NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
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appointed temporarily to the vacancies caused by the
appointment of M.R.Ry. S. D. Davadoss Pillai as officiating
Inspector of Live-stock, Forest Department, vice Mr. F.
Mascarenhas granted leave preparatory to retirement, and by
the deputation of M.R.Ry. M. Anantanarayana Rao to the
King Institute, Guindy, for special duty. The number
therefore stood at 200. The employment of the staff is
indicated in Table VII.
During the year eleven veterinary graduates were enter
tained in the department, and the deaths of Veterinary
Assistant Surgeons C. Subrahmanyam and B. Gopalakrish-
nayya had to be recorded.
(a) Hospitals and dispensaries.
17. At the beginning of the year under report there were
69 Government hospitals and dispensaries including the
hospital at the Madras Veterinary College and the one at the
Agricultural Farm, Coimbatore. During the year new dis
pensaries were opened at Harpanahalli, Gōbichettipālaiyam,
Krishnagiri, Karūr, Kāvali and Conjeeveram. The Touring
Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Hosūr, in addition to the
touring work of his appointment, was in veterinary charge
of the cattle at the Government Farm, Hosūr. This arrange
ment was found to be unsatisfactory and he was therefore
relieved of his touring work from 1st March 1926, and was
placed on full-time duty in charge of the veterinary hospi
tal attached to the cattle farm. At the end of the year
there were 76 Government veterinary institutions in this
Presidency.
18. The total number of animals treated in the different
institutions was 104,059 against 96,337 during the previous
year. The number of cases not brought to the institution
but supplied with medicine was 5,998 against 6,550 in the
past year. The decrease needs no comment as the practice
of supplying medicines without seeing the patients is dis
couraged.
3,103 castrations were performed against
3,007 in the previous year and, as usual, the veterinary
hospital, Berhampur, with 617 to its credit easily heads
the list.
At present four Burdizzo's castrators are in use, and
with these 636 castrations were done by the staff during
the year. This instrument is popular with Veterinary
Assistant Surgeons as well as with cattle owners, Twenty
5
such instruments are now on order, and in course of time it
is likely to become the sole method of castration of cattle.
19. Twenty-three institutions showed a decrease in the
number of cases treated when compared with the figures of
the preceding year, but in most of these institutions the
decrease is slight. The fall in some institutions is attributed
to want of capacity and tact on the part of the Assistant
Surgeon in charge, and notice is of course taken of this. On
the whole, the work at the institutions has been satisfactory
and the fact that there is a growing demand for more
institutions shows that the people realize now their
usefulness.
20. The new hospital buildings at Adōni have been
completed with the exception of the well which has not yet
been sunk. The dispensary at Harpanahalli, which was
opened in a rented building, has been moved to the Forest
Range office building, and the dispensary at Naudyāl to the
old Sub-Registrar's office.
21. All district boards except Salem and all munici
palities have exempted unladen animals taken to veterinary
institutions for treatment, from payment of tolls. The
Salem District Board is the only local body that has declined
to grant the exemption.
22. The names of 19 Veterinary Assistant Surgeons have
been noted for good work done at veterinary institutions.
(b) Itinerating.
23. Six new touring posts were added during the year
with headquarters at Hosūr, Pollāchi, Nāmakkal, Chandra-
giri, Podili and Pithāpuram. The touring post at Hosūr
was abolished with effect from 1st March 1926 for the reason
stated in paragraph 17 supra. The total number was 82 at
the end of the year.
24. A comparative statement of the work done by the
touring staff in the last two years is given below :—
Year.
1924-25 ..
1925-26 ...
Inoculations.
29,269
174,430
Contagious cases
treated.
31,616
16,951
Non-contagious
cases treated.
38,206
36,594
Castrations.
8,005
6,430
6
25. It will be noticed that there was a big rise under
inoculations and this was due to severe outbreaks of
rinderpest in several districts. The fall under the other
three headings also was due mainly to the severity of
rinderpest, and the shortage of reserve staff was also a
contributing factor to this. Touring Veterinary Assistant
Surgeons who were engaged in inoculation work could not
attend to treatment of cases or perform castrations, and
owing to the reduction of the leave reserve of the staff from
25 to 19 it was not possible to fill up all leave vacancies,
and the arrangement made in such cases was to direct the
Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in the neighbourhood
to be in charge of the vacant post in addition to his duties.
These unfavourable conditions interfered to a large extent
with the normal activities of the department.
