Vol. V. No. 98. 



THE AGRICULTUEAL NEWS. 



23 



INOCULATION FOR ANTHRAX. 



In contiuuatioii of the infoniiatiou already pub- 

 lished ill the A<j riri_i.lt a ral Ni'u:^ {\q\. IV, p. .318, 

 and Vol. V, p. 7) in reference to inoculation for anthrax, 

 the following report by 3Ir. J. Duncan 3Iillar, the 

 Government Veterinary Surgeon, Trinidad, addressed 

 to the Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture, is likely 

 to be of general interest : — 



Anthrax was first observed by me in the slaughteries 

 here in cattle coming from Venezuela in 1903. 



This year — 190-5 — twenty-four cases occurred in the 

 colony in one district : how it originated has not been 

 traced. Since August 17 no cases have occurred in the 

 district. The method of treatment was : a cordon of police 

 stationed around the district and all tratBc stopped, where 

 cases occurred carcasses were burnt up, places disinfected 

 with lime and carbolic acid, and all animals on infected 

 estates inoculated with anthrax vaccine. 



This method of treatment proved tij be thoroughly 

 satisfactory, as no spread of disease occurred and the 

 outbreak was stamped out within a month. 



The Government has made regulations making it com- 

 pulsory to vaccinate all stock on an infected estate, and 

 free vaccination has been recommended. All reported 

 cases to be tested by microscopic examinotion. 

 Operation of Vaccination. — 



The method of procedure may be attended with bad 

 results if employed by unskilled hands, as there are many 

 accidents that may happen in the operation if great care is 

 •not exercised. Such as: — from using dirty syringes, not 

 using disinfectants, injury to the animals from improper 

 handling, etc. 



For my own part, I have vaccinated several thousands 

 .without one bad result. Freijuently animals have been taken 

 out of work, vaccinated, and sent back to work again. 

 I proceed as follows : — 



(a. } Horses and mules are secured with a twitch, cattle 

 .are tied by the head to a post and two men hold the tail to 

 the opposite side from the operator. Smaller animals are 

 ■easily secured. 



i'j.) The place to vaccinate is either in the subcutaneous 

 tissue of the neck or behind the shoulder. The first vaccine 

 is generally used on the left side and the second vaccine on 

 the right, although I have vaccinated a few on the same 

 side with both vaccines without any bad result. Smaller 

 animals are vaccinated on the inside of the tliio-hs. 



(c.) I wash an area of 12 inches of the skin where 

 the animal is to be vaccinated with one part of creoline 

 to 1,(J00 parts of water. Have syringe thoroughly disinfec- 

 ted with above solution, and finally cleanse with boiled 

 water before using. 



Five_ to 10 minims of first vaccine are injected 

 hypodermically, and from ten to fourteen days thereafter 

 -o minims of second vaccine are injected. 



Considerable dexterity is necessary in using the syringe 

 ■otherwise the needle may get broken, blunted, or considerably 

 inore vaccine sucked from the syringe, in case the operator 

 is not quick in withdrawing the syringe after the necessary 

 -<lo6e has been injected. 



The vaccine I prefer is that made at the Liverpool 

 ■School of iledicine and obtained from ilessrs. Evans, Sons, 

 Lescher &. Webb, Ltd., Liverpool and London. 



The first cost is Gs. <kl. per double tubes of twenty-four 

 ■doses ; syringes are also supplied at 6.s. 3d. 



I shall be glad t.:i let you have any further assistance 

 . you may desire on the subject. 



ST. KITT'S. 



Formation of an Agricultural and Commercial 

 Society. 



At a meeting convened by Sir Uobert Bromley, the 

 .\dministrator of St. Kitfs- Nevis, and held in the Court 

 House in Basseterre, St. Kitt's, on Wednesday, December 1.3, 

 there was present a large number of the leading members 

 of the community. His Honour stated the object of the 

 meeting was to discuss the advisability of starting an Agri- 

 cultural Society. He thought the island was losing a great 

 deal by not having a society of the kind. In fact, it wa^ 

 a reproach to the community, vvhich was an agricultural one, 

 that there existed no such institution, deferring to the 

 Agricultural Society of Nevis, the Administrator declared 

 that it was doing excellent work. He dwelt on the necessity 

 of co-operation in order to secure the best possible results. 

 The welfare of the colony depended most intimately on 

 agriculture. Therefore the importance of having a society 

 to meet and discuss agricultural matters was very obvious. 

 On the success of the sugar industry, especially, rested the 

 fortunes of St. Kitt's. At present, if anything occurred to 

 prevent them from finding a market for their muscovado sugar, 

 ruin would probably ensue. One of the first matters to 

 which an agricultural society should direct its attention, 

 therefore, would be the discovery of the ways and means for 

 establishing central sugar factories. The meeting afforded 

 the leading men of the presidency the opportunity to express 

 their views on the matter. 



A number of gentlemen supjiorted the Administrator, and 

 ultimately a resolution was passed unanimously, to the effect 

 that it was expedient to establish a society to be called the 

 St. Kitt's Agricultural and Commercial Society. In the course 

 of the speeches made at the meeting it transpired that, 

 so far back as 1839, there had been an Agi-icultural Society 

 in operation in the island. This society, with which all the 

 prominent men in the place were connected, continued to 

 exist up to 1849. Later on, in 188-1, during the administra- 

 tion of Governor Haynes-Smith, it was resuscitated, continued 

 in existence for a few years, and then collapsed. Before the 

 meeting separated it was decided that Sir Robert Bromley, 

 the Administrator, should be Patron-President of the society, 

 ilr. E. D. B. Dobridge, President, and ilr. E. S. deLisle, 

 Vice-President. Thus St. Kitt's is about to enjoy once more 

 the benefits of an Agricultural Society. It is interesting to note 

 that that island, as one gentleman at the meeting put it, has 

 shaken itself free from the shakles of iinpecuniosity which 

 bound it hand and foot some years ago, and is now paying its 

 way, and no longer subsisting on the charity of the British 

 taxpayer. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



Mr. W. R. Buttenshaw, M.A., B.Sc, Scientific 

 Assistant on the staff of the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture, is expected to leave Barbados by the 

 R.M.S. 'Tagus'onthe 21st. instant, on three months' 

 leave of absence. 



The Secretary of State for the Colonies has been 

 pleased to ex'tend with half-salary the leave of absence 

 granted to Mr. H. A. Tempany, Assistant Chemist for 

 the Leeward Island.s, from January G to February 19, 

 inclusive. 



