NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
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II.—EXECUTIVE STAFF.
6. At the close of the year there were ten Veterinary
Assistant Surgeons in charge of veterinary institutions, includ-
ing the Second Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Veterinary
Hospital, Coimbatore, who was on leave, and eight in charge of
touring billets including one probationer, a total of eighteen.
During the year under review no Veterinary Assistant Surgeon
underwent the post-graduate course at the Madras Veterinary
College. A new touring billet was opened at Valparai in the
Anamalais of Pollachi during the year.
(a) Hospitals and Dispensaries.
7. There were nine institutions under the control of the
District Veterinary Officer of this circle at the end of the year.
The hospital at headquarters and that attached to the Agri-
cultural College were visited very many times dining the year
under review. No new institution has been sanctioned during
the year under review.
8. The total number of cases treated in the institutions
during the year was 16,790 as against 16,600 of last year,
which means an increase of 190 cases in all in the circle; but the
total number of castrations in the institutions during the year
was 279 as against 315 of the previous year, which shows
a slight decrease of 36. The institutions at Coimbatore,
Tiruppur and Gobichettipalaiyam and the Agricultural College
Veterinary Hospital at Lawley Road, Coimbatore, have contri-
buted considerably towards the increase of work done. The
fall in the daily average attendance in the institutions at
Coimbatore, Pollachi and Dharapuram was virtually due to the
fall in the S.P.C.A. cases remanded to the hospital, and the fall
in the figures of work done at Ootacamund is due to the frequent
unavoidable change of officers of the institution from January to
the end of the year. The decrease in the figures of admissions
in the Veterinary Hospital, Coonoor, and in the figures of daily
average attendance at the dispensary at Nathakadayur is but
slight and therefore it calls for no special remarks.
9. There were 1,175 cases remanded to the institutions for
treatment under the S.P.C.A. Act during the year as against
1382 of last year. A fall of 207 cases has occurred.
10. The office buildings for the District Veterinary office
was completed and the same was occupied on the afternoon of
31st August 1929. The quarters for the District Veterinary
Officer is also nearing completion and will be available for
occupation shortly.
116
11. The construction of quarters for the Veterinary
Assistant Surgeon and a well for the Veterinary Hospital at
Tiruppur has been completed during the year.
12. During the year the following buildings were construc-
ted at the Veterinary Hospital, Coonoor, namely, an operation
shed, a waiting shed, quarters for the compounder and the
menials, a dogs' operation room, a covered passage between the
Veterinary Assistant Surgeon's quarters and the kitchen and
a compound wall.
13. The following works were completed at the Veterinary
Hospital, Ootacamund:—
(1) Provision of glass windows to the quarters of the
compounder.
(2) Construction of a culvert for the road leading to the
quarters of the Veterinary Assistant Surgeon.
(3) Installation of telephone at the Veterinary Assistant
Surgeon's quarters.
14. The provision of electric lights to the hospital buildings
and also the quarters of the Veterinary Assistant Surgeon,
Ootacamund, is in progress and nearing completion.
15. The work of extension of the cattle shed at the Veteri-
nary Hospital, Coimbatore, has been sanctioned, and the question
of construction of a post-mortem shed in the Veterinary
Hospital, Coimbatore, and the extension of the cattle shed at the
Veterinary Hospital, Erode, is under correspondence.
16. A compound wall on the southern side as in the east of
the Veterinary Hospital, Erode, and a latrine in the Veterinary
Hospital compound, Erode, have been constructed during the
year.
(b) Itinerating Staff.
17. At the close of the official year there were seven touring
billets, including the new one sanctioned at Valparai. The
Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in charge of the Veterinary Dis-
pensary, Nathakadayur, attended the Kangayam cattle fair every
Monday in addition to the dispensary work. The new touring
billet sanctioned at Valparai was opened on 10th October 1929.
18. A comparative statement of cases treated and castrations
performed on tour is given below:—
Year.
1928-29
1929-30
Cases treated.
Contagious
diseases.
.. 1,905
.. 1,826
Non contagious
diseases.
1,290
1,110
Castrations.
338
253
117
There has been a decrease of cases treated and castrated
owing to some of the Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeons
having been posted to hold charge of institutions when the
Veterinary Assistant Surgeons in charge of Veterinary institu-
tions were granted leave and also when Touring Veterinary
Assistant Surgeons have been posted as additional Veterinary
Assistant Surgeons in areas where there were severe outbreaks
of Rinderpest.