26. The names of eight Touring Veterinary Assistant
Surgeons have been noted for good work done.
IV.—CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.
27. During the year 45,147 deaths from contagious
diseases were reported against 29,654 in the previous
year. It will be seen from Table XV that there has been an
increase under every head except under " Other contagious
diseases," and that rinderpest was responsible for a little
over 50 per cent of the mortality.
28. The following figures' indicate the number of out-
break reports received and attended to by the itinerating
staff:—
Disease.
Rinderpest
... ... ... ...
Hæmorrhagic septicaamia ... ...
Authrax ... ... ... ...
Black-quarter ... ... ... ...
Foot-and-mouth disease ... ...
Total ...
1924-25
Received.
470
375
359
158
1,102
2,464
Attended.
435
334
288
125
917
2,099
1925-26.
Received.
1,097
679
394
221
751
3,142
Attended.
989
618
318
158
631
2,714
29. Many outbreaks in the Bellary Circle had to go un-
attended for want of available veterinary assistant surgeons.
Reasons assigned for non-attendance of several other out-
breaks were the same as those given in the previous year,
7
viz., non-receipt of progress reports and receipt of intimation
that the disease had subsided.
30. Rinderpest.—The number of deaths recorded was
23,724 as against 9,681 in the previous year and 3,434 in
1923-24. The disease which had been severe in Kurnool
district in the preceding year became more virulent and
widespread during the year under report and caused very
high mortality, viz., 11,393 deaths. It was also widespread
in Bellary and South Kanara districts. The severity of the
disease in Ganjām and Kistna districts was about the same
as in the previous year. Guntūr was also badly affected.
31. Compulsory inoculation was enforced in parts of
Kurnool, Bellary, Cuddapah, South Kanara and Rāmnād
districts and this prevented the disease from assuming alarm
ing proportions in most of the places. The Circle Officer,
Bezwada, has reported that the District Magistrates of West
Gōdāvari, Kistna and Guntūr were not in favour of intro
ducing compulsory inoculation.
32. The Collector of Kistna expressed the opinion that
it was unlikely that a campaign of extermination of the
disease would ever be successful in the Kistna district, as
the disease is ever prevalent, it being brought from the
Nizam's dominions by cattle returning from there after
grazing. The District Magistrate is no doubt right that in
the circumstances existing, the disease could not be stamped
out by the " serum alone " method; nevertheless the mortality
could have been reduced to a considerable degree if compul
sory inoculation had been enforced.
33. In the districts in which compulsory inoculation was
introduced some slight opposition was experienced and it was
necessary to prosecute 187 persons who would not listen to
either advice or persuasion. Some of these people were fined,
while a warning wa3 all that was necessary in other cases.
34. In 653 outbreaks, 146,119 inoculations were per
formed by the serum alone method against the disease. The
figures for the previous year were 10,216 inoculations in 105
outbreaks.
85. Under the serum simultaneous method of inocula
tions, 529 animals were inoculated during the year. The
Circle Officer, Bellary, protected 222 animals belonging to
private owners in Kurnool and Bellary districts with virus
obtained locally. The number inoculated with virus
obtained from Muktesar was 307. Of these, 154 belonged
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to Government and the rest to private individuals. Arrange
ments were made to protect by this method the animals
at the Chintaladevi Cattle Farm and the Central Jail,
Vellore, but owing to the prevalence of foot-and-mouth
disease amongst; the animals there, the inoculation had to
be postponed.
The fee of Rs. 2 per head of cattle levied for inocula
tions done by the serum simultaneous method with Muktesar
virus was abolished with effect from 1st January 1926 with
a view to popularize this method of inoculation.
36. Hæmorrhagic septicæmia.—This disease accounted
for 4,779 deaths against 3,324 in the previous year. It was
severe in Tanjore, Kistna and Guntūr districts. 24,093
inoculations were performed in 190 outbreaks.
37. Anthrax.—The number of deaths recorded under this
head was 4,087 against 3,361 in the previous year. It is
evident that in the Kurnool district the vast majority of
deaths recorded under this disease occurred from some other,
most probably rinderpest, for during the year only 6 out
breaks of anthrax were reported from the district and the
number of casualties shown, viz., 816, is out of all proportion
to the number of outbreaks. Throughout the Presidency
17 outbreaks were attended and 2,699 inoculations performed.
