8
Cases may, however, occur higher up, but from my enquiries I should say that they are not very
common. There is a very considerable difference in the conditions in the upper part of the district,
although it is all more or less subject to inundation and flooding in the rainy season. The soil is,
however, lighter and the river beds sandy, whilst also the water runs very fast in them. The worst
part of the country here appears to be between the Jumna Canal and the river in the south-east
corner, where, owing to the increase in the amount of water passing through the canal, the whole of the
villages in the vicinity are badly water-logged and very unhealthy. Almost every village in this line
was attacked last year and the losses were very severe. The continuation of this line in Karnal is also
very bad indeed, as has been already mentioned. I do not think that this tract is at all likely to
improve as the evil seems to be a growing one, and it is not worth while to bother about horses in
these villages. It is quite possible that the disease will increase in the Karnal Depôt as it appears to
have done in the villages in the neighbourhood; however time will show."
Ludhiana District.
Ludhiana is the most western of the three districts of the Umballa Division, and has for its
northern boundary the river Sutlej for a distance of nearly 60 miles. It comprises an area of 1,375
acres, and has a population of 618,835 souls.
The district is divided into three tahsils—Samrála to the east, Jagraon to the west, and Ludhiana
in the middle.
The height above sea level varies from 764 to 870 feet. The district is divided physically into
the ' Bet,' a low-lying alluvial tract along the river Sutlej, and the Dhaia, or uplands. This river has
always a considerable volume of water, but when in flood it spreads over the country to a width
generally of two or three miles. The Budha Nála, a perennial stream, rising in the Rupar Tahsil of
Umballa, also becomes swollen by floods in the rains, and covers the country about, and there is
generally a good deal of swamp near it.
In the Samrala Tahsil much of injury is done by the spread of swamp, the stream being only
slightly below the level of the country, and all land within a short distance is injuriously affected by
percolation.
The 'Bet' is liable annually to inundation, but the floods do not last very long, as they are caused
by the rainfall in the plains only. Saline efflorescence appears here and there, owing to the impeded
underground drainage, by which the soil is so impregnated that it becomes barren.
The Dhaia, or upland part of the district, stretches to the south in a plain, the uniformity of which
is unbroken by hill or stream. The lines of drainage (raos) slope from north-east to south-west, and
although in years of heavy rainfall they carry a large volume of water, there is never anything
approaching to swamp.
The mean rainfall for the three tahsils for a period of 18 years is—Samrala 27", Ludhiána 27", and
Jagraon 21". The monsoon generally begins in the last 10 days of June, and closes at the end of
September, with a slight fall in October, and a fairly heavy fall at the end of December, and again in
March.
The moist Bet tract is very unhealthy, and during the months of August to November fever is
very prevalent. The severity of these attacks varies, but the general result is a weakening of the
constitution which makes the people less able to resist the effects of other ailments, and in severe years
the mortality is excessive. Amongst cattle anthrax fever or malignant sore throat and foot-and-mouth
disease are said to be common. The former is very deadly and most infectious, attacking buffaloes and
bullocks alike, but the latter is never very deadly, although the cattle affected are rendered useless for
a long time.
Few horses are kept, but camels are used for carrying purposes by the people of most of the
jungle villages, where carts cannot work. Sheep and goats are kept in every village, and some donkey
and mules for the use of the Kumbhárs or brick-makers.
In 1894 Surra locally known as Zaharbad occurred in four villages in this district. These
villages are situated in the ' Bet ', a very unhealthy portion of the district, low-lying and alluvial,
subject to inundation from the river Sutlej and the Badha Nála.
Jagraon Tahsil.—In 1895 and 1896 Surra outbreaks occurred in fifteen villages in this tahsil.
These villages are situated in a low-lying and alluvial portion of the district, which is subject to inun-
dation.
During July-August 1896 Surra made its appearance in three villages of the tahsil, where ten
asses and eighteen camels, 35 per cent., succumbed to it.
In the same tahsil the disease appeared in two villages during January, February and July 1897,
when 9 camels (36 per cent.) and 30 asses succumbed.
"In the village of Aliwal the people described the symptoms as "having gone weak in the loins".
In the latter stages they seem to be able to recognise the disease. The death-rate was 100 per cent