Live Stock. 



[April, 1910- 



slaughtered in a late stage of the disease, 

 The best bile is that obtained from an 

 animal which is killed on the tenth day 

 after artificial infection, or on the fourth 

 or fifth day after visible signs of disease 

 are noticed. 



The results of bile inoculation have 

 bean very varied. There is no doubt that 

 it saved many thousands of cattle in the 

 outbreak of 1896 in South Africa, but the 

 difficulty is to know the exact properties 

 of the bile employed. 



It is probable that the bile of an ani- 

 mal affected with Rinderpest contains 

 the active virus of Rinderpest, and also 

 some immunising substance is formed in 

 this bile. The proportions of the virus 

 and immunising substance vary, so that 

 in one bile the virus may so far predomi- 

 nate as to produce an active immunity 

 or even a fatal attack of Rinderpest 

 when injected into a susceptible animal. 

 In another bile the immunising sub- 

 stance may be in sufficient quantity 

 to render negativd the action of the 

 Rinderpest Virus and thus produce 

 merely a passive immunity lasting for 

 a varying and uncertain time. It appears 

 that this virus which exists in Rinder- 

 pest bile is modified in biles of animals 

 which have been sick for more than six 

 days by this immunising substance. It 

 is certain that inoculation with fresh 

 Rinderpest bile has produced Rinder- 

 pest, but it is generally admitted that 

 if a bile is kept for two or three days 

 it will not cause the disease. Although 

 in the early days of bile inoculation, 

 only biles of a dark green colour with 

 a white froth were used, it has since 

 been found that all clear biles may be 

 used except those which are blood 

 tinged, very thin, light yellow, cloudy 

 or with a putrid smell. 



To ensure as far as possible that the 

 bile used for inoculating a herd should 

 have a uniform effect, it is advisable to 

 mix those biles which are all right and 

 to use the mixed bile within 36 hours 

 of being drawn. Should a supply of ice 

 be procurable the bile may be kept for 

 four days. It is not advisable to keep 

 it longer as its immunising powers will 

 deteriorate. Immunity results from the 

 sixth to tenth day, the former being the 

 earliest date at which it appears and 

 the latter the latest. Immunity lasts 

 for periods varying from three weeks to 

 six months. 



To inoculate one hundred head of 

 cattle the biles of about seven Rinder- 

 pest animals are required. 



To extract the Bile.— Lay the animal 

 on its left side. Cut through the skin 

 and flesh behind the last rib, lift up 

 the ribs and the gall bladder is seen, ' 



Utensils required. — A knife or small 

 trocar and canula, wide mouthed stop- 

 pered bottles, or ordinary bottles and a 

 funnel. These should be well boiled 

 before using. The hands of the operator 

 should be cleaned and sterilised. The 

 gall-bladder is raised in the left hand 

 of the operator and a sharp stab made 

 into it with the knife or trocar and 

 canula, taking care net to cut one 

 of the small veins on the bladder. 

 An assistant is ready to catch the bile in 

 the funnel and bottle as it flows out of 

 the bladder. The biles should be kept 

 separate for a few hours ; those which 

 are alright should then be mixed to- 

 gether, and unless kept on ice, should be 

 used on the second day after being taken. 

 Neither the person who extracts the bile 

 nor any one who has been in contact 

 with the diseased animal should go near 

 the herd to be inoculated until they have 

 thoroughly disinfected clothes, boots, 

 hands, etc. 



The best seat for inoculation is behind 

 the elbow or in the dewlap, and care 

 must be taken that the needle does not 

 enter the flesh, it should pass between 

 the skin and the flesh. The dose of bile 

 recommended is 10 c.c. Some of the 

 mixed bile is poured into a clean cup, 

 which, when the bile is not being taken 

 out of it, should be covered with a piece 

 of linen which has been wrung out in a 

 solution of Jeye's fluid or other disinfec- 

 tant. The needle should be wiped after 

 each inoculation with a rag soaked in 

 Jeye's fluid, as should the seat of inocu- 

 lation, the operator's hand and syringe. 



It is most important to see that every- 

 thing used is scrupulously clean and 

 disinfected after the inoculation of each 

 individual animal. 



Drawbacks to Bile Inoculation.- (a) 

 Inoculation with pure bile does not 

 produce immunity for from six to ten 

 days, so that an animal may contract 

 Rinderpest naturally if exposed to infec- 

 tion before that time has elapsed. 



(6) On account of the impossibility of 

 determining the exact strength of the 

 immunising properties of bile, the result 

 can never be certain. 



(c) It is necessary to kill seven animals 

 to obtain bile with which to innoculate 

 one hundred head of cattle. (This bile 

 is much better when obtained from an 

 animal at a certain stage of disease, viz., 

 the tenth day after artificial infection, 

 than from an animal which has died of 

 Rinderpest.] 



{d) The bile cannot be kept more thau 

 a few days, and therefore must be ob- 

 tained on the spot, 