19. Castrations by Burdizzo method.—Out of a total
number of 532 castrations performed both in the institutions
and on tour, 255 were done by Burdizzo method and it is
observed than this method is gaining more popularity among the
ryots than the ligature method.
III.—CONTAGIOUS
DISEASES.
20. Rinderpest.—This disease prevailed in both the districts
almost throughout the year, the most severely affected being
Nanjanad, Ithalar and Naduvattam in Ootacamund taluk of the
Coimbatore district. The Gudalur taluk of the Nilgiris was
quite free from rinderpest throughout the year.
21. Out of 179 reports of this disease received as against
166 of last year, 170 were attended to by the staff, one was
pending attendance by the Touring Veterinary Assistant Sur-
geon, Kollegal and the remaining were not attended to either on
account of the subsidence of the disease or for want of progress
reports.
22. The Cattle Disease Act was in force throughout the
year in the Nilgiris and in Kaugayam division of Dharapuram
taluk in Coimbatore district for a period of three months from
22nd November 1929 and cattle pounds were established under
the Act. The weekly cattle fair at Kangayam was closed to
check the further spread of the disease.
23. A certain amount of difficulty has been experienced in
some parts of the Nilgiris in combating the outbreaks owing to
the unwillingness of the ryots to submit their animals for
inoculation and the semi-wild nature of the Toda buffaloes. For
the first time, the semi-wild buffaloes of the Nilgiris have been
protected against rinderpest by the serum simultaneous method
of inoculations this year. Some of the outbreaks of rinderpest
in the Nilgiris and Coimbatore were personally attended to by
the District Veterinary officer.
24. Eight thousand five hundred and fifty-six inoculations
by the serum simultaneous method and 864 inoculations by
118
serum alone method were done during the year as against 4,440
inoculations by serum simultaneous method and 8,558 inocula-
tions by serum alone method of the previous year in the two
districts. The serum alone method of inoculations has been
persistently decried except in emergent cases of pregnant
animals and those in a very weak state of health and in the case
of animals with foreign blood in them which had to be protected
temporarily in the absence of class l special anti-rinderpest
serum.
25. In connexion with the outbreak of this disease in the
Municipality at Ootacamund during May 1929, a hospital
pound was opened within the municipal limits and the Touring
Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Ootacamund, was in charge of the
hospital pound and three additional Veterinary Assistant
Surgeons were deputed to combat the outbreak in the Nilgiris.
26. A comparatively large number of serum simultaneous
inoculations was done during the year. The number of inocu-
lations performed could have been far greater still but for the
breakdown in the supply of serum and virus on some
occasions.
27. Additional touring men were posted temporarily at
Ootacamund and Kollegal to combat the disease.
28. Anthrax.—Three reports of this disease were received
during the year as against six of the previous year and all of
them were attended.
29. Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia.— As a seasonal preventive
measure twenty animals were vaccinated against Hæmorrhagic
Septicæmia at Attikunna estate in the village of Nelliyalam in
Gudalur taluk of the Nilgiris.
30. Black quarter.—Out of fifteen reports of this disease
received nine were attended and the other six were not attended
because the disease subsided. Only one outbreak of this disease
in Vellakoil village of Kangayam division of Erode taluk was
very severe. Though sirenous efforts were made to carry out
inoculations, they could not be conducted for want of co-opera-
tion of the ryots. As usual the animals of the Pattagar of
Palayakottai were seasonally protected against black quarter
and 494 sero-aggressin inoculations were performed.
31. Foot-and-mouth disease.—Forty-one reports of this
disease were received of which 30 were attended and ten were
not attended as the disease subsided before attendance and one
was pending attendance. Treatment with intravenous injection
of Lugol's solution of iodine has not been done in any of the
outbreaks. The outbreaks have all been mild.
119
32. Rabies.—Of the 53 cases suspected of this disease 29
were confirmed microscopically and in the rest confirmation was
not sought for. Five dogs were treated with anti-rabic treat-
ment successfully by the Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in
charge, Veterinary Hospital, Coimbatore, 22 animals were
inoculated with anti-rabic vaccine by the Veterinary Assistant
Surgeon in charge of Veterinary Hospital, Coonoor, and a pony
said to have been bitten by a rabid dog was given a course of
anti-rabic treatment by the Veterinary Assistant. Surgeon in
charge of the Veterinary Dispensary, Pollachi, and in all the
cases, no death was reported within three months of the treat-
ment.
