NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
14
While 65,000 doses of Rinderpest Serum had to be purchased
during the first three months of the year under report not a
single drop of the serum has been purchased since the close of
the year up till now notwithstanding the fact that epidemics are
prevalent both in the Assam Valley and the Surma Valley. To
illustrate the savings specifically it may be mentioned that the
cost of the serum per thousand plain Assam cattle is Rs. 400
as opposed to Rs. 6 of the vaccine for the same number of
animals. The magnitude of the benefit will be better under-
stood when it is said that occurrence of Rinderpest is rather too
frequent in Assam and that more than half of the total mortality
of cattle in Assam every year is due to Rinderpest. The change
would thus amount not only to an active protection of the stock
against the scourge of so fell a disease as Rinderpest but also to
an annual saving of several thousand rupees which were hitherto
spent for the purchase of costly and less protective Anti-Rinder-
pest Serum.
Experiments are in progress to test the degree of reaction
produced by the Goat Virus in hill bred and cross bred
English cattle and in highly susceptible buffaloes in Assam. In
March last the Staff Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Gauhati,
was deputed to Imphal to test the degree of susceptibility of
the Manipuri cattle to the virus.
The result obtained is
encouraging and promising to be of great help both to the
department and the State. More extensive experiments are in
contemplation.
49. Another signal success which the department claims
this year is a simple six days' short course treatment of equine
Surra which proved almost 100 per cent. a success as opposed
to a complicated five weeks' course treatment of distinctly
lesser efficacy hitherto followed. Further experiment of the
treatment is contemplated this year if opportunity occurs.
Indeed the result so far obtained is so full of promise that
destruction of horses under the Glanders and Farcy Act for
Surra should be a past history. The department encountered
this year for the first time in its history in the province two very
wide and serious outbreaks of Bovine Trypanosomiasis and is
in a position to report that it was able to combat the epidemics
with Antim Pot.
Tart, treatment intravenously, both as
curative and preventive.
50. Johne's disease continued to be an increasing menace
to the stock of the Government Farms and Jail Dairies and
amongst those issued or sold from the Farms. Government
were pleased to appoint a Committee of enquiry and advice
15
headed by Mr. F. Ware, F.R.C.V.S., I.V.S., Director, Imperial
Institute of Veterinary Research, Muktesar, towards the latter
part of 1935, as a result of letter No. 3169, dated the 16th
September 1935, from this department to the Director of
Agriculture, Assam. The Committee finished its labour early
in January last and agreed with the recommendations of this
department in all essential points.
Action is being taken
according to the recommendation of the Committee.
The
disease was not found in the village herds during the year under
report. This corroborates the finding of my predecessors, which
was also confirmed by the Ware Committee.
51. It needs hardly be emphasised that serious contagious
diseases of livestock act as deterrent towards the progress of the
animal industry in the province and has a great direct bearing
on the Agriculture, dairy produce, public health and economic
condition of the province which exert considerable influence
upon the general welfare and more particularly upon the revenue
paying capacity of the ryots. It is therefore of paramount
importance to educate the illiterate cultivators who form the
great bulk of the livestock owners in the matter of prevention of
epidemic diseases and in all other matters concerning the
general welfare of the livestock. Intensive educative propa-
ganda work in rural areas with lantern lectures, by cattle show,
exhibition, demonstration of models, charts, diagrams and
pathological specimens and distribution of leaflets would go a
great way to gain the end. Inclusion of subjects containing
instructions about general welfare of livestock, particularly of
cattle, in the curriculum of primary and secondary schools
should form another line of work in this direction. The present
staff maintained by the department is inadequate to meet the
demand for the routine work. It is therefore necessary to have
a propaganda section of the Veterinary Department.
This
section should form the nucleus of the future " Animal Health
Branch " of public service in the Veterinary Department.
52. A very heavy increase in the number of specimens
received in the Laboratory for microscopical examination during
the year is another feature worth mentioning. As many as
3,653 specimens of various kinds were examined during the
year under report against 2,405 of the year before. These are
excluding the specimens which were examined by the Veterinary
Investigation Officer during the course of his investigation. A
fee for examination of specimens sent by or for private parties
and not in connection with control of epidemics and scheduled
diseases is now charged.
