294 
[Oct. 1, isor. 
SupiAenwit In the ‘ Tropical Agriculturist." 
Upon the famous Talpan and Kli^ipiespan, the 
217 aninml.s inoculated by Dr. Koch, Dr. Turner 
and myself are in perfect health, and the majority 
after 59 days and the rest after 39. I may remark 
that neither of these animals develo[)ed an abscess. 
To obtain a clear proof how long the immunity 
lasts, I have inoculated with rinderpest blood 
sufficient to kill 100 animals on tbe farm Susanna, 
five of the beasts previously operated upon by 
Dr. Koch three months ago. 
Two of these animals had been tested in tl)is way 
by Dr. Koch himself, the otlier three had not 
been touched since the first inoculation with gall. 
All live animals are in good health, ^'^ith normal 
tempei’atures after the lap.^^e of eight days. 
This shows that this immunity jiroduced by gall 
continues at least three months. 
My experiences gained on farms on which I have 
infected the cattle shows me that infecrion can 
easily be introduced into the herd by the very 
Kaffirs employed to cast the animals for the pur- 
pose of the operation. 
f can also see, too, that young calves and ani- 
mals in poor condition are those most susceptible 
to the infection. 
As regards the idea that rinderpest gall is cap- 
able of conveying the disease, 1 can assert that 
Dr. Koch used maTiy galls of various kinds, and 
until the station became thoroughly infected failed 
to produce the disease in any animal. 
At Klippiespan and Talpan wherever Dr. Koch, 
Dr. Turner and myself made arrangements which 
were strictly carried out no animals died from 
the injection, and I can only be responsible for 
inoculation preformed under such conditions. 
My recent experiences convince me that gall 
of a dark green colour clear, without smell, and 
which when shaken gives a white froth with 
greenish tinge, never gi\'es rindeipest but confers 
immunity, and only such galls must be used for 
the purpose. 
Even these should be examined microscopicially 
and bacteriologically to prove them free from septic 
organisms. 
I lepeat that gall in sterilised air-tight bottles 
will preserve its power on ice for the space of at 
least fourteen fays. 
This has been tested. Therefore the gall is a 
practically useful immunising agent. 
In fact gall properly chosen and used with all 
scientific precautions cannot produce the disease. 
I am sorry that it is impossible for me to experi- 
ment upon an undoubtedly clean herd, and can only 
recommend that this most urgently necessary ex- 
periment. should he carried out;without delay with 6 
diflerent galls collecteil on the 6th day as previously 
recommeiuled, and tried upon Go auim.als on a farm 
where rinderpe.st. has never been and which is far 
away from any centre of infection. 
The temperatures should be taken 4 days 
previous to the inoculation, and if they are normal 
the experiment should be made on the 5th day, 
and each lot of 10 animals inoculated with a differ- 
ent gall, and marked. 
The persons casting the cattle must not have 
been engaged on infected farms. 
The outside of the bottles containing the gall 
must be well disinfected ; the cattle must be 
■watche<l so that they can never incur any danger 
of infection until iuimu-nity has set in. 
So far as I know such an experiment has never 
been tried before. 
Should only one of these animals .suffer from 
rinderpest, it then ean be proved that good gall 
can convey the disease, a statement I shall 
dispute until thus tested. 
If this last recommendation cannot be carried 
out, I advise that before beginning the infec- 
tion the cattle shoukl be divided into 3 lot.®. 
The first lot should consist of strong full grown 
cattle. 
The second sticking calves with their mothers. 
The tliird lot weaued calves and old weak cows. 
The tempeiatures should be taken, all sus- 
picious cases isolated, and they should be inoculat, 
ed with rinderpest gall on the 5th day. 
This would determine whether the physical 
condition of the animal had any effect on the 
process of immunisation. 
As regards the injection itself I would say that 
the cattle of lots 1 and 2 should all be injected 
with 10 cc. of gall except the calves, the latter 
should be inoculated S daj’s later. 
Cows heavy with calf should not be inoculated 
unless the operation can be ]>erformed without 
causing them accidental injury by casting, A'c. 
I'nless this can be assured the inoculation had 
better be jiostponed until after calving. 
The thiid lot must be inoculated 8 days after 
lots 1 and 2, and the 5th and 7th days after 
inoculation the temperature should be taken and 
all those with fever must be isolated. 
The 10th day after inoculation 2% should be 
taken out of each lot and infected with rinderpest 
blood. 
Those full grown should receive 0'2 cc. , calves 
0'002cc.,the latter quantity is twice the lethal dose. 
If the control animals are infected it will be 
proof that the gall has failed to immunise and 
the operation must be repeated. 
I am certain that if gall inoculation is made in 
the manner indicated, rinderpest will soon be a 
thing of the jtast in youth Africa. 
CEYLOK FISH. 
Dr. Watt, in his Dictionary of Economic 
Products, gives an exhaustivt list of Indian 
fishes of economic value, among which occur 
the following which are well-known and com- 
monly eaten in Ceylon 
Cyhium commersonii — Seer or Seir fi.sh. The 
species of this genus are said to be amongst 
the most delicate of all marine fishes when of 
the proper size ; if under a foot in length they 
are said to he dry, from IJ to 24 feet they 
are most excellent, while above this they become 
coarse. Other species of the same genus and 
also known as •‘Seer” are (/uftatnm and 
C. lineolatuvi. 
Cynoylossus lingua — the Sale. Highly esteemed 
for the table, and considered to be light, nutritious, 
delicate, and one of the fish that may be 
safely given to invalids. 
Engranlis indicus — White Bait — extensively 
employed as food, cooked in the same way as 
white bait. 
Etroplm maculatus — the Sinhalese “ Rallia,” 
and E. “ Corallia.” 
Haipodon nehereus — the Bombay Duck. Highly 
esteemed as food whether fresh or salted, and 
in the latter form extensively employed as a 
relish with curries and known as “Bombay 
Duck.” 
Lates calcarifer—the. “ cock-up/’ or “ nair fish ” 
(Koduwa). Good eating when obtained from the 
vicinity of large rivers ; salts well and piepared as 
“ tamarind fish.” 