33. Glanders—-Nil.
34. Surra.—Nil.
35. Kumri.—One case was diagnosed as such by the
Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in charge, Veterinary Hospital,
Coimbatore.
36. Fowl-pox.—As a seasonal protective measure, 137
chickens were vaccined with anti-diptherine during the year
against fowl-pox.
37. Fowl-pest.—This disease was prevalent in Coimbatore
and the Nilgiris. During the latter part of the year it was
prevalent in Kollegal division of Coimbatore district. Subcuta-
neous injections of Lugol's solution of iodine from 5 to 10
minims have been tried on several fowls as a curative measure
with a certain amount of success Subcutaneous injection of
tineture iodine also has been tried as a preventive.
38. Dysentery.—Six reports were received and all of them
were attended. In one, microscopical examination of the fæces
revealed that the trouble was due to intestinal parasites.
39. Distemper.—Several cases were treated by the Veteri-
nary Assistant Surgeon in charge of Veterinary Hospital,
Coonoor, with distemper vaccine both prophylactic and curative
and the results were satisfactory.
40. Piroplasmosis.—A bullock suffering from Piroplasmosis
was treated successfully by intravenous injection of trypan blue
one per cent (Casella brand) by the Veterinary Assistant
Surgeon in charge, Veterinary Hospital, Coimbatore.
41. Tetanus.—There have been two cases of Tetanus in
equines at the Veterinary Hospital, Coimbatore, and both
recovered under treatment by subcutaneous injection of a
saturated solution of magnesium sulphate and internal
administration of carbolic acid in gruel.
120
IV.—MISCELLANEOUS.
42. Bacteriological work.—Sixty specimens and smears were
submitted by the staff to the Madras Veterinary College labo-
ratory for microscopical examination for various diseases.
In addition, 336 specimens and smears were examined by
Veterinary Assistant Surgeons in charge, veterinary institutions
or headquarter hospitals, from cases of their own institutions
and also from the staff in urgent cases. The brains of 13
animals were sent to Pasteur Institute, Coonoor, by Veterinary
Assistant Surgeon in charge, Veterinary Hospital, Coonoor,
and 12 of them were found to be positive for rabies.
43. Municipal.—The following municipalities of this circle,
namely, Coimbatore, Erode, Ootacamund and Coonoor, have
adopted the by-laws and when no statements have been received
they have been recently reminded to send their monthly cattle
mortality statements though they be nil.
44. Meat inspection work.—The services of the Veterinary
Assistant Surgeon in charge, Veterinary institutions of Coonoor,
Tiruppur, Erode and Gobichettipalaiyam, were utilized by the
respective local bodies in meat inspection. The municipalities
at Ootacamund and Coimbatore continued to employ separate
Veterinary Assistant Surgeons.
45. Lethal chamber.—Lethal chambers for destruction of
dogs are in existence at Tiruppur, Coonoor and Pollachi. The
construction of lethal chambers at Erode and Udamalpet is
engaging the attention of the local bodies.
The Electrocutor installed by Ootacamund Municipal Council
to destroy dogs by electricity was inspected by the District
Veterinary Officer and a report on the working of the same was
submitted to the Director.
46. Fairs and shows.—The annual cattle show at Tiruppur
was held in the month of May 1929. The Cattle Disease Act
was enforced from 20th May 1929 to 3rd June 1929. The
annual cattle show at Pudupalaiyam, Bhavani taluk in
Coimbatore district, was also held and the Cattle Disease Act
was enforced for a period of one week from 5th August 1929
to 12th August 1929. The Act was also enforced in Kangayam
where the weekly cattle fair was closed temporarily. Several
weekly cattle fairs were attended by the District Veterinary
Officer and opportunity was taken to mix with the ryots and
to gather information about cattle diseases in the neighbour-
hood and movement of cattle.
Plate No. 6 THE STUD ANIMALS OF THE DISTRICT BOARD COIMBATORE, IN THE CARE OF THE HOSPITAL
VETERINARY ASSISTANT SURGENS COIMBATORE.
