428 
fiupptement to the " Tropical Agriculturust." [Dec. I, 1893. 
Bandaragama in a piece of land adjoining the site 
marked out for the future resthouse ; but as yet 
thia idea has not taken shape. I hope, however, 
that the present Government Agent wlio always 
takes an active interest in native agriculture will 
soon start a model orchard at Bandaragama, which 
is the station of an Agricultural Instructor. The 
Instructors can make themselves more useful, 
when they work in connexion with fruit gardens 
in suitable localities in addition to what they do 
at present, and what is more, it will give them 
a new interest in their work. 
E. T. IIOOLE. 
« 
RINDERPEST— CATTLE PLAGUE. 
The first of a series of brochures which are 
likely to prove of much value, appears under 
the a(jges of the newly-formed Civil Veterin- 
ary Department of India on this most important 
disease, which is, in fact, the greatest bane to the 
Indian stock-owner. The report is compiled by 
the assistant to the Inspector-General of the 
C.V.D., Lieut. H. A. Pease, a Veterinary Burgeon, 
who has had considerable experience in India. 
In addition to his own practical knowledge, he 
draws largely on all published literature and 
reports on the subject in a short preface to the 
work. Rinderpest, cattle plague or Typhus Bovis 
Contagiosa (Williams), or as it is commonly known 
in Ceylon ' murrain', and more recently named 
Pneumo Enteritis Contagiosa Bovis, is decidedly 
different in its character, and especially in 
its virulence in the East than it is in Europe. 
The latest researches have proved that this 
disease is, as many others now are, caused by a 
bacterium of the micrococcus type. As regards 
the development of the disease there are no two 
opinions among those who have investigated 
the subject. In Mr. Pease's words " Rinderpest is 
a malady which always develops by contagion ; 
this is pretty well established at the present day ; 
it is absolutely false to say that it may develop 
spontaneously." The treatment adopted for the 
extenuation of this disease in England is unsuited 
to the conditions of India. At the outset it may 
be stated that the disease is more amenable to 
treatment in a hot climate, and the percentage 
of recoveries is very large. Prom the statistics 
gathered from various reports during an extended 
period, it appears that often 60 to 70 cwt. of 
cases have recovered under treatment, but under 
ordinary circumstances about fifty per cent, and 
the limit laid down as a certainty is twenty per 
cent, taking everything into consideration. This 
is no mean figure when the large number 
attacked in the country is borne in mind, and 
especially when it is noted, that an 
animal which once recovers from an attack of 
this malady secures immunity from it for ever 
afterwards. Any system of slaughter of effected 
animals for exterminating the disease, as advocat- 
ed by some, and more than once advocated in 
Ceylon, would cause unnecessary waste of 
life, leaving aside its utter impracticability on 
account not so much of the prejudices of the 
people, which should decidedly be respected, 
but also on account of the disease not being con- 
fined to one particular class of animals. 
In this connection some definite information is 
given iu the report uucler review of the cases 
treated by Veterinary Surgeon Thacker iu the 
Madras Presidency. He treated in all 2,/»4l caseB, 
carefully watching the progress of the disease ; 
and of these 1,763 recovered. 
Preventive treatment is undoubtedly mo»>t 
essential, and the measures that should Ix' adopt- 
ed have, I believe, been reported over and over 
again in scores of publications. In Rinderpest 
the ajfplication of the provisions of the Cattle 
Disease Ordinance of Ceylon would no doubt In* 
of great use, but certain characteriet ics of tlie 
disease itself will have to be borne in mind in 
having recourse to preventive measures. It is 
essential to kaow, for instance, that the period of 
incubation extends from three to twenty-one dayf , 
that all parts of an effected animal's body and tiie 
egesta are liable to convey tlie disease ; that even 
after recovery the animal is liable to convey conta- 
gion for from ten to fifteen days; that the litter, 
bedding, stables &c. retain the contagion for not 
more than fifteen days if the weather be warm 
and if the articles be properly aerated. All this 
is valuable information. 
As regards curative treatment it is a well- 
known fact that all specific fevers should l« 
allowed to run their course. Rindeqjest aCFects 
the animal for about ten days. In the meantime 
the treatment should be mainly confined to the 
supply of proper diet and the alleviation of any 
untoward pymptoms. In this respect it has 
also to be borne in mind that the cost of the 
food and medicines used should l)e such as not 
to exceed the value of the animals which ar« 
likely to recover, and above all, these substances 
sliould be within easy reach of the village>^- The 
e.vperience of Indian Veterinary Surgeons have 
not been in vain. They have been able to recognize 
the value of native drugs, and how such drugs 
could be substituted for more e.Tpensive 8tuflF. 
They know the nature, quantity and quality of 
the food stuffs available in the different districts 
and villages. 
For instance, it has been found that only liquid 
and easily assimilable nutritious food should be 
given to animals effected with this disease, and 
that rice conjee is the most easily obtainable, 
whereas if milk and eggs are easily procurable, 
these should be added to the conjee, and that the 
addition of some papaw fruit in the preperation 
of this food would make it a most suitable diet. 
As regards treatment : when constipation exists 
an ounce of sulphur administered twice daily has 
proved to be of use, and when diarrhoea supervenes 
t'lie following is the remedy which Veterinary 
Surgeon Thacker and many others have success- 
fully prescribed, viz : — 
Camphor . . . ■ 2 drams 
Datura (Bing. Attana) . . 2 „ 
Cliiretta ( „ Binkohomba) . . 1 „ 
Arrack . . . . 4 oz. 
Instead of , Chiretta either Margosa bark , 
CincohnabarkjTiuospora (S. Rasakinda),Cosciuium 
feiiestratum (S. Weniwel), or for the matter of 
that Quinine may, I think, be substituted with 
equal benefit. The preparation of a receipe of the 
above description should be ■within the means of 
any villager, 
When the diarrhoea and dysentry progress^ 
another simple remedy is a decoction of bael fruit 
(Sing. Beli). This decoction may be best prepar- 
ed by boiling 8 lbs, b8el fruit broken up into pieces 
