CHAPTER IX.

EPIDEMIC PNEUMONIA. EPIDEMIC DYSENTERY. RINDERPEST
                                          IN CATTLE.

                          EPIDEMIC PNEUMONIA.

This is based on the description of an epidemic in 1839 on the
coast of Tenasserim and recorded by Dr. MacDonald.

Many elephants were attacked simultaneously, and at that time
bullocks were suffering from apparently the same disease. The
mortality was very high ; no symptoms are recorded, but on post-
mortem usually one lung was found extensively diseased, the other
" pretty healthy," which leads one to infer that it was not quite
healthy. The diseased portions of lung were engorged, and in colour
varied from florid red to black. Referring to the works I have had
access to, it is significant that no other author has seen a similar
outbreak. The post-mortem appearances recorded are more or less
compatible with cases of pulmonary anthrax.

               EPIDEMIC DYSENTERY OR MURRAIN.

Such a condition has been described, which does not differ in
symptoms or treatment from the above, but as it attacks several
animals simultaneously it may be regarded as infectious, and beasts so
affected must be isolated with the same precautions as laid down
under " Anthrax." The mortality mentioned is 80 per cent.
I have never seen this condition in elephants, but have met with a
similar condition among buffaloes in this province at the end of the
hot season, when after the first few showers the young grass crops
up rapidly. It may be due to the entrance of a micro-organism.
The disease was as fatal as severe cattle-plague.

                   RINDERPEST—CATTLE PLAGUE.

The following is an extract from the report of the Imperial
Bacteriologist to the Government of India for the year 1906-07 :—

      " Insusceptibility of the Indian Elephant to Rinderpest.

      " In order to determine whether elephants are susceptible to

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