121
47. Propaganda work.—A magic lantern lecture was deli-
vered at the Tiruppur Cattle Show and arrangements were
made to do some village propaganda work through lantern
lectures on cattle diseases but the lantern slides from the Madras
Veterinary College were not available as they were then in use
elsewhere. They were since obtained and lectures were deli-
vered in two villages. More attention has been paid to propa-
ganda work amongst villagers and the staff has been instructed
regarding this and leaflets on cattle disease, etc., are being
distributed as usual.
48. Cattle and pony breeding.—During the year, the District
Board, Coimbatore, purchased some breeding bulls and have
stationed them in different places. Two Kangayams are under
the care and management of the Veterinary Assistant Surgeon
in charge of Veterinary Hospital, Coimbatore, and two are in
the Tiruppur Veterinary Hospital and there is also a stallion
maintained by the District Board, Coimbatore, housed in the
Veterinary Hospital, Coimbatore, and under the care of the
Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in charge, Veterinary Hospital,
Coimbatore. The ryots attending the hospital for treatment of
their animals are told of the advantages of mating their cows
and mares with the sires in the hospital compound. In this
way a certain amount of demonstration and propaganda work
in cattle and pony breeding is being done.
49. Government Livestock.—The Government livestock at
Naduvattam, the Wellington Dairy Farm, Nanjanad Potato
Farm were inspected by the District Veterinary Officer and also
the concerned Veterinary Assistant Surgeons.
50. Criminal poisoning.—One post-mortem examination was
made on a bullock on police requisition by the Veterinary
Assistant Surgeon in charge of Veterinary Dispensary, Gobi-
chettipalaiyam, and the viscera were sent to the chemical
examiner and arsenic was detected. The accused was sentenced
to six months' rigorous imprisonment.
51. Malicious injuries.—Certificates were granted in 16
cases in which one was convicted, one was fined Rs. 80, 8 were
not taken up for prosecution, 4 were acquitted and in 2 cases
the results were not known.
52. Investigation.—During the year, an outbreak of fowl
disease has been investigated into by the District Veterinary
Officer personally. Transmission experiments were tried which
showed that the outbreak was not one of spirochætosis. Blood
smears revealed no fowl cholera organisms. Having deter-
mined that the outbreak was only one of fowl plague many
remedies were tried. Lugol's solution of Iodine (from 5 to 15
16
122
minims according to size) was injected subcutaneously as a
curative and as a prophylactic and a certain amount of success
has been achieved when Lugol's solution of Iodine has been
injected subcutaneously as a curative. Tincture of Iodine has
been tried as a preventive on healthy fowls in an outbreak of
fowl pest by one of the staff and the results as a preventive
appear to be satisfactory. The several experiments tried
go to prove that Iodine in some form or other is useful both
as a preventive and a curative. Further experiments require to
be done to ascertain definitely in what dose and by what
methods of administration the iodine should be used.
During the year the District Veterinary Officer also investi-
gated the several cases of Chronic Hæmaturia amongst cattle
in the Imperial Dairy Farm at Wellington in particular and in
the Nilgiris in general. The several smears of blood examined
revealed no piroplasms or trypanosomes and samples of fæces
and urine of cattle affected revealed no organisms No ova of
Bilharzi have been detected in the urine and no coccidia or
other parasitic ova at all in the fæces. These animals suffer
from Hæmaturia for 2 or 3 years and sometimes even up to 4
years and the general signs of health are not much altered.
They feed well and ruminate but at the same time, show a
gradual but progressive emaciation until they die after some
years through sheer exhaustion. The swamps in the Nilgiris
with their luxuriant growth of rank grasses should afford
a characteristic habitat for parasites amongst cattle but, so far
no cystic or intestinal parasites or ova have been discovered in
any of these cases. Further investigations with regard to the
aeteological factor and treatment of the disease are going on.
53. Financial ef f ect s of the revised scale of fees.—In the
Veterinary Hospitals at Coimbatore and Erode in Coimbatore
district and in those at Coonoor and Ootacamund in the Nilgiris
district the revised scale of fees has been introduced from 1st
April 1929. The amount of receipts during 1929-30 under
admission fees in these institutions is Rs. 3,293-5-0 as against
Rs. 568-6-0 of the previous year which shows very nearly
a six-fold increase.
V.—GENERAL REMARKS.