16
53. Departmental activities in every direction have during
the recent years so enormously increased both in volume and in
importance that without the least exaggeration it may be said
that it has already grown an absolute necessity to relieve the
Superintendent of a considerable part of his office and technical
work of routine nature to let him free for more important
technical and administrative work. It is therefore no more
consistent with efficiency to keep the post of the Deputy Superin-
tendent vacant. It is extremely unfortunate that the present
financial position stands in the way of materialising the idea.
Similarly in view of overwhelmingly increasing demand for
Veterinary aid by the public which the present staff can hardly
adequately deal with, the original programme of maintaining
two Veterinary Assistant Surgeons by each Local Board needs
immediate revision if the department is to be run with any
degree of efficiency. There is no good hiding the fact that the
department goes to-day very much less appreciated than it
deserves for insufficiency of staff. While four of the Local Boards
(Dhubri, Tezpur, Nowgong and Jorhat) appreciating the
increasing demand and hardship have each been entertaining
three Veterinary Assistant Surgeons the rest of the Local Boards
employ only two each except Sylhet and Hailakandi Local
Boards which employ only one each. The Government have
however strengthened the subordinate staff of the Department
by according sanction for four more Veterinary Assistant
Surgeons during the year under report. Since the close of the
year the Government have been pleased to sanction a Special
Officer (Johne's Disease Officer). The appointment of two
Veterinary Graduates as Assistant Farm Managers for the
Khanapara and the Sylhet Cattle Farm during the year under
report should add to the efficiency of the Farms.
While the expansion of the department is urged for it should
be mentioned that there is just now dearth of qualified Veteri-
nary Graduates who are natives of the province. Two Govern-
ment stipendiaries were sent to the Bengal Veterinary College
during the year under report and two more have been sent since
the close of the year. It is unfortunate that few youths of this
province go for this vocational education at their own expense.
To keep pace with the anticipated demand more qualified
Veterinary Graduates are necessary.
54. Despite handicaps the department continued to do
useful work and maintained progress. Successful experimental
treatment, both preventive and curative, and other useful
investigation into animal diseases mark the advancement in the
standard of the service done. Giving deduction for a very large
17
number of cases treated in the Nowgong district for " Mud and
Water Sore " and Foot and Mouth disease following the devas-
tating flood of 1934 which swelled the number of patients consi-
derably last year, and having regard to the fact that half a lakh
more Goat Virus Inoculations were done during the year under
report over that of the last year, the number of cases treated this
year should be considered as a distinct advance. It is a satisfac-
tory feature that though the volume of service rendered this year
excelled that of any of the previous years the expenditure has
been effectively controlled to be within the reasonable limit.
55. As a step towards regeneration of the stock emascula-
tion of weedy bulls was intensively carried out. As many as
25,733 animals were sterilised during the year under report
against 23,232 of the last year. Attempts were made by the
department to encourage the owners to preserve good local bulls
by selection with the help of the Veterinary Assistant Surgeons
for breeding purpose. The department also advised livestock
owners against other causes of degeneration of the cattle in the
province which are briefly (1) Injudicious breeding, (2) Milk
starvation of calves, (3) Improper feed and keep, (4) Over-
stocking, (5) Owner's neglect and (6) Influence of disease and
climate.
56. On account of paucity of funds and for other reasons
the idea of local manufacture of the Goat Virus has been held
in abeyance. The Government have, however, been pleased to
accord their sanction for procuring the product from Bengal as
the viability of the Muktesar Virus deteriorates by reason of long
distance covered in transit. My thanks are due to Mr. P. J.
Kerr, M.R.C.V.S., I.V.S., Director, Civil Veterinary Depart-
ment, Bengal, for his assistance in supplying the material.
57. The Veterinary Investigation Officer, Assam, has been
doing useful investigation into animal diseases. As already
hinted by my predecessor Assam affords an excellent opportu-
nity for such work and credit is due to the Veterinary Investiga-
tion Officer for the detection of a microfilaria as the cause of a
condition locally known as " Hump-Sore " in cattle. He con-
tributed a valuable paper on this and another on " Acute
Amphistomiasis."
58. Propaganda by the officers of the department against
the nefarious design of cattle poisoning for hides and bones by
interested parties has met with little success as evidenced by an
increase in the crime during the year under report. In all 513
cases were reported this year against 459 of the last year.
