In the middle of nineteenth century,

the deadly Cattle Plague exterminated thousands and thousands of cattle and buffalo in India. Loss of livestock threatened the future of agrarian economy as agriculture and transport were driven by bovine species. Sometimes, the compelling need to own cows

or bullocks drove the peasants into debt traps. Besides the economic effects, the death

of sacrosanct cow inflicted psychological trauma to the owners. The peasants looked helpless and frustrated. The prevailing confusion can be judged from the fact that Cattle plague was known with more than 100 different names in different parts of the country. The veterinarians had little clue about the cause of the epidemic and appropriate remedial measures. The cattle disease was equated with the small pox in human, which may sound astounding today. In 1869, Col. J.H.B. Hallen, Staff Veterinary Surgeon of Bombay Army, was appointed as the Chairman of the Indian Cattle Plague Commission. The report submitted in 1871, documented the prevailing diseases in the country, most notably Cattle Plague or Rinderpest and Foot and Mouth Disease (Khurpucca and Moopacca), another disease that had tremendous effect on draught animals. Based on the recommendations of this Commission, the Imperial Bacteriological Laboratory (IBL) was established on 9th December 1889 on 5.5 acres of land adjoining the College of Science, Poona. This piece of land was gifted by a nobleman and philanthropist known as Sir

Dinshaw Manockji Petit, Bart.

Mukteswar: Scientific Heritage of Animal Health Research in India

However, the need for vast area in a secluded place for safe handling of infectious agents, led to the selection of a place called Motesar, now known as Mukteswar, in the Kumaoun hills of Uttarakhand. At that time, in the pristine forest land, there was an old Shiva temple, ‘The Mukteswar temple’, believed to be over 5000 years old, whose mystical allure attracted Yogis

and Rishis of ancient times.

A view from the South Gate showing Mukteswar temple atop the mountain and the Bhim Tal, Ramgarh and Almora roads. The Shiva temple is believed to be more than 5000 years old.

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Himalayan view from IVRI Campus, Mukteswar

In this mountainous sub-himalayan area, at an altitude of 7500 to 7702 feet above sea level, the site chosen for the IBL was located about 37 km from Nainital and 22.5 km south east of Almora. The climate of the place for most part of the year was cold and the extreme temperature ranged between 21.6 and 29.110C. The snowfall during winter was heavy and lasted for several weeks. The forest land was populated with deodars, oak and pine. It was natural habitat for tigers, panthers, swamp deer, wildboar, langur and many other wild animals and avian species. The IBL acquired the site measuring 3453 acres, which was largely reserve forest land (2664 acres) and built its first set of research laboratories and experimental animal sheds here. In about 270.50 acres, fodder cultivation was done to

feed the animals’ onsite.

The transfer of laboratory at Muktesar was started in 1893 and completed by the end of the year 1895. The main laboratory building was destroyed by a fire accident in 1899; however it was promptly rebuilt in 1902 and expanded to accommodate the

Director’s Office and three research officers, a library, and a class room for 7 students. At this time, the staff consisted of Imperial Bacteriologist, Assistant Bacteriologist, one laboratory assistant, three ministerial staff, one artist and some menials.

A medical microbiologist, Dr Alfred

Lingard, was appointed as the Imperial Bacteriologist on 25 August 1890, and

entrusted with the responsibility “To investigate diseases of domesticated animals

”Only those who knew Mukteswar before a motor road was constructed can appreciate fully the tremendous difficulties involved in building and equipping a research station with scientific apparatus, when every item, except the stone for building, had to be transported by hand or mule a distance of twenty-three miles from railhead over a series of mountain passes rising from near sea level to a height of 7,500 feet.” Sir Frank Ware (Former Director of IBL) in: A History of the Overseas Veterinary Services, 1961

in all Provinces in India and to ascertain, as far possible, by biological research in the laboratory and, when necessary, at the place of the outbreak, the means for preventing and curing such diseases” (sic). In the beginning,

Dr Lingard started research on Surra in horses

The main building of IBL, Mukteswar (1893)

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and camels at Poona campus; but as the focus and emphasis shifted to cattle plague, it was evident that such research can only be conducted in a more biosecure location. The IBL at Mukteswar, spread over a vast expanse of forest land in the secluded mountainous terrain, was built along with a series of six out-kraals (Animal sheds) to hold about 300 animals. The boundary walls of these sheds were high enough to keep the wild animals at bay. Separate buildings to work on zoonotic diseases like anthrax and glanders were also

built here.

work was extended to almost all the important prevalent diseases of the time. A good historical recount of the seminal work conducted at this place on prevailing important diseases such as Rinderpest, Dourine, Glanders, Strangles, Rabies, Kumri, Haemorrhagic Septicaemia, Contagious Pleuropneumonia, Black Quarter, Anthrax, Foot and Mouth Disease, Tetanus, Tuberculosis and

Johne’s Disease is to be documented. Starting with production of a potent anti-rinderpest serum in 1899, by 1904 the range of

An out-kraal built to hold animals before experimentation and experimental animal sheds where research on cattle plague was conducted at IBL, Mukteswar.

