U4 
Supplement to the "Tropical Agricidturist.'' [Aug. 1, 1899. 
Edington have more or less successfully carried out 
extensive protective inoculation experiments 
against rinderpest with infected bile. The most 
hopeful results, however, appear to be obtainable 
from the method of Danysz, Bordet and Theiler, 
a translation of whose report may be seen in the 
Veterinary Eecord of the 26th February, 1898. 
"These observers at first confer comparative 
immunity by the injection of immune blood on 
experimental cattle, to which they then transmit 
rinderpest by natural infection, with tlie result 
that these partially protected cattle take the disease 
in a mild form, and, on recovery become immune 
for the remainder of their lives. In this, these 
pathologists act on the knowledge that the injec- 
tion of blood serum obtained from cattle whicii 
have recovered from rii:derpest, renders tlie experi- 
mental cattle capable, for a short time, of with- 
standing the effects of the disease more easily than 
,they would otherwise do, altliougli it does not 
prevent them from taking the infection. In this 
method, defibrinated blood is used in preference to 
blood serum, as it is more economical in practice, 
and is at least equally effective." 
A more detailed account of this method of treat- 
ment can also be found on reference to the last 
October number of the Agricultural Magazine. 
The distinctions drawn between rinderpest and 
other diseases will be found useful. It is thus 
differentia; ed from dysentery. "In dysentery the 
diarrhoea appears earlier and contains more blood. 
The intestine only is implicated and the affections 
of the mucous membranes (mosMyeyes, nasal cavi- 
ties &c.) are absent. The /^os? ?;w^e?/i appearances 
are also different." Again, differentiating it from 
the gastric form of anthrax the autliors say that 
the latter disease runs a much more stormy course 
and is not directly infectious. Post mortem and 
bacteriological examinations also materially help 
in diagnosing these diseases correctly. 
The description given under the head of " Deer 
and Cattle Disease" is interesting, especially 
because it tends to throw light oa a disease 
called kandamalai in Ceylon. It has hitherto been 
thought that this is a form of anthrax and 
was called gloss-anthrax. Of "deer and cattle 
disease" we read: — "It was usually mistaken 
for anthrax with the lingual form, of which it 
possesses i" some cases great similarity. The 
question whether the majority of cases described 
as "anthrax of the tongue" or "gloss-anthrax" 
were not those of this disease is almost self- 
suggestive," 
The following are the symptoms of the disease 
as it occurs in cattle :— Loss of appetite, dimi- 
nution of milk, temperature very high ; the soft 
parts of the head, especially of tlie face, inter- 
maxillary space, dewlap and neck are swollen 
often to an enormous size. The swellings are 
tense, hard, hot, painful and unyielding. Symp- 
toms of stomatitis and pharyngitis appear at 
tiie same time. There is salivation with diffi- 
culty of swallowing ; the tongue hangs out and 
is swollen. Difficulty of breathing and even 
actual suffocation may occur on account of the 
creat swelling about the throat. The visible 
mucous membranes are of a bro\vn-red colour 
and infiltrated with hifimorrhages. Excessive 
;ij'spuoea and colic come on at the last stage, 
This disease is distinguished from anthrax by 
the absence of the anthrax bacillus in the blood, 
absence of enlargem(int of the spleen and of 
the characteristic tarry condition of the blood, 
which are always present in anthrax. Deer and 
cattle disease can, unlike anthrax, be easily 
transmitted to pigs, scarcely to sheep and never 
to man. Death generally takes place within 
24 hours. 
Free incisions into the swellings with subse- 
quent applicaticn of strong disinfectants is recom- 
mended by way of treatment. 
Injections of a 5 percent solution of creolin 
and the internal administration of creolin are 
also recommended. 
One interesting and important feature of the 
volume under review is that, amongst others, 
it directs attention to diseases that can be com- 
municated to man by milk, meat, infection, 
inoculation, &c., and is therefore useful to 
doctors as well as to veterinary surgeons. 
Among disea.ses of this de-cription are aptha- 
epizootica, antiirax, tuberculosis, influenza, acti- 
nomycosis, diptheria, tetanus, glanders and rabies. 
The second volume, which has not yet been 
published, will more particularly concern the 
veterinary surgeon, as it will deal with the diseases 
of animals purely. 
E. T. HOOLE. 
ABOUT THE KOLA NUT. 
Most people are acquainted with the Kola nut 
tonic, so universally sold, but few know much 
of the great estesm in which the nut is held 
in the Soudan. As an article of commerce ill 
Central Africa, it far and away exceeds in import- 
ance every other article of commerce throughout 
the whole of the Western and Central Soudan. 
Mr. C, H. Robinson, in an article on the Kola nut, 
in his book " Ilausaland," says : — 
Though not found originally in any part of the 
Hausa States, there is nevertheless no village or 
hamlet, however small or remote, in which it is 
not constantly used. The Kola nut is the product 
of a tree called Sterculia acuminata, which is 
found in the greatest perfection in the country to 
the back of the Gold Coast Colony. It is also 
found as fur east as the Eiver Gambia, and, with 
more or less frequency, in all the intervening 
country. 
The fruit resembles a large-sized chestnut, and 
is encased in long pods, each containing 4 or 6 nuts. 
It grows like chestnut*, in bunches of 3 or 4 on the 
tree. Round the Kola nut there is usually a black 
line, sometimes two, at which it can be divided or 
subdivided. The colour is generally brick-red, 
though in some countries, especially in the Far 
West, there are all sorts of intermediate shades 
between red and white. In the country of the 
Bambara tribe the Kola nuts play an important 
part in private and public life. The colour in this 
case has a special significance : a white kola is 
always a sign of friendship and hospitality, whilst 
proposals of marriage, acceptances or refusals, 
defiances, declarations of war, &c., are conveyed 
by the sending of a number of kolas of tb^ 
prescribed colour. 