18
59. It was a great encouragement to the officers of the
department that the Hon'ble Minister of Education, Assam,
paid a visit to the Government Veterinary Hospital, Laboratory
and office at Gauhati during the year under report.
60. The Department has become poorer by the premature
death of two of its most devoted officers, viz., Babu Girish Chan-
dra Dev, Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Jagannathpur and
Babu Jagadish Das Gupta, Veterinary Assistant Surgeon,
Tangla. While the loss is very much regretted I take this oppor-
tunity to place on record the excellent service they rendered to
the department and through it to the public all throughout
their career. The Department also lost the service of Babu
Guru Prasanna Sen, who after a full career proceeded on well
earned pension with effect from the 1st July, 1935, from the
topmost post of the department.
The Government were
pleased to record their appreciation of service rendered by
Babu Guru Prasanna Sen in their Resolution on the last year's
Annual Report.
61. I feel diffident to select names for good work when the
entire staff worked so loyally and assiduously which is very
much appreciated. I however feel that my report will be incom-
plete if I do not mention the names of Mr. P. G. Pande, M.Sc.,
M.R.C.V.S., Veterinary Investigation Officer, Assam, for his
useful investigation into animal diseases, Babu Bhudhar Chan-
dra Chatterjee, Veterinary Inspector, Gauhati Circle No. II,
(since appointed Johne's Disease Officer) for his consistent all
round good work, Maulavi Azizuddin Sarkar, Veterinary
Inspector, Dibrugarh, for his laborious work in connection with
epidemic in the Sibsagar district, Babu Hemanta Kumar Nag
Chaudhuri, Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, for his unabating
devotion to laboratory work, and lastly both the staff Veterinary
Assistant Surgeons for their help in conducting the experi-
mental work.
Consequent on the expansion and progr:ss of the Depart-
mental activities office work has considerably increased in
volume which the present staff find difficult to cope with. My
Head Clerk Maulavi Muhammad Eunus tried to be useful
under these limitations. I must however say that before any
proposal for an increase in the ministerial staff is made in these
days of financial difficulty serious attempts will be made for
readjustment and any possible modification of the system of
work in the office with a view to secure the desired efficiency
with the present limited staff.
19
62. Thanks of the department are due to those public
spirited gentlemen who took great interest in Veterinary
matters and rendered active help to the department. I also
acknowledge with thanks all assistance the department received
from the District and Subdivisional Officers and the Chairmen,
Local Boards, who showed a keen interest in matters concerning
the department and general welfare of the livestock. Lastly I
take this opportunity to express my thanks to Mr. F. Ware,
F.R.C.V.S., I.V.S., Director, Imperial Institute of Veterinary
Research, Muktesar, for the service the department received
from him and his Institute, to the Director and the Deputy
Director of Agriculture, Livestock, Assam, for their assistance to
the department in dealing with Johne's disease in their stock
both in and outside the Farms and to the President, Manipur
State Durbar, for the facility and help he rendered to the
department in carrying out an experiment to test the degree of
susceptibility of the Manipuri cattle to Goat Virus.
S. C. GHOSE,
Superintendent, Civil Veterinary
Department, Assam.
22
TABLE II
Showing number of deaths from contagions diseases amongst animals during the year 1935-36.
Province.
1
Sylhet ... ...
Cachar ... ...
Goalpara ... ...
Kamrup ... ...
Darrang ... ...
Nowgong
...
...
Sibsagar
...
...
Lakhimpur
... ...
Garo Hills
...
...
Khasi and Jaintia Hills ...
Naga Hil's
...
...
Lusbai Hills ... ...
Sadiya Frontier Tract ...
Total... ...
Equines.
Glanders.
2
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
1
...
1
Anthrax.
3
1
...
5
3
7
...
3
...
...
...
...
...
...
19
Surra.
4
7
14
2
3
...
1
7
...
...
...
...
...
...
34
Dourine.
5
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Other contagious
diseases.
6
...
...
4
...
32
6
7
6
...
...
...
1
...
56
Total.
7
8
14
11
6
39
7
17
6
...
...
...
2
...
110
Bovines.
Rinderpest.
8
2,896
3,575
1 058
1,612
330
6
4,389
536
199
330
...
...
...
14,931
Foot-and-
mouth
disease.