As the institute grew in strength with appointment of scientists and research officers

products was extended to antiserum for anthrax and haemorrhagic septicaemia, mallein and black quarter vaccine. In the 1920s, the demand

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“The change-over from animal to human flesh is, I believe, in most cases accidental. As an illustration of what I mean by ‘accidental’ I quote the case of Mukteswar man-eating tigress. …… Thereafter she became an established man-eater and had killed twenty four people before she was finally accounted for.”

Jim Corbett in Man-eaters of Kumaon, 1944

“Man-Eater that killed 300 people shot at Mukteswar by Col. J D E Holmes, Director of the IBL”. Information shared by Mrs Sheila Clark, granddaughter of Dr A L Sheather, Former Director, IBL.

for vaccines and sera grew tremendously and the institute produced over 5 million doses of anti-rinderpest serum in 1925-26.

The staff worked with dedication, ignoring the discomfort due to lack of common amenities of civilized life and risked their life since man eating tigers prowled at night. In this endeavour, some even lost their lives. Dr A. W. Shilston, Assistant Bacteriologist, is said to have died from Glanders, a horse disease on which he was working during 1914-1919. One may say, they lived ascetic and hermetic life of Rishis of the Himalayas, focused on the mission to protect

animal health and mitigate their sufferings.

After India’s Independence, the institute was renamed as the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) and the Izatnagar campus, which was earlier an adjunct campus for enhancing the economical production of serum and other biologicals, was expanded to cover many other disciplines of veterinary and animal sciences. Starting from 1904, the institute continued its efforts in producing competent human resources for the country and became a preferred destination for higher education by the veterinary and animal science graduates. The teaching and research activities were pursued with more vigour after 1985, when it was conferred the Deemed to be University status. A memorial pillar commemorating the successful eradication of Cattle Plague stands proudly before the main laboratory building of IVRI, Mukteswar. The last outbreak of cattle plague was recorded in North Arcot district of Tamil Nadu in 1995 and the OIE (Office International des Epizooties) granted the provisional freedom status in 1998 and finally declared India free from the deadly cattle plague in 2006. The FAO declared global rinderpest

eradication on 28th June 2011.

The biologicals produced at this institute were not only in great demand within the country, but also abroad where cattle plague wrecked havoc. Efforts to prevent outbreaks of cattle plague got the biggest push when the Goat Tissue Vaccine (GTV) was developed by Dr J T Edwards in the

1927.

Later in 1966-67, the rinderpest tissue culture

(Kabete ‘O’ virus) vaccine (TCRV) was introduced in India and continued to be used until the disease was eradicated. According to a report published in 1984, the country produced both GTV and TCRV vaccines in enough quantities annually to accomplish the massive vaccination drive. This was made possible by capacity building in vaccine production by training large number of technical and scientific staff from different states of the

country.

Children of IBL employees at school

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The Main Building of IVRI, Mukteswar, 2018 Students of IVRI Deemed University, 2018

Soon after the successful eradication of cattle

plague, in the 1990’s, the sheep and goat population were threatened with PPR, otherwise known as Goat Plague in common parlance. This disease was caused by another related virus and could kill about half of the affected animals. Once again, IVRI- Mukteswar responded in time and produced a vaccine to prevent Goat Plague in 2002. The Government of India is now pursuing the PPR Control Programme, and the FAO/OIE has set the target for Global Eradication of Goat Plague by 2030.

The days are not too far off when Moteswar, aka Mukteswar, would proudly ring the death knell of goat plague and erect another memorial to

commemorate ‘Freedom from Goat Plague’.

Article by: G Saikumar, Aniket Sanyal, Triveni Dutt, B P Mishra & R K Singh with support of scientists of IVRI Campus, Mukteswar.

The memorial to commemorate global eradication of rinderpest was erected at IVRI, Mukteswar, 2012.

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