54. The Executive staff had to complain against two village
officers for slackness in reporting outbreaks of contagious
diseases in cattle.
55. The work of the office staff has not been satisfactory.
The acting head clerk who was responsible for several irregul-
arities is now placed under orders of suspension.
123
ANNUAL ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE
CALICUT CIRCLE FOR THE YEAR 1929-30.
I.—ADMINISTRATION.
1. This circle comprising Malabar and South Kanara
districts which formed part of the Coimbatore circle from the
beginning of the year, was opened on the 1st August 1929.
2. Mr. T. S. Alagappa Pillai held charge of the circle
during the year under report.
3. He was on tour for 130 days. The touring billet and
the Veterinary Dispensary at Palghat had been inspected in
detail by the officer in charge, V Circle, Coimbatore. Mr.
T. S. Alagappa Pillai inspected them again in detail, and also
the other institutions and touring billets during the year, except
the touring billet at Mangalore, as the Veterinary Assistant
Surgeon in charge was posted temporarily to the Veterinary
Dispensary, Udipi. The touring billet at Udipi was inspected
once more in detail. The additional touring billets at Perint-
almanna and Manjeri were also inspected. He visited the local
hospital frequently during his stay at headquarters and helped
the Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in his work.
4. He selected two rented buildings, one at Calicut for the
use of his office, and the other at Udipi for housing the
Veterinary Dispensary.
5. He attended the annual cattle fair held at. Kulgunda,
inspected the Government livestock at the Paddy breeding
station, Pattambi, and collected local virus which was sent to
the Madras Veterinary College. He toured with the Veterinary
Assistant Surgeons of Malabar district where Rinderpest was
prevalent, visited serum simultaneous camps and gave practical,
demonstrations and instructions in the use of local virus.
During his tour he had occasion to study the local conditions,
especially of Ernad, Walluvanad, Ponnani and Wynaad taluks.
The ryots in these parts required a great deal of persuasion
to submit their cattle to serum simultaneous inoculations. It is
hoped that in course of time, with the opening of a touring
billet in each taluk they will improve.
II —EXECUTIVE STAFF.
6. At the close of the year, there were 16 Veterinary
Assistant Surgeons, 7 in charge of institutions, 6 in charge of
124
touring billets, and one Probationary Veterinary Assistant
Surgeon who was attached to the Touring Veterinary Assistant
Surgeon , Calicut.
7. OneVeterinary Assistant Surgeon from this department
was deputed to the Forest Department to take the place of one
who was reverted to this department.
(a) Hospitals and Dispensaries.
8. One new Veterinary Dispensary was opened at Udipi
on the 1st September 1929, and the total strength of the
institutions at the end of the year was seven.
9. The number of in-and out-patients treated during the
year was 9,532 as against 9,642 in the previous year including
the 219 cases of the Veterinary Dispensary, Udipi, opened
during the year, thus showing a fall of 329 cases among the old
institutions. There was a fall of 317 in the number of cases
treated at. the Veterinary Hospital, Calicut. The decrease was
partly due to the introduction of revised fees, and the large
number in the previous year is considered to be phenomenal,
The dispensary at Palghat recorded a fall of 220 cases which
was partly due to contagious cases having been wrongly entered
during the previous year, and partly due to the introduction of
the fees system. There was a fall of 108 at the Veterinary
Hospital, Mangalore, mainly due to the considerable decline in
the number of fowl-cholera cases during the year, as also a
perceptible fall in the average daily attendance by nearly eight.
There has been an increase of 233 cases at the Veterinary Dis-
pensary, Cannanore, and 78 cases at the Veterinary Dispensary,
Puttur. The Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in charge of the
Veterinary Dispensary, Puttur, continued to attend outbreaks in
Puttur taluk in addition to dispensary work. The amount of
work done in the other institutions continued to be almost the
same as in the previous year.
10. The total number of cases not brought to the institu-
tions, but supplied with medicines during the year was 550 as
against 765 of last year.
11. Two hundred and seventy-three castrations (80 by
Burdizzo method) were done at the institutions as against 274
in the previous year. It is interesting to note that two ponies
were castrated by Burdizzo method at the Veterinary Dispen-
sary, Tellicherry, and the result was very satisfactory. Out of
59 castrations at the Veterinary Hospital, Calicut, 58 were done
by Burdizzo method, and strenuous endeavours are being
made to popularize this method.