During the year an outbreak of anthrax occurred amongst
the elephants belonging to the Forest Department. The
disease was confirmed by means of material from a dead animal
being sent to the Madras Veterinary College for microscop
ical examination. All elephants which had been in contact
with the affected one or in the same camp were protected
with anti-anthrax serum.
38. Black-quarter.—This disease is reported to have
caused 2,332 deaths against 2,068 in the previous year.
Ganjām recorded the highest mortality. Kurnool and North
Arcot were also badly affected. Three hundred animals
were vaccinated with germ-free filtrate and 1,562 animals
were protected with anti-serum.
39. Foot-and-mouth disease.—The mortality recorded
under this head was 1,390 deaths against 1,362 in the pre
ceding year. Guntūr suffered most. A number of reports
of this disease and black-quarter in Kurnool district could
not be attended to by the staff as they were engaged in
combating rinderpest,
9
40. Glanders.—No case of this disease was detected. In
the Madras city, 212 animals were tested with negative
results.
41. Infectious lymphangitis of cattle.—Five cases were
confirmed microscopically.
42. Trypanosomiasis.—This disease was confirmed in 27
ponies, 11 bullocks, 3 buffaloes and 4 dogs. Of the ponies
affected, 15 were destroyed and the owners compensated and
the remaining cases died.
It was also detected in two elephants belonging to the
Forest Department. After treatment and rest for some
months the animals recovered condition and their blood was
found to be then free from trypanosomes which showed at
least, temporary recovery front the disease and they were
returned to light work.
No cases of the disease occurred in the city of Madras.
43. Piroplasmosis.—Twenty-two head of cattle belonging
to the Corporation of Madras revealed piroplasma bigeminum
in their blood. Elsewere the disease was confirmed in 17
head of cattle and 6 dogs.
44. Jehne's disease.—All the animals at the Government
Cattle Farms at Hosur and Coimbatore were tested for this
disease by an officer of the Imperial Institute of Veterinary
Research, Muktesar, and 24 of them were said to have given
a positive reaction. It is very doubtful however if the diag-
nosis was correct. Post-mortem examination on one of the
condemned animals did not support the findings of the test,
and further action taken consisted in treatment and segre-
gation of the animals concerned.
45. Tuberculosis.—Twenty-two cases of tuberculosis were
detected amongst the cattle of the Madras Corporation. The
disease appears to be spreading amongst them and it has now
reached a stage which calls for investigation and eradication
of the disease.
Acid fast bacilli indistinguishable from bovine tuberculo-
sis were detected in the sputum of an elephant belonging to
the Forest Department, Coorg, and this is the first recorded
case of the disease in elephants in this Presidency.
46. Sheep poæ.—This disease existed in Forth Arcot
district and the local Veterinary Assistant Surgeon success-
fully ovinated 150 sheep with the material obtained locally
from mild cases of the disease.
2
10
47. Kumri.—Sixteen oases were diagnosed by the staff of
this department.
48. Ooccidiosis.—Only seven oases of the disease were
recorded, two of them in calves, one in a sheep and four
in dogs.
49. Babies.—The brains of 86 dogs and one jackal sent
to the Pasteur Institute, Coonoor, were declared to be rabid.
Forty-nine dogs and one horse were treated at the various
institutions with anti-rabic vaccine, and 46 of the treated
dogs and the horse are alive and well.
50. Table XV shows that under " non-contagious cases,"
the mortality was 28,809 deaths against 15,373 in the pre
vious year. The very high mortality during the year was due
to exposure to most severe weather conditions in the month
of May 1925 in the districts of Kistna and Gruntūir. In that
month alone the casualties in these two districts amounted
to 17,270.
V.—MISCELLANEOUS.
51. The staff conducted 57 post-mortem examinations on
animals suspected of criminal poisoning and examined 137
animals for malicious injury. The Chemical Examiner
examined the viscera of 58 cases of which 44 were sent by
the subordinates of this department. Poison was detected in
16 cases.
52. According to the figures furnished by District Magis
trates, the number of convictions under the Act for Preven
tion of Cruelty to Animals, XI of 1890, was 5,562, of which
2,923 related to Trichinopoly. The number of animals sent
to veterinary institutions for treatment was only 697. The
reason for the very large number of convictions in the
Trichiuopoly district was stated by the Collector to be due
to a tendency on the part of the people to employ cheap and
worn out animals to draw heavy loads, and to the fact that
the rate of penalty imposed by the Bench was inadequate.
