KoV. 1, 1902.] Supplement to the " Tropical Agriculturist 
36d 
ten to fourteen days after the first. Unfortunately 
the difference in the strength and immunising 
properties of the different biles made it practically 
impossible to fix any exact dates on which to apply 
the blood inoculations with safety, and yet to give 
a reaction that would strengthen the immunity. 
In many herds no visible reaction followed the 
first blood inoculation, and yet the second blood 
inoculation caused such a general and severe 
attack, that a large percentage died of the disease. 
In some instances even the first blood inoculation 
caused a heavy mortality, clearly showing that 
some samples of glycerinated bile gave but a very 
evanescent immunity. To overcome these draw- 
backs, a larger doee of glycerinated bile was used, 
and it was followed up with blood inoculations at 
shorter intervals, beginning with 2 minims, and 
gradually iucreasiag the dose. Several herds were 
immunised by this method, but it entailed a 
considerable amount of additional trouble and 
expense. Glycerinated bile is now used mainly 
to give a passive immunity similar to serum, until 
the infection in the herd, or in the near neighbour- 
hood, has died out. If necessary it may with 
advantage be followed by a dose of pure bile. It 
is now rarely followed up by virulent blood, 
principally on account of the danger that exists 
in this country of communicating other diseases 
besides Kinderpest. The chief advantage of gly- 
cerinated bile over serum is that it can be prepared 
immediately on the outbreak of the disease, at any 
centre where serum is unobtainable. It will keep 
effective for many months — in one instance it 
proved effective after three years — and it requires 
very little skill to prepare it. 
The question of defibriiiated salted blood and 
serum as inoculating media for the prevention and 
cure of Eiuderpest are also dealt with at length, 
and the pamphlet concludes with the following; — 
Considerations fob Future Action. 
Should Rinderpest become epizootic again in 
South Africa, and prevail in a virulent form over 
wide areas of the country, rendering the cattle 
liable to infection, and re-infection for many 
months, it would be necessary to give the herds 
an active immunity which would last until the 
danger were past, and such an immunity could 
only be conferred by an injection of one or other 
of the following immunising materials : — 
(a) Inoculation with pure bile. 
(b) Inoculation with glycerinated bile followed 
by pure bile, or repeated doses of virulent blood, 
or 
(c) The simultaneous inoculation with strong 
standardised serum and virulent blood. 
There are, however, very strong objections to 
the use of virulent blood, whether after glyceri- 
nated bile, or along with serum, — 
(a) Because it conveys active Rinderpest to the 
cattle, every inoculated herd becoming a fresh 
centre of infection, and 
(6) On account of the danger of introducing 
other infectious diseases besides Rinderpest, such 
as Redwater, Anthrax, Quarter-evil, and other 
diseases of a similar character which affect cattle 
in South Africa, not yet clearly differentiated, but 
which are kuowu to be communicated by blood 
inoculation, and which cannot always be guarded 
against even by careful microscopic examination, 
This is also the principal objection against the 
use of defibrinated salted blood. 
We have, however, every hope and expectation 
now that the war has ceased, and with it the 
necessity for moving cattle about in all directions 
for transport, and [.rotection, that the outbreaks 
of the disease will be more or less sporadic, and 
comparatively easily suppressed by strict quaran- 
tine, and the prompt inoculation with serum or 
bile, both pure and glycerinated. It is upon 
serum, however, that our principal reliance must 
be placed, — 
(a) Because it can be produced in large quan- 
tities, and kept for long periods ready for use as 
required. The serum prepared by Drs. Turner 
and Kolle at Kimberley in 1898 retained its 
efficacy unimpaired for two and a half years, and 
some of it was u'sed effectively after three years, 
but its strength was evidently becoming reduced 
at the latter date. 
(6) Its strength can be ascertained before it is 
issued for use, hence the dose can be regulated. 
(c) Its action is immediate, a clean animal is 
safe as soon as it is inoculated. 
(^(l) It is also curative in its action in the early 
stages of the disease when used in large doses. 
(<?) It does not — as far as is known at present 
— communicate any other disease. 
The methods of inoculation which I would 
recommend in future sporadic outbreaks of Rinder- 
pest are briefly as follows : — 
Infected Herds. 
These should be inoculated at once with either 
serum, glycerinated bile, or defibrinated immune 
blood. Every animal which indicates infection by 
a rise of temperature should receive a large dose of 
not less than 100 c.c. of strong serum, 30 c.c. of 
glycerinated bile, or 300 to 400 c.c. of ordinary 
immune blood, obtained from a recovered animal 
which hod not been fortified. All affected animals 
should receive the inoculation direct into the 
jugular vein, as it acts more promptly and 
effectively than when injected under the skin. 
Fresh pure bile should not be used in an infected 
herd, if any of the other inoculating materials can 
be obtained, as some biles tend to intensify the 
character of the disease in those already infected, 
and its immunising effect is too slowly developed 
to protect the healthy cattle in the herd against 
infection, if they are kept in contact with the 
sick. If no other means are available, however, 
the temperature of the whole of the cattle in the 
infected herd should be carefully taken by clinical 
thermometer, and those only which register a 
normal temperature should be inoculated with pure 
bile ; the others should be separated from the 
inoculated lot at once, and carefully attended to, 
If glycerine can be obtained, the spare bile should 
be mixed with it in the proportion of one of 
glycerine to itco of bile. This mixture after 
standing for forty-eight hours, may be injected 
intravenously into the infected animals in large 
doses, not only with safety, but with marked 
benefit. Fresh, pure bile may, however, be used 
as a second injection, following serum or glyceri- 