9
243
4
82
22
243
71
55
19
37
...
3
...
17
796
Hæmorrhagic
Septicæmia.
10
995
129
100
268
31
42
13 4
5
...
...
9
25
1,624
Black quarter.
11
...
...
77
...
...
...
1
...
...
1
13
19
1
112
Anthrax.
12
716
167
627
72
106
72
75
111
...
..
...
...
5
1,951
Other contagions
diseases.
13
33
...
688
133
316
4()9
480
211
2
46
27
...
...
2,345
Total.
14
4,883
3,875
2,632
2.107
1,029
600
5,013
881
243
377
43
28
48
21,759
23
Province.
Sylhet ... ... ... ... ...
Cavhar ... ... ... ... ...
Goalpara
...
...
...
...
...
Kamrup
...
...
...
...
Darrang ... ... ... ...
Nowgong ... ... ... ...
Sibsagar ... ... ... ...
Lakhimpur ... ... ... ...
Garo Hills ... ... ... ...
Khasi and Jaintia Hills ... ... ...
Naga Hills ... ... ... ...
Lusbai Hills ... ... ... ...
Sadiya Frontier Tract ... ... ... ... ...
Total
...
...
Other animals.
Rinderpest.
15
6
5
...
...
32
...
4
98
...
10
...
...
...
155
Eoot-and month
disease.
16
...
...
...
...
86
...
...
...
... ... ... ...
86
Hæmorrhagic
Senticæmia.
17
...
...
...
...
20
...
...
...
...
...
... ... ...
20
Black
quarter.
18
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
... ... ... ...
...
Anthrax.
19
2
...
2
...
33
...
...
10
...
...
...
...
...
... ... ...
47
Distemper.
20
18
7
6
10
4
2
6
21
2
72
...
...
...
148
Rabies.
21
13
1
16
31
37
2
14
85
...
28
...
...
...
227
Other
contagions
diseases.
22
70
...
490
7
223
54
37
19
23
307
11
...
20
1,261
Total.
23
109
13
514
48
435
58
61
233
25
417
11
...
20
1,944
Grand total.
24
5,000
3,902
3,157
2,161
1,503
665
5,091
1,120
268
794
54
30
68
23,813
24
TABLE III
Showing remits of Preventive Inoculation during the year 1935-30.
District or subdivision.
1
Silchar ... ... ... ...
Palooghat ... ... ... ...
Huflakandi ... ... ... ...
Svlhet ... ... ... ...
Kulaura ... ... ... ...
Karimganj ... ... ... ...
Patharkandi ... ... ... ...
Jagannathpur ...
Dhabri ... ...
Bilushipara ... ... ... ...
Susehar
... ... ... ...
Goalpara ... ... ... ...
Tura ... ... ... ...
Gauhati ... ... ... ...
Nalbari ... ... ... ...
Tangia ... ... ... ...
Marigaon ... ... ... ...
Shillong ... ... ... ...
Sihsagar ... ... ... ...
Nazira
...
...
...
...
Jorhat ... ... ... ...
Mariani ... ... ... ...
Golaghat ... ... ... ...
Bndlipar ... ... ... ...
Dibrugarh
Tinsnkia
...
...
...
...
Dhakuakhana .. ... ... ...
Total
Names of diseases.
2
Rinderpest ...
„
„
„
„
„
„ „
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„ „
„
„ „
„ „
„
„
„
„
„
Method of Inoculation.
3
method.
Number of outbreaks in
which inoculation was
carried on.
4
9
4
24
4
1
16
23
6
17
1
2
4
6
7
2a
6 1
6
35
60
6
17
1
2
3
7
6
287
Number of animals
which
died
uninoculated in course
of outbreaks.
Equines.
5
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
... ...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Bovines.
6
19ti
220
940
77
7
791
698
109
345
36
47
52
104
18
341
126
6
211 987
1,798
137
381
23
53
48
298
35
8,245
Others.
7
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
... ...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Number of animals
inoculated.
Equines.
8
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
... ...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Bovines.
9
723
861
1,695
238
10
1,775
2,488
842
924
137
114
588
855
1,067
2,830
410
39
128
2,174
3.835
519
1.544
58
73
199
652
190
23,459
Others.
10
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
... ...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Number of in-
oculated animals
which died after
inoculation.