Another reason might be that the S.P.C.A. in Trichinopoly
is a very active body.
53. Municipal.—During the year three municipalities
have adopted the by-laws which require them to maintain the
register of cattle mortality and report outbreaks of conta
gious disease. The total number of municipalities that have
undertaken this work up to 1st April 1926 was 45.
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54. During the year the Bellary Municipality employed
the local Veterinary Assistant Surgeon for meat inspection,
but the municipalities of Guntūr and Tanjore who had the
work in the past done by the Veterinary Assistant Surgeons
transferred it to their Health Inspectors. At the end of the
year only 23 municipalities were utilizing the services of
Veterinary Assistant Surgeons of this department.
55. The Coimbatore Municipality now employs a full-
time Veterinary Assistant Surgeon who undertakes as one of
his duties that of inspection of meat and in doing this the
municipality has followed the good example set by Ootaca-
mund and Madura.
56. Although it is desirable that every municipality
should have a Veterinary Assistant Surgeon of its own whose
duties should include that of meat inspection, the financial
position of many may not permit of this being achieved just
at present, but it muse be within the means of every munici
pality to spend a small sum ranging from Rs. 5 to Rs. 15
per mensem to have the meat for food purposes inspected by
a Veterinarian. Why most of them do not do so is probably
due to their not having realized their full duties to the
public. Even the Madras Corporation in this respect have
yet to follow the lead given by Ootacamund.
57. Certain suggestions were offered to the Commissioner
of the Corporation of Madras as to how and by whom
Veterinary public health work including meat inspection
should be carried out in the city of Madras, and it is hoped
that this subject is receiving the serious attention of the
Corporation.
58. Fairs and shows.—Tables XIII and XIV give parti
culars of the fairs held during the year. The Cattle and
Pony Show at Tiruppur was not held on account of un
favourable seasonal conditions. The Cattle Disease Act was
enforced at all important cattle fairs held in the Presidency.
VI.—EXPENDITURE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
59. According to the figures available so far, the expendi
ture of the department including the Madras Veterinary
College amounted to Rs. 6,51,913-13-0, the figures for the
previous year as reported to Government by the Accountant
General being Rs. 5,59,309-10-6. The increase is mainly
due to a very large consumption of anti-Rinderpest serum.
The cost of sera and vaccines amounted to Rs. 1,14,207-5-0
against Rs, 19,350 in the previous year.
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VII.—GENERAL REMARKS.
60. The most regrettable feature of the year was the
large increase in mortality from Rinderpest. Preventive
inoculation against the disease was as vigorously carried out
as the strength of the staff in the affected districts would
permit. The casualty among the inoculated animals was
only about ½ per cent.
61. A Conference of Gazetted Officers of this department
was held at Madras in December 1925 and the resolutions
passed thereat were duly communicated to Government.
62. One of the subjects discussed at the Conference was
the question of dispensary versus itinerating staff and it was
resolved—
(a) that as sufficient propaganda work on the old lines
in most parts of the Presidency has been carried out by
Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeons, systematic touring
by these officers might be discontinued ;
(b) that for attending to contagious diseases occurring
in taluks having a veterinary institution, a special staff will
have to be maintained attached to the large institutions in
each district, and
(c) that for the purpose of taking veterinary help into
the outlying parts of a district, a certain number of Touring
Veterinary Assistant Surgeons should be maintained and that
their progress through a taluk should be slow.
The following proposals submitted to Government on the
lines indicated in the above resolution were approved :—
(a) No more touring billets except for special reasons
to be sanctioned. The existing staff of Touring Veterinary
Assistant Surgeons in each district to be maintained but
redistributed between large institutions and taluks without
any institution.
(b) Outbreaks of contagions diseases occurring in a
taluk containing a veterinary institution to be attended in
the first place from the institution.
(c) The touring of Veterinary Assistant Surgeons to
be confined to those taluks without an institution and to
be in the nature of a camp dispensary moving from one
village to another about every ten days.
This change of policy, however, will result in the reduction
of cases treated on tour by the staff.
68. During the year 148 reports were made by the
staff against village officers for slackness in reporting
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outbreaks of contagious disease. It was the systematic
touring which enabled Touring Veterinary Assistant Sur-
geons to detect diseases which were prevalent but were
not reported. Now that this system of touring is abolished
and that some of the touring staff are attached to institutions
and are required to attend only outbreaks of contagious
disease, village officers are likely to become much more slack
in this work, unless the Revenue officials exercise strict
scrutiny in this matter in the course of their tours. The
necessity for this has to be sufficiently impressed on the
Revenue officials.
