NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
12
REPORT ON THE CIVIL VETERINARY DEPARTMENT, BURMA,
(3) The inoculation of virus plus increased doses of ordinary
serum is not recommended. The special serum supplied
from Muktesar which is of very high potency compared with
the ordinary serum is required.
19. As soon as these tests were finished all Deputy Superintendents
were called in to Insein to undergo a special course in the technique of
serum-simultaneous inoculation which was given by the Research Officer.
The course lasted for a week.
This work has unfortunately been interrupted by the unavoidable
return of Mr. Mitchell to South Africa but will be resumed as soon as
he returns. Steps will be taken to provide a continuous source of virus
and to put the method into practice in actual outbreaks.
20. Anthrax.—The
work on Anthrax was begun as soon as the
laboratory was got into order. Local strains of Anthrax were procured
from elephants, cattle and horses and attenuated with a view to prepara-
tion of a spare vaccine. This work occupied a period of four months
during which time it was necessary for the Research Officer to attend
personally to the attenuation, subculturing, and other details each
day. A strain of elephant Anthrax Vaccine has been put through
preliminary animal tests and is ready to be tested out on laboratory
animals. A strain of bovine Anthrax used in the preparation of vaccine
in South Africa was supplied through the courtesy of the Director of
Veterinary Research of the Dominion of South Africa and was tested
against the local strains of Anthrax. The immunity given by the
vaccine prepared from this strain against the local strain from the
elephant was found to be very high so a batch of vaccine was prepared
and tested out on laboratory animals consisting of 12 sheep and 9 cattle.
After these animals had been inoculated with the vaccine they were
inoculated with the virulent culture of Burma elephant strain Anthrax
in amounts varying from 500 to 1,000 minimum Lethal doses. The
minimum Lethal dose of the test culture was ascertained previously by
a test on sheep to be 000005 c.c. as five animals which received this
and larger doses died of acute Anthrax in two to four days. In the
case of 12 sheep and 9 cattle, however, which were previously vaccinated
no deaths occurred as a result of inoculation with the virulent elephant
culture.
The Research Officer considered this result to be so good that he
at once made arrangements for the vaccination of elephants belonging
to various timber firms. As stated in the last chapter three elephants
belonging to the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation, Limited, have
been vaccinated at Pyinmana, while Messrs. MacGregor & Co. who
entertain their own Veterinary Surgeon have obtained the necessary
vaccine from the Veterinary College and are proceeding to vaccinate
FOR THE YEAR ENDED THE 31ST MARCH 1929.
13
their animals. No further report has been received on this. Messrs.
Steel Brothers & Co. have also arranged to vaccinate the animals
belonging to them.
Half a million doses of this vaccine are available and are ready for
issue for the immunisation of cattle and for test inoculation in buffaloes
under field conditions.
21. Parasitical Diseases.—A beginning was made on the work of
collection and classification of the common intestinal parasites of
domestic animals. Very little appears to be known about these para-
sites at the present moment although it is certain that they cause a very
large mortality both in bovines and elephants. Through the courtesy
of the Officer-in-Charge of the Rangoon Slaughter House, arrangements
were made for the collection of parasites from slaughtered animals
there.. One of the Veterinary Inspectors has been put on special duty
for this work which is also being taken up by the newly recruited
Superintendent, Mr. J. Bhattacharjee, at present under training at
Insein.
22. In connection with research the special officer has made some
remarks regarding the accommodation provided at Insein. He says :
" Accommodation is limited. There is no area available for camps for
exercise of animals in experiment. The boxes and stables in the
quarantine stable are few in number, very small, badly ventilated and
very hot, so that animals brought in, accustomed to jungle conditions did
very badly and there was a heavy mortality from diseases (pneumonia,
scabies, etc.) which interfered seriously with experimental work.
Sheep allowed to graze in the compound contracted fatal dysentery in
about ten days which was attributed to a poisonous plant. It was also
found very difficult to carry on bacteriological work during the
monsoon period owing to the presence of numerous spores of moulds
in the air which settled on the test tube plugs and growing through,
contaminated the cultures during incubation or subsequent storage. "
He remarks further : " The advisability of moving the Research Section
to the dry zone where laboratory conditions would be very much more
satisfactory and where experimental animals, food stuffs and an
increased area of land would be more readily available has been strongly
emphasised by the experiences at Insein during the last nine months."
With reference to the above remarks of the Research Officer it may
be pointed out that accommodation for veterinary research can
possibly be found at the Agricultural College, Mandalay, provided the
buildings now occupied by the Intermediate College are vacated by
that body. There is also at Mandalay over 700 acres of Government
estate with plenty of facilities for the exercising of animals and the
raising of forage. The possibility of transferring veterinary research
to Mandalay should be kept in mind. Apart from the above mentioned
14
REPORT ON THE CIVIL VETERINARY DEPARTMENT, BURMA,
advaritages there are also obvious advantages to be derived from the
Veterinary Research Officer working side by side with the Chemist,
Botanist, Mycologist and Entomologist with whom collaboration would
be easy and profitable.
