 1 Hepatozoon canis in a dog.
During the year 1,145 (1,174) smear preparations made at Insein
were examined from animals used for vaccine production or experi-
mental purposes.
(b) Fæces.—759 (549) specimens of faeces were examined of which
692 (518) were from dogs, 3 (3) from horses, 52 (23) from cattle and
buffaloes, 4 (3) from elephants and 8 (2) from other animals.
(c) Other Pathological Specimens.—452 (382) were examined,
including dried ear specimens, skin scrapings, urine, vomited material,
bacteriological swabs, materials in formalin for histological examination,
and carcasses for Post-mortem examination. Of these 419 (335) were
from cattle and buffaloes, 17 (19) from elephants, 6 (12) from
horses, 6 (12) from dogs and 4 (4) from other animals.
Sub-inoculations from dried ears into small laboratory animals led to
the diagnosis of 49 (44) cases of hæmorrhagic septicæmia, 32 (26) cases
of anthrax and 1 case of blackquarter, all in cattle and buffaloes.
These figures are included in the number of positive smears given in (a)
above. Amongst the specimens examined histologically, diagnoses were
made of 3 (3) cases of epithelial tumours, 2 cases of pneumonia and
1 case of chronic myocarditis.
(d) Vaccines prepared and issued.—The following batches of vaccine
were prepared :—
Rinderpest desiccated goat spleen vaccine
Hæmorrhagic septicæmia vaccine
Anthrax vaccine ...
Strangles vaccine ...
Autogenous vaccine for elephants
Black quarter vaccine
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
59 (70) batches,
Nos 284—343.
11 (18) batches,
Nos. 72—82.
10 (6) batches.
2 (7) batches,
Nos. 19 and 20
3 (2) batches,
Nos. 9, 10, and 11.
1 batch, No. 1
8
REPORT ON THE CIVIL VETERINARY DEPARTMENT, BURMA,
Vaccines issued were as follows :—
Rinderpest desiccated goat spleen vaccine ...
Hæmorrhagic septicæmia vaccine ...
Anthrax spore vaccine for cattle and buffaloes
Do.
Do.
Do.
Strangles vaccine
elephants ...
horses and mules
sheep ...
... ... ...
Autogenous vaccine for elephants ...
Cat septicæmia vaccine ... ...
687,400 (645,200) doses.
130,148 (119,388) „
86,955 (83,670) „
7,070 (7,183) „
6,515 (5,742) „
1,000
111 (752) „
5 (3) courses
3 doses.
The following biological products were also issued from Insein
during the year :—
Blackquarter vaccine
Rinderpest serum ...
Mallein for intradermal test
Do.
subcutaneous test
...
...
...
...
Tuberculin for subcutaneous test
...
...
...
...
...
800 (275) doses.
529
(50)
„
2,035 (1,421)
„
214 (147)
„
5
(4)
„
(e) Museum.—Work on the collection, classification and mounting
of morbid specimens was continued, and permanent mounts of 152
specimens have now been prepared. The preservation of the natural
colour and appearance makes this collection valuable for educational
and demonstration purposes.
RESEARCH WORK.
4. (a) Rinderpest.—(i) The bull virus (Kungyangon) virulent strain
was maintained for experimental purposes by monthly passage through
susceptible Kyaukpyu cattle and storage in the form of dried powdered
spleen at about 42°F. On the 16th October 1940, it was passaged for
the 94th and last time.
(ii) The goat virus vaccine strain was maintained by not longer than
weekly passage through goats and storage at 42°F in the form of dried
spleen powder. On the 26th March 1941, it was passaged for the 461st
time.
(b) Hæmoirhagic Septicæmia.—There was again a big demand for
this vaccine. With a view to determining the prophylactic value of
the vaccine, statistics were collected from field officers. The figures
are open to question as the diagnosis was in most cases made clinically
and not microscopically. In one area 2*3 per cent inoculated buffaloes
(26 out of 1,115) died within five months, and during the same period
18*5 per cent uninoculated buffaloes (74 out of 403) died. In another
area 2 per cent inoculated animals (77 out of 3,917) died; while
15 per cent of the uninoculated died (250 out of 1,681). In a third area
the mortality in inoculated animals was 4 per cent (37 out of 908) and
in uninoculated animals 43 per cent (127 out of 292). Although these
FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31ST MARCH 1941.
