14
"Contagious Pleuro Pneumonia had raged in former times in Great
Britain with such severity that in I860 for instance 1,87,000 animals with a
value of nineteen million pounds sterling fell victim to the disease".
This disease in Assam has not only been rendering our ryots poorer in
their cattle wealth but had a deterent effect upon agriculture and dairy
industry. Besides, it has been striking at the very root of the cattle-
breeding-operation in Assam in certain cattle breeding areas organised by
the Agricultural Department proving once again that any attempt to
improve agriculture and breed of cattle without first making adequate
arrangement for prevention of scourge of diseases by strengthening the
Veterinary Department is just like putting the cart before the horse.
However the Civil Veterinary Department, Assam, has very good
reasons to feel happy for the result in respect of etiology and curative
treatment of this fell disease which have been evolved as a result of persistent
efforts during the last five years. I venture to say that this constitutes
another landmark in the history of the Civil Veterinary Department, Assam.
I take this opportunity to acknowledge my indebtedness to the Director,
Imperial Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar, for valuable service
rendered by his Institute and for the advice and encouragement given by
Mr. F. Ware, C. I. E., F. R. C. V. S., F. N. I., I.V.S., Animal Husbandry
Commissioner with the Government of India.
67. As I reported last year the problem of Johne's disease in cattle in the
Government Farms in particular and in the province in general has been
engaging anxious thoughts and attention of the Civil Veterinary Department
Assam and of the Government. Thus the Government has been exploring
all possible means to control this disease with scientific advice not only given
by the Civil Veterinary Department, Assam, but also by such eminent
Scientists as the Animal Husbandry Commissioner with the Government of
India and the Director, Imperial Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar.
Government held a very important conference on this vexed question during
the year under report over which the Hon'ble Prime Minister presided the
Hon'ble Minister for Veterinary Department participating. It was extremely
fortunate that we had the advantage of mature and valuable scientific advice
in this conference from no less a personality than the highest Veterinary
authority in India in the person of Mr. F. Ware, C. I. E., F. R. C. V. S.,
F. N. T., I. V. S., the Animal Husbandry Commissioner with the Govern-
ment of India.
68. A disease in birds which has a direct bearing upon public health has
been detected in pigeons as a result of investigation undertaken in collabora-
tion with the Imperial Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar, during
the year under report. This is perhaps the first instance in the history of
India where natural cases of Para-typhoid in pigeons due to Salmonella
Typhimurium were detected. This organism is said to be responsible for
causation of specific Gastro-Enteritis (Para-typhoid) in human beings. Very
little attention has so far been paid to the pigeon disease the importance of
which can hardly be minimised, if for nothing else, at least for the bearing it
has on public health. As pigeons often constitute edible dishes for table
purpose and the disease has a distinct and direct bearing upon public health
this finding is most significant specially when it is known that even apparently
healthy pigeons might serve as "carriers" of the disease. It would thus
appear that isolation of this organism in pigeon in a natural outbreak with
such an important bearing upon public health sets another mile-stone in the
history of the Civil Veterinary Department, Assam.