INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1909-10. 61 



abnormal condition, although it appears probable that they 

 contribute largely to the final result. 



In connection with this enquiry, cultures were made 

 from eggs of the Eri moth, which in many cases were found 

 infected with a bacterium, differing however in cultural 

 and morphological characters from that found in the gut 

 of the diseased worms. Eggs of the same brood hatched 

 out successfully forming healthy worms, but the next gene- 

 ration became diseased and died off. Further enquiries 

 will be made as to the transmission of disease by 

 inheritance. 



The efficacy of Trope-Ratine, a patent vermin killer 

 specially prepared for use in India, w^as tested at the 

 instance of the Director. Rats fed on this material 

 appeared to benefit from its nourishing qualities but were 

 otherwise unaffected. One mouse, however, succumbed and 

 was subsequently eaten by the rats without ill effects to the 

 latter. It appears probp.ble that the material had been kept 

 too long since its preparation to retain its original viru- 

 lence, a period of nearly five months having elapsed since 

 its despatch from England. 



I took over charge of the Section on 27th December 

 1909. As no previous establishment had been formed 

 a Third Assistant was appointed, Mr. C. S. Rama x\iyer, 

 previously acting as an assistant in the Chemical Section 

 here. Subsequently in May, Mr. N. V. Joshi, who then 

 held the post of an assistant under the Agricultural 

 Chemist to the Government of Bombay, at Poona, was 

 appointed as first assistant. The post of a second 

 assistant is still vacant. Owing to the impossibility of 

 obtaining qualified bacteriologists at the small rate of pay 

 provided for this Section, I have been obliged to appoint 

 men without any bacteriological qualifications; this 

 necessarily results in most of my time being spent in train- 

 ing my assistants in the necessary technique, and this will 

 of course retard the progress of the various investigations 



which, I hope, to carry out. Owing to the very special 



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