9
figures are open to question it is noteworthy that since the introduction
of inoculation on the present scale, there have not been the severe out-
breaks with heavy mortality experienced in pre-inoculation days. It is
possible that the presence of many inoculated cattle cuts short outbreaks
and prevents the bacilli from attaining great virulence.
(c) Anthrax.—There was a slight increase in the demand for anthrax
spore vaccine. During the year there were 63 verified cases of
anthrax in cattle, horses, and elephants. Only two elephants died of
anthrax, and neither had been inoculated. In view of the heavy losses
anthrax caused in elephants in pre-inoculation days, the continued
success of the vaccine is gratifying.
(d) Kumri.—Over a number of years a considerable amount of work
has been done on Kumri. We have never succeeded in transmitting the
disease to horses or other animals, and we have never been able to
confirm the work of Shirlaw and others in India. Nevertheless, much
information about the disease has been collected, and the following
summary, based mainly on notes by Mr. Brown may now be reported.
In the numerous post-mortem examinations that have been done on
cases of Kumri lesions found have been scanty and in many instances
apparently insignificant. All the horses that were killed were typical
cases of Kumri as the disease is seen in Burma, i.e., they showed varying
degrees of posterior inco-ordination. The only other symptom shown
was an increased sexual desire in some mares. None of them exhibited
symptoms indicating cerebral damage, in fact apart from the posterior
inco-ordination the animals were healthy. Two mares suffering from
Kumri have been kept under observation for four years and during this
period have remained healthy and have bred several foals. The
paraplegic symptoms are still present but have become less severe
probably as a result of new reflex paths having been set up which are
now partly replacing those destroyed during the course of the disease.
The complete absence of muscular atrophy is an indication that the
peripheral nerves are not involved.
Some of the horses were destroyed by pithing to avoid damage to
the brain, the others were shot. The only organ in which macroscopic
lesions were consistently found was the spinal cord. Most of the mares
had cystic ovaries, and these were probably associated with the
increased sexual excitement ; fertility seemed unaffected as two were in
foal when destroyed, and others had bred foals after contracting
Kumri. In some cases there was a thick gritty deposit on the mucous
membrane of the urinary bladder ; the mucosa itself appeared normal.
Gastro-intestinal parasites were sometimes very numerous, and most
horses had a fairly heavy infestation of them. No schistosomes were
found in any of the animals.
10
REPORT ON THE CIVIL VETERINARY DEPARTMENT, BURMA,
The lesions in the Nervous System.—In every post-mortem examina-
tion the brain and spinal cord were exposed and examined. When
material for sub-inoculation experiments was required parts were
removed immediately the brain and cord had been exposed, and then
their examination and the collection of representative parts for fixation
and histological study was done. The brain was removed and examined
away from the carcase ; the spinal cord was first examined in situ in
the spinal canal after the dorsal parts of the vertebrae from the atlas
to the coccyx had been removed. The dura mater was slit along the
whole length of the cord and laid open and then the lesions could be
felt by running the fingers down the cord on its dorsal surface. They
consist of one or more soft spots in the substance of the cord. There
is no outward sign of a break in the continuity but the soft area can be
felt to be sharply demarcated at each end. The soft spots vary from a
few millimetres to three centimetres in length, and several may be
present. They have been seen in all parts of the spinal cord, except
that of the cervical region. The lumbar part of the cord is apparently
the first affected, as in mild cases where only one softening was seen, it
was always in the lumbar part of the cord ; where several softenings
were found, one or more were in the lumbar part, and others in the
thoracic part. The largest area of softening seen was a solitary one in
the lumbar part of the cord of a fairly recent case of Kumri : It was
slightly over three centimetres in length. The soft areas in the lumbar
part of the cord were always large ones, and those in the thoracic part
were small, some a mere " nick " in the cord. No macroscopic changes
in the meninges were seen over the softened areas or at any other site.