Equines.
11
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
... ...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Bovines.
12
7
6
24
10
... 22
42
13
12
... 12
12
... 28
22
...
...
... 40
186
11
3
...
...
1
10
...
454
Others.
13
...
...
...
Ml
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Remarks.
14
25
Silchar
Palonghat
Hailakandi
Maulvibazar
Kulaura
Karimganj
Patharkandi
Habiganj
Dhubrj
Bilashipara
Abhoyapuri
Gauhati
Naibari
Bahali
Sibsagar
Jorhat
Batlipar
Dibrugarh
Tmsukia
Hailakandi
Sylhet
Patharkandi
Habiganj
Jagannathpur
Goalpura
Nalbari
Sibsagar
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
... ... ...
... ... ... ...
... ... ... ...
...
...
... ...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
....
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Total ...
...
...
... ...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
... ...
...
...
... ...
... ... ... ...
...
...
... ...
Total ... ...
Grand total ...
...
Anthrax
...
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
Hæmorrhagic
Septicæmia.
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
.....
.....
Serum slone
1
1
1
7
3
2
1
4
3
1
6
1
2
1
3
1
4
3
45
2
2
3
1
2
1
13
1
25
357
...
6
...
1
...
...
...
...
...
... 2
...
...
...
...
...
...
9
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
9
1
12
4
23
51
...
5
63
26
6
33
... 32
14
6
2
34
1
819
18
... 22
11
37
31
3
118
8
248
8,812
...
...
...
...
...
...
1
1
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
1
4
7
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
7
60
4
20
...
74
3
14
...
...
...
...
... 9
2
... 1
...
3
...
190
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
190
20
168
4S
100
251
...
60
156
42
200
404
...
310
77
86
136
176
50
2,234
81
220
176
60
140
244
705
96
1,722
27,415
...
...
...
...
...
...
*9f
5
...
... ...
...
...
... ...
...
60
65
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
65
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
5
...
...
...
...
...
...
2
...
2
...
...
...
2
...
11
...
...
...
... 1
...
...
...
...
1
466
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
26
TABLE IV
Showing the number of animals treated and castrated by Veterinary Assistant Surgeons on tour during the year 1935-36.
Province.
1
Silchar ...
Palonghat
...
Hailakandi
...
Sylhet ...
Karimganj
...
Patbarkandi ...
Maulvibazar ...
Kulaura ...
Habiganj ...
Sbaistagaoj ...
Sunamganj
...
Jagannathpur ...
Aijal ...
Shillong ...
Kokuma ...
Number of villages visited.
2
361
283
264
230
323
310
302
318
224
496
491
272
28
63
72
Number of Veterinary Assistant
Surgeons employed.
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Castrations performed.
Equines.
4
2
...
...
...
2
3
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Bovines.
6
411
455
651
416
1,178
362
626
1,320
1,058
1,050
309
413
...
2
...
Others.
6
3
...
32
19
13
11
26
67
19
53
17
25
...
3
...
Total.
7
416
465
655
436
1,193
376
652
1,387
1,077
1,103
326
438
...
6
...
Equines.
8
2
...
...
...
1
...
...
2
...
...
2
...
...
1
...
Treated for contagious
diseases.
Bovines.
9
608
338
1,231
520
676
1,066
692
1,094
942
917
3,872
695
...
5
...
Others.
10
4
...
2
4
8
11
10
21
1
22
12
...
...
12
...
Total.
11
614
333
1,233
524
685
1,077
702
1,117
943
939
3,886
696
...
18
...
Treated for non-contagious
diseases.
Equines.
12
46
16
22
21
32
123
90
300
41
104
90
44
160
12
30
Bovines.
13
1,716
1,903
1,650
3,899
2,056
1,363
2,087
834
2,147
4,636
2,327
1,790
137
105
227
Others.
14
16
20
97
330
107
77
111
93
26
117
101
14
67
30
10
Total.
15
1,776
1,939
1,669
4,250
2,196
1,583
3,288
1,287
2,214
4,866
2,518
1,848
354
147
267
Total number of cases treated
and castrations performed.
16
2.806
2,732
3,585
5,209
4,073
3,016
3,642
3,731
4,234
6,898
6,730
2,981
354
170
267
Remarks.
17