64. It appears the village panchayats can make them-
selves useful in the matter referred to in the foregoing
paragraph. In May 1925, the Registrar-General of Pan-
chayats brought to the notice of Government that several
village panchayats expressed a desire to undertake the
scrutiny of statistics relating to cattle diseases and mortality,
and it was ordered that village headman should send to
panchayats copies of the monthly returns of cattle mortality
which they submit to Tahsildars. If the panchayats take a
real interest in the correct maintenance of cattle mortality
registers and the prompt reporting of outbreaks of con-
tagious diseases, they will be doing a great deal of good to
the ryots and will also facilitate the work of this department.
It is hoped that this suggestion will be duly considered by
Government.
65. The scheme which has been under contemplation, of
substituting veterinary dispensaries for touring posts as an
experimental measure in the Kistna district? according to
which the Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in charge of a dis-
pensary will, as a rule, be required to attend outbreaks of
contagious disease occurring in the taluk in which the
dispensary is located, has been postponed for consideration
as Part II Scheme for 1927-28.
66. During the year three cattle insurance societies were
formed in Chingleput district and registered. It is hoped
that more societies will be formed as they ought to prove a
means of improving the condition of cattle of this Presidency.
67. Civil Veterinary Department Leaflet No. VIII on
Foot and Mouth disease was prepared during the year and
is being printed.
68. I take this opportunity of expressing my grateful
acknowledgment for the help rendered by the Revenue
14
officials, particularly for that given by Mr. G. W. Wells,
District Magistrate of South Kanara, to the staff of this
department in combating contagious diseases, especially
Rinderpest.
69. The work of the majority of the subordinate staff
has been satisfactory and the clerical staff continued to give
satisfaction.
MADRAS,
6th July 1926.
D. A. D. AITCHISON, M.R.C.V.S.,
M.P.S., I.V.S.,
Veterinary Adviser to the
Government of Madras.
THE MADRAS VETERINARY COLLEGE (BACK VIEW).
SERUM SIMULTANEOUS INOCULATION CAMP— HOSUR
CATTLE
FARM.
THE
MADRAS VETERINARY COLLEGE
(POST-GRADUATE STUDENTS
CLASS ROOM).
CLINICAL PRACTICE
IN THE
VETERINARY DISPENSARY. BEZWADA.
THE
MADRAS VETERINARY COLLEGE
HOSTEL.
15
ANNUAL ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE
MADRAS VETERINARY COLLEGE FOR THE
YEAR 1925-26.
General administration.—Mr. D. A. D. Aitchison held
charge of the office of the Principal from the beginning of
the year till 16th July 1925, when he went on leave. In
addition to his own duties he also acted during this period
as Chief Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department,
Madras. On his return from leave on 22nd February 1926
he was appointed Veterinary Adviser to the Government of
Madras in combined charge of the Civil Veterinary Depart-
ment and the Madras Veterinary College, and Mr. Ware was
posted to the college as Principal.
Mr. Ware, the permanent Principal, was deputed for
service under the Government of India from 21st February
1926 till the end of the year.
Mr. P. T. Saunders held the post of Professor of
Pathology and Bacteriology from 1st April to 2nd July
1925 and the post of Professor of Surgery from 3rd to
16th July 1925 and acted as Principal from 17th July 1925
till the end of the year. He also, in addition to his duties
as acting Principal, acted as Chief Superintendent, Civil
Veterinary Department, Madras, from 17th July to 8th
October 1925.
Mr. T. J. Hurley was Professor of Surgery throughout
the year except from 3rd to 16th July 1925 when he was on
reserve duty in the college.
M.R.Ry. V. Krishnamurti Ayyar Avargal, Professor of
Pathology and Bacteriology, returned from Muktesar and
joined his appointment on 3rd July 1925, in which he
continued till the end of the year.
Mr. G. T. D'Silva continued as Assistant Professor and
Personal Assistant to the Principal throughout the year.
M.R.Ry. M. Anantanarayan Rao Avargal, the Senior
Lecturer, was on deputation from 7th January to 31st
March 1926 and during this period the second Lecturer
acted as Senior Lecturer.
2. Selection of candidates.—The Committee appointed by
Government for this purpose assembled at Bezwada and