Sections through the soft spots showed varying degrees of disor-
ganisation and change in appearance of the grey matter of the cord. As
a rule, the bigger the soft spot, the more obvious the deformity of the
grey matter on cross section of the cord. The symmetrical butterfly
pattern of the grey matter is altered by a decrease in size of one or both
of the lateral crescents, almost always more noticeable in their anterior
rather than their posterior horns.
The lesions in the grey matter do not, of course, account for the
softening of the cord : the actual cause of this had to be sought in the
white matter, and in only a few cases was there clear macroscopic
evidence of degeneration of the white matter. In cross sections of
these the white matter showed a few small localised areas which
differed slightly in colour from, and had a more glistening appearance
than, the rest of the white matter. On slight pressure a few drops of a
thick gelatinous fluid exuded from the cut surface. The alteration in
colour was sometimes seen more clearly after formalin fixation.
No macroscopic lesions were seen in the brain or its membranes.
FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31ST MARCH 1941.
11
Histological Examination.—Sections were cut from all internal organs
and from selected parts of the central nervous system. Routine
histological stains were used for all sections, and selective stains were
also employed in the brain and spinal cord material to demonstrate
neuroglia, myelin sheaths, Nissl bodies, etc.
Specific lesions were demonstrated in the spinal cord, and changes
were also seen in the cerebellum and the kidneys. In the kidneys
they consisted of a sclerosis of the arterioles, the lumina of which
were often greatly decreased by the thickening of the vessel walls.
Hyperæmia was usually present and in a few sections localised
distensions of the venous spaces between the renal tubules were seen.
These lesions of the kidney were by no means constant in all cases
examined : in some they were very slight and in a few they were
absent.
The histological changes in the spinal cord were seen in sections of
the softened parts of the cord : no lesions being seen in sections from
other parts. They consisted in the grey matter of degeneration
and varying degrees of neuronophagia of the neurons, punctate
hæmorrhages, and lymphocytic infiltration ; and in the white matter of
localised areas of partial demyelinisation. The neuronophagia appeared
to be a very gradual process, and even in very recent cases was not
extensive : in many sections all the neurons were normal. Its first stage
was a shrinking of the neuron and disorganisation of its internal
structure. Next, the cell became more acidophilic, had lost its
triangular shape and had shrunk to a more or less circular body with a
layer of chromatin around its edge, to which were attached a few
mononuclear cells. Some of these later invaded the cell which further
diminished in size until it completely dis ppeared. A clear space was
often seen around the degenerating neuron, where proliferating glial
elements had not yet filled up the space left by the disappearing cell.
Though they were not confined to it, many of the affected neurons
were in the anterior horn of the grey matter ; a few were seen in the
posterior horn.
The punctate haemorrhages were small and had occurred as a result
of the rupture of small blood vessels traversing the grey matter. Small
vessels were often seen distended with blood where rupture had not
yet taken place. The lymphocytic infiltration consisted of a sparse
scattering of lymphocytes throughout the grey matter : they tended to
be more frequent near the site of destruction of a neuron.
In the white matter the areas of demyelinisation were demonstrated
by osmic acid stains. The disappearance of the myelin sheaths was
partial and was seen as a decrease in thickness and poor staining affinity
of the sheaths surrounding some fibres of the crossed pyramidal tracts,
where slight sclerosis was also present.
12
REPORT ON THE CIVIL VETERINARY DEPARTMENT, BURMA,
In the cerebellum slight neuronophagia and lymphocytic infiltration
were seen in several cases. No lesions were demonstrated in the
cerebrum or other parts of the brain.
Pathogenesis of Kumri.—Lesions are first initiated in the neurons of
the spinal cord and cerebellum by the action of the infective agent or
toxin. A chronic irritating action sets up a low grade inflammation
which results in slow destruction of some neurons by a process of
neuronophagia. The neurons lose their extra cellular processes, shrink,
become invaded by mononuclear cells, and finally disappear, leaving a
space which is filled up by proliferative glial elements. Localised
hyperæmia and a few haemorrhages occur in the regions where nerve
cell destruction is going on ; and a sparse infiltration with lymphocytes
appears. The axon fibres cannot survive when their parent neurons
are destroyed, and those which originated from affected neurons
undergo demyelinisation and degeneration. They are replaced by
neuroglia and appear as sclerotic areas in the white matter of the cord.