During the year Mr. Mitchell prepared at my request bulletins on
the following subjects :—
(i) Anthrax in stock.
(ii) Farcy in Equines (Glanders, Strangles and Epizootic Lymph-
angitis).
(iii) Worms in domestic animals.
(iv) Preparation of blood smears (pamphlet).
(v) Black Quarter in Cattle.
After the laboratory had been got into order the Research Officer
had little time for touring but in the early part of 1928 the following
tours were carried out in order to obtain first hand acquaintance with
local conditions and for other purposes.
(1) Tour in the Delta with the Superintendent, South-Eastern
and South-Western Circles.
(2) Tour to Meiktila to enquire into the establishment of serum
laboratory. During this tour he also visited Pyawbwe in
connection with Kumri and Bursati in Military Police
ponies.
(3) Tour in Northern Burma (Mandalay, Mawlu, Myitkyina and
Bhamo) with the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Depart-
ment, Northern Circle.
(4) Tour to Pyinmana in the forest area of the Bombay Burmah
Trading Corporation in connection with Anthrax in
elephants.
CHAPTER V.—HOSPITALS AND DISPENSARIES.
23. Insein Veterinary Hospital.—During the year 3,355 new cases
were treated, of which 3,247 were out-patients and 108 in-patients, the
daily average number treated being 25.53.
Out-patients.—The number treated under equines was 138, bovines
1,384 and others 1,725. Among these the following specific diseases
were observed :—
Foot and mouth disease, trypnosomiasis nicrobacillosis, strongylosis,
ankylostomiasis, fowl cholera, anthrax, fowl diptheria, glanders, piro,
plasmosis.
FOR THE YEAR ENDED THE 31ST MARCH 1929.
15
Non-infectious diseases met with include the following :—
Diseases of the digestive system ... ... ...
Diseases of the respiratory system... ... ...
Diseases of the generative system... ... ...
Diseases of the skin ... ... ... ...
Diseases of the eye ... ... ... ...
Diseases of the ear ... ... ... ...
Diseases of the nervous system ... ... ...
Lameness ... ... ... ... ...
Ordinary wounds ... ... ... ...
797
106
42
446
131
39
20
99
733
In-patients—There were 16 cases under equines, 22 bovines and 70
under other animals.
Two hundred and thirty-one operations were performed including
16 cases of castrations 8 were equines, 1 bovine and 7 under others.
The brains from two dogs suspected to be suffering from rabies
were sent to the Pasteur Institute for examination.
Twelve dogs were given the full course of anti-rabic treatment with
vaccine obtained from the Pasteur Institute.
24. Veterinary Dispensaries.—The number of these institutions
which are controlled by District Councils remained the same as in last
year, viz., four—situated at Prome, Pegu, Myingyan and Pakôkku.
Prome Dispensary.—The total number of cases treated at this dispen-
sary, including in-patients, out-patients and cases supplied with
medicine although not brought to the hospital, amounted to 2,316,
compared with 745 during last year. This marks a decided increase of
interest in the dispensary and the Deputy Commissioner remarks.
" Just after the close of the year the dispensary at Prome was handed
over to the Prome Municipal Committee who had so far never contri-
buted to its upkeep. This dispensary with the growth of the racing
interest, is becoming slightly more popular and was quite efficiently
managed by Maung Aung Pe. "
Pegu Dispensary.—During the year the total number of animals
treated as out and in-patients and the number supplied with medicine
but not brought to the hospital was 3,021 compared with 4,816 in the
previous year. This dispensary shows a continuous decline which the
Veterinary Assistant in charge puts down to lack of interest in cattle
owners. I inspected this dispensary in March 1929. At present it is
housed in the half of a Burmese house which has been divided by
bamboo partitions. The rent paid by the District Council is Rs. 40.
There is no accommodation either for in-patients or for operating upon
ordinary patients except on the street in front of the dispensary. It is
obvious that being so situated it is working under very great difficulties.
Myingyan Dispensary.—During the year under review the total num-
ber of animals treated as in-patients and out-patients amounted to 2,564
16
REPORT ON THE CIVIL VETERINARY DEPARTMENT, BURMA,
and of cases supplied with medicine but not brought to the hospital 611
compared with 2,544 and 320 in the previous year. The dispensary is
in charge of a Veterinary Assistant. A site for the new dispensary was
looked for and a new building situated at the centre of Myingyan town
was occupied in consultation with the Chairman of the District Council
with effect from the 1st December 1928. The new site is near the
bazaar and it is hoped that the change of site will result in a larger num-
ber of patients coming forward.
Pakôkku. Dispensary.—The total number of animals treated as in-
patients and out-patients was 1,066 and 600 supplied with medicine but
not brought to the hospital, compared with 611 and 505, respectively, in
the previous year. These figures show considerable improvement on
last year's figures. The Superintendent of the Circle, Captain Idle,
remarks: " Had the Pakôkku municipal authorities co-operated with the
Pakkôku District Council the result on the number of animals
treated at the dispensary would have been much more satisfactory. The
failure of contributions from Pakôkku Municipality upset the work of
the dispensary with the result that District Council Members did not
agree to admit and treat cases from the Municipal area at this
Veterinary dispensary."
25. The table in Appendix V shows the details of the working of
these institutions during the year. The totals for the year for the whole
five dispensaries show a slight improvement but the increase is scarcely
significant. There is no doubt but that dispensaries situated within
Municipal areas should be financed by the Municipalities and it has been
suggested that in the new Municipal Act there should be provision to
enable or to compel Municipalities to undertake these services. As it is
the District Councils have to pay for the rent of the building, the cost
of the medicines and all the other contingent expenditure. As most of
the animals treated come from within the Municipal area the arrange-
ment cannot be said to be a fair one to the District Council. The latter
should be encouraged to establish dispensaries at other places where
Municipalities do not exist.
CHAPTER VI.—VETERINARY INSTRUCTION.
26. Insein Veterinary School.—During the year
under report
the school was in charge of Captain Rippon, who was also in
charge of the South-Eastern and South-Western Circles. On the 1st
April 1928 there were 13 pupils on the roll and on the 31st March 1929
there were the same number of pupils all in class "C." The final
examination had not been held before the end of the year. It is pro-
posed to retain the successful students as reserves with headquarters at
Insein in order that they may be available for despatch to districts
where there are outbreaks of contagious disease.
FOR THE YEAR ENDED THE 31ST MARCH 1929.
17
27. During the year proposals to increase the status and pay of
Veterinary Assistants and to increase the stipend of students from Rs. 25
to Rs. 40 were placed before Government. As it has not yet been
possible to come to a decision in this matter no further recruitment of
students has taken place and when the present class leave the school in
May 1929 there will be no pupils left. The necessity for coming to an
early decision is apparent.
The teaching in this school has previously been in the vernacular
and the school would appear to be the only one in India where this is
so. The new proposals are to raise the standard of entrance to the High
School Final and to have all the teaching in English. The Agricultural
Committee of 1925 recommended a staff consisting of a Principal, an
Assistant Principal and five Lecturers. The qualifications required of
the Lecturers will depend, however, on whether the teaching is to be
done in English, or, as previously, in the vernacular and until this ques-
tion is decided there will be little use in recruiting the staff. An
advertisement has recently appeared in the papers for three Lecturers,
viz., (a) a Lecturer in Chemistry and Physics, a Lecturer in Biology and
Parasitology and a Lecturer in Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology.
28. The new students' hostel was taken over in August 1928 and has
been occupied by the students since that date. The health of the
students was good notwithstanding the absence of facilities for recreation
owing to the grounds not having yet been brought into playable
condition.
29. Refresher Courses for Veterinary Assistants were started during
the year. The first batch was given instruction from 1st September to
30th November 1928. This was attended by 19 Veterinary Assistants,
one from the South-Western, three from the South-Eastern, seven from
the Central and eight from the Northern Circle.
The second Refresher Course commenced on the 15th December
1928 and ended on the 15th March 1929. This was attended by 21
Veterinary Assistants : seven from the South-Western, three from the
South-Eastern, three from the Central and eight from the Northern
Circle. Two of the Assistants of this batch, however, one from Henzada
and the other from Bassein had to be sent back before completion of
the course owing to outbreaks of Rinderpest in their charges.
The courses consisted of the following :—
(1) Hospital practice from 7 to 10 a.m.
(2) Attendance at certain of the final year lectures.
(3) Special lectures in contagious diseases, serum and vaccine
therapy, acts and regulations dealing with disease of animals
in Burma, examination of carcases and transmission of
materials for examination by the Research Officer.
2
18
REPORT ON THE CIVIL VETERINARY DEPARTMENT, BURMA,
In connection with the first batch the Superintendent reports : "It
was unfortunate that having to go myself on a special tour to Arakan I
was unable to get back before the termination of the course, so that I
could not hold an oral examination. The members of the teaching
staff, however, obtained a good idea of what these Assistants did not
know or had forgotten at the time the course started, and I am informed
that there was a noticeable improvement in their knowledge at the end
of the course." Of the 19 students out of a total of 200 marks 8
obtained more than 150, 8 more than 120 and no students had less than
half the marks. In the second batch all obtained over 50 per cent. of
the aggregate and more than half obtained two-thirds or more of the
aggregate. The Superintendent reports : "The members of the teaching
staff found a similar degree of improvement in the knowledge of the
Assistants at the end of the course as was the case with the previous
batch." This batch was also taken out and given instructions in the
serum-simultaneous method of inoculation conducted by the Research
Officer at the Bauktaw Pinjrapole Society's Cattle Depôt. Another
course has since been begun and it is proposed to make these courses a
permanent feature of the work of the school or at least to continue them
so long as they appear to be necessary.
CHAPTER VII.—ADMINISTRATION.
30. The superior staff entertained remained the same as last year.
The table on Appendix VI shows the number and distribution of the
complete staff of the department. For district work the province is
divided into four circles and one independent sub-circle as follows :—
The Northern Circle (comprising the districts of Mandalay, Sagaing,
Lower Chindwin, Upper Chindwin, Chin Hills, Shwebo, Katha, Bhamo
and Myitkyina).—U Pe Than, G.B.V.C. was in charge of the circle
during the year under report. To assist him he had one Deputy
Superintendent up till the 7th December 1928 when the latter proceeded
on leave preparatory to retirement, six Inspectors, forty-seven
Veterinary Assistants, one Flying Column Veterinary Assistant, and one
Frontier Veterinary Assistant. During the year under report the
Superintendent was on tour for 142 days and visited 171 villages. He
inspected the work of six Inspectors and 31 out of 49 Veterinary
Assistants.
The Central Circle (comprising the districts of Meiktila, Kyauksè,
Yamèthin, Myingyan, Magwe, Minbu, Thayetmyo and
Pakôkku).—
Captain J. Birkenshaw Idle, I.V.S., was in charge of the circle through-
out the year. He was on tour for 151 days and visited 164 villages for the
purpose of checking the work of the Veterinary staff and of inspecting
cattle and giving professional advice to stock owners. He also arranged
a course of Veterinary instruction on animal management at the Meiktila
FOR THE YEAR ENDED THE 31ST MARCH 1929.
19
Provincial Training College and acted as judge at the cattle show held at
Mahlaing and Thazi. He was assisted by two Deputy Superintendents,
four Inspectors, 38 Veterinary Assistants and one Flying Column
Veterinary Assistant.
The South-Eastern Circle (comprising the districts of Amherst,
Thatôn, Salween, Tavoy, Mergui, Toungoo, Pegu and Hanthawaddy
and South-Western Circle (comprising the districts of Bassein, Henzada
Ma-ubin, Myaungmya, Pyapôn, Insein, Tharrawaddy and Prome).—Captain
S. R. Rippon, I.V.S., held charge of these two circles as well as the
Arakan Sub-Circle and the Veterinary School, Insein, throughout the
year. The work is obviously beyond the capacity of any one officer
and it is hoped to make other arrangements at an early date. Captain
Rippon was on tour for 206 days and in addition to his ordinary tours
attended the Conference at Simla which was held in October 1928 in
connection with the recommendations of the Royal Commission on
Agriculture. He was assisted in his work by five Deputy Superinten-
dents, 16 Inspectors, 89 Veterinary Assistants, 4 Frontier Veterinary
Assistants and one Flying Column Veterinary Assistant.
31. I am not convinced that the touring of the Deputy Superinten-
dents is as extensive as it should be. Some of them do not appear to
spend half the month on tour and it is not understood what work can keep
them at headquarters. I have issued orders that Deputy Superinten-
dents have to engage more energetically in giving lectures to villagers
on the measures to be taken for the prevention of the spread of
contagious diseases and each Superintendent has been asked to put up
a syllabus of such lectures for this year.
32. A point which it is necessary to comment on is the inadequate
clerical staff allowed to the Superintendents. The present sanction is
for one clerk for each officer. As Superintendents are officers who are
constantly on tour it means that if they take their clerk with them their
offices must be closed when they are on tour resulting in delays and dis-
organisation. If on the other hand, the clerk is left at headquarters the
Superintendents have to go on tour clerkless. It is hoped that as soon
as possible each Superintendent may be provided with two clerks. It
may be remarked that the clerical staff formerly entertained by the
Deputy Superintendents was abolished when the clerical staff for the
Superintendents was sanctioned.
33. Subordinate Staff.—The total number of Veterinary Inspectors
during the year was 28 of whom 6 were in the Northern, 4 in the
Central, 6 in the South-Eastern, 6 in the South-Western, 2 in the
Arakan Sub-Circle, 2 in the Veterinary School and 2 were engaged in
the Research Laboratory. Inspectors on tour was 250 days in the
Northern, 192 in the Central, 182 in the South-Eastern, 168 in the
South-Western and 233 in the Arakan Sub-Circle.
20
REPORT ON THE CIVIL VETERINARY DEPARTMENT, BURMA,
The Total number of Veterinary Assistants entertained during the
year was 