20 



A good practicable mode of keeping virus sound for a time 

 is to fill the bottle— whieli should be thoroughly clean and pro- 

 vided with a good cork — in which the virus is to be put with the 

 fumes of sulphur, and then to pour the virus into the bottlo, 

 carefully corking and sealing it before the fumes are all expelled. 

 By adopting this plan and keeping the bottle in a cool place, i.e., 

 a cellar, old well, or hole dug for the purpose, with a wet cloth 

 constantly around it, so as to keep the temperature as low as 

 possible, virus can be preserved, at any rate, several days longer 

 than it would otherwise be, which is a great advantage in inocu- 

 lating a herd. Another, and perhaps a better mode is to pour 

 some oil on the top of the virus, which excludes the air and keeps 

 the virus fresh till required, when the oil can be poured oft" — the 

 bottle being kept iu a cool place and wrapped in a wet cloth as 

 already directed. 



Some of the advocates for the preservation of virus also modify 

 or weaken it ; indeed they cannot accomplish their so-called pre- 

 servation w^ithout doing so. But it must be apparent that this 

 intentional modification or weakening of the virus is very absurd, 

 when it is considered that the chief object to be aimed at,in carrying 

 out the operation of inoculation, is the certainty of its taking 

 eff'ect ; for if it fails in only a few cattle, the disease is kept alive 

 in the herd, and the benefit of the inoculation is to a great extent 

 lost. Since it is all but impossible to say from the appearance 

 of bush cattle after inoculation whether or not it has taken a 

 proper eff'ect, it is much better rather to over-do than under-do 

 the operation, and make the matter a certainty, even at the 

 expense of a few losses through excessive swellings. The losses 

 from inoculation when properly performed, with unmodified virus 

 never need exceed 2 per cent. — they are generally less; 

 and it is believed that Avith the modified article the percentage is 

 as great, while the operation must undoubtedly fail in innumerable 

 instances. Glycerine and white sugar are the ingredients used in 

 modifving and preserving virus ; and there is no doubt but that 

 the preservation is complete, whatever the effect on the efficacy 

 of the virus may be. Some owners, I believe, regularly preserve 

 virus in this way, and inoculate their calves at weaning time ; and 

 this plan recommends itself in as far as it involves very little 

 trouble and maij in many cases be effective ; but calves should 

 never be inoculated at the time they are cut. 



If after being allowed to stand in a cool place the virus 

 coagulates, it will again become liquid by shaking. 



The supply in use should be kept in comparatively small 

 quantities in small wide-mouthed bottles, which should also be 

 provided with air-tight corks or stoppers, and be left as seldom open 

 as possible — only while the thread is being saturated. 