No definite regional correlation has been established histologically
between the neurons affected and the symptoms observed ; the peculiar
selectivity of the causal agent in attacking in every case neurons whose
destruction gives rise to closely similar symptoms is remarkable.
Nerve paths normally carrying impulses of voluntary movement to the
posterior part of the body are destroyed and inco-ordination results.
In clinical cases where the inco-ordination appears suddenly the
destructive process has started simultaneously in a number of neurons
and their nerve paths become non-functional at about the same time.
At a certain stage the process of neuron destruction ceases and the
disease becomes static. The degenerated axon fibres of the cord,
lacking the cellular sheath which peripheral nerves possess, cannot
regenerate and return of function is impossible. In horses with mild
symptoms an improvement in function occurs after a long period ; new
reflex paths have been set up in other nerve fibres and these restore to
some extent normal function.
Aetiology.—No experimental evidence has been obtained to indicate
the presence of a virus, although such a causal agent is suggested by the
histological findings. Sub-inoculations, the majority by the intracerebral
route, of pooled brain and cord suspensions into mice, guinea pigs,
rabbits, dogs and horses have failed to transmit the disease. No
conclusive results have been obtained from attempts to cultivate a virus
upon the chorio-allantoic membrane of the developing chick.
Shirlaw in India has reported successful transmission of Kumri to
laboratory animals but his work could not be confirmed in Burma.
This worker's histological results also differed slightly from those at
Insein, as perivascular infiltrations (cuffing of bloodvessels) were a
FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31ST MARCH 1941.
13
feature of his cases, and this lesion was not observed here. Most of
his cases were clinically far more acute and severer than those seen in
Burma, and cerebral involvement was the rale rather than the exception
in them : this has never been seen in Burma. It is probable that the
Indian cases are a different condition ; certainly they were more acute
and severer than the characteristic partial paraplegia which is known as
Kumri in Burma. Perhaps the virus had already disappeared from the
body in the Burma cases by the time the disease was diagnosed and the
animal destroyed to obtain material for sub-inoculation.
No bacteria have been demonstrated in Kumri cases. A fodder or
poisonous plant intoxication cannot be excluded although the histological
lesions are more suggestive of a virus infection.
Encephalitis of bovines and dogs in Burma.—These two conditions
were encountered in the course of routine pathological work and are of
interest when considered in relation to Kumri.
The bovine material, obtained from Rathedaung, was from one case
only, and consisted of some fragments of cerebrum and midbrain in
formalin. In sections of these an acute infiltrative encephalitis was
present characterised by neuronophagia, lymphocytic infiltration and
intense perivascular infiltration. The cuffing of the small blood vessels
was very marked and in some there were many layers of infiltrating
mononuclear cells and lymphocytes in the blood vessel walls and
surrounding the vessel itself. The history of the condition was that of
an acute encephalitis, buffaloes being very susceptible and rarely
recovering, and cattle more resistant. Walking round in circles, always
to the same side, was the most striking symptom.
In dogs very similar lesions were observed in three cases.
Neuronophagia, lymphocytic infiltration and perivascular cuffing were
present in the cerebrum, cerebellum, and in parts of the mid-brain.
All stages of the process of cuffing of the bloodvessels were seen, from
a single layer of infiltrating cells arranged like a necklace around the
small bloodvessels to a thick mass many cells thick. The infiltrating
cells were mononuclears ; no polymorphs being seen. Neuronophagia
and perivascular cuffing were particularly severe in the hippocampus.
The history of the condition in these dogs was that of an encephalitis
over a long period—three years in one case—with acute exacerbations,
when apoplectic fits were frequent, occurring at irregular intervals.
The dogs were usually destroyed when the fits became more and more
frequent, with the animal in coma in the intervals between them.
CHAPTER VI.—STOCK BREEDING.
1. The members of the permanent staff remained the same as last
year.