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The surface of the country has a general slope from north to south, and in the north-east of the
district this is combined with a slope towards the south-east.
Irrigation is carried on extensively from wells, tanks and canals, two-ninths of the total cultivated
area of the district being so watered. Owing to excessive percolation from the canals numerous jhils
or swamps were formed, but these by suitable drainage have now been reclaimed. The rains usually
set in towards the close of June, and last until the middle of September, or sometimes a month later.
Irregularities in their occurrence are surely followed or accompanied by disease, generally in the form
of fever. The average total rainfall, according to seasons, for the whole district, varies from 18.9 to
56.6 inches, with a mean for 11 years of 35.7 inches.
The minimum temperature observed by Dr. Royle was 37° in January, the maximum 105° or 107°.
The temperature rises rapidly from the beginning of March, and by the middle of June the maximum is
attained.
There is no local breed of cattle in the district. The breed of horses in the southern part of the
district called the Katha is considered very good, and it was partly on that account that a stud depôt
was established at Saharanpur in the year 1842.
Nakur Tahsil.—Statistics
were obtained from fifty-three (53) villages in the tahsil, and in three
other gaons. Surra was known to have been present after the rains (November 1895), viz., Khoona,
Childana and Danapur, but no numbers were obtainable.
Later it is reported, in addition, from 22 villages, during the month of January.
Deobanl, Roorkee and Saharanpur Tahsils.—Later
returns show that in addition to the above
mentioned outbreaks, Surra also occurred in eight villages during November and December in the
Deoband Tahsil, in six during September and October in the Roorkee, and in nine villages during
August to December in the Saharanpur Tahsil.
The animals of ninety-eight villages in all have been reported as having been attacked by Surra.
The Outbreak of Surra on the Saharanpur- Rájpur Dâk Line during the rains of 1894.
1. Route.—Between Saharanpur (elevation 900 feet) and Rájpur (elevation 3,320 feet), a distance
of 49 miles, there are twelve stages or chowkis for tonga ponies. From Saharanpur to Mohand (eleva-
tion 2,255 feet), a distance of 28 miles, the road traverses the plains, the ascent of 1,200 feet being very
gradual from Fattehpur. At Mohand the road enters a defile (Mohand Pass) through which the Mohan
Rau flows, hills of from 200 to 500 feet elevation rising on either side. The summit of the pass is
reached at Asarori (elevation 2,685 feet), 9 or 10 miles from the southern entrance. From this point
the road descends, crosses the valley of the Dún to Dehra (elevation 2,232 feet), and finally terminates
at Rájpur.
2. Dâk Contractor.—The tonga dâk gharries on this route are owned by five or six different
contractors, each working separately. Of these one firm only—Smith, Rodwell and Company—are
Europeans.
All the tonga ponies, numbering some 373, are registered under the supervision of the Collector of
Saharanpur, but of the numerous ekka animals no account at all is kept. Consequently a considerable
amount of trouble was experienced in obtaining any reliable data concerning the actual number of ani-
mals attacked with disease, and the number and dates of deaths.
3. Recognition of the disease.—Enquiries were made amongst the Dâk Proprietors and their ser-
vants regarding Surra. The name of the disease is quite unknown to them ; they however all agree in
describing a disease which makes its appearance within a month or two after the commencement of the
rains, and which they simply term " Bukhar " fever, but which shows definite symptoms. This disease
attacks horses, principally between Mohand and Asarori, and when once stricken with it, they say, no
animal has been known to recover.
4. History of Outbreak of 1893.—No records are forthcoming concerning any outbreak of Surra
anterior to 1893; but the symptoms of the disease during the present rainy season and the last were
recognised as similar to those which the ponies presented in previous epidemics, the years 1880 and
1889 being mentioned.
In 1893 the first death from Surra occurred at the Tunbara Chowki on July 30th ; and between
this date and the end of the rains 84 ponies are said to have succumbed to this disease, 72 of which
cases occurred between Mohand and Asarori ; whilst 12 animals died at Fattehpur, the fourth chowki
from Saharanpur. One animal was transferred here from the Mohand Pass in June 1893, " because it
was looking ill and pulled down," This animal was the first one to show the disease in August of the
same year.
It is uncertain whether this animal brought the disease to Fattehpur, and was the direct cause of
the other eleven ponies contracting Surra ; but evidence of an important nature was communicated to me
by an eye-witness. The Chumars at this village, after skinning horses or other animals which have
died in the vicinity, wash the skins in the tank. Now if the skin of the first horse was so treated (and
when it is understood that the amount of blood in a horse is equivalent to about 1/15 of its body weight,