AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF RINDERPEST VIRUS IN
       GOATS IN A SERIES OF 150 DIRECT PASSAGES

                                             BY

            P. T. SAUNDERS, O.B.E., M.R.C.V.S., I.V.S.,

                 Director of Veterinary Services, Madras

                                            AND

          RAO SAHIB K. KYLASAM AYYAR, G.B.V.C.,

                 Superintendent, Serum Institute, Madras.

                           (With Plate I and 82 Charts.)

                  (Received for publication on 30th July 1935.)

In connection with the problem of combating rinderpest in India, several
methods of protecting cattle against the disease have been evolved from time
to time, but the question of cost stood in the way of the serum-simultaneous
method being adopted throughout the country, though this method seemed to
offer an efficient protection. In the search for a cheaper method of affording
protection against the disease what is known as " the goat-virus-alone " method
has come into prominence during the last three or four years. Stirling [1932,
1933] has recorded his views on the use of goat virus-alone on a fairly large scale
in the Central Provinces and Kerr and Menon [1934] have also recorded the work
done with goat-virus-alone in Bengal. It appears that the initial supply of material
for these goat-virus-alone inoculations was from the Imperial Institute of Veteri-
nary Research, Muktesar. Edwards [1927] says that " prolonged and intensive
research has led to means being devised whereby the virus can be easily propa-
gated in goats by successive inoculation with small quantities of blood," but
this virus was then intended only " to overcome the distressing complication
often observed after the serum-simultaneous inoculation caused by the unwitting
introduction of virulent piroplasms with rinderpest." Since Koch [1896-97]
made his observations on the behaviour of the rinderpest virus in goats, there
have been attempts in various parts of the world to find out the extent, if any,
of its practical application in immunising cattle against rinderpest. Bliss [1922]
in China and Topacio [1926] appear to have been the first to put it to practical
use. It is generally accepted that rinderpest virus may be attenuated by succes-
sive passages through goats, yet in none of the available literature is any mention
made of experimental work designed to show how and under what conditions
rinderpest virus becomes attenuated through goats to such a degree as to make
it safe for use on bovines as an immunising agent without the anti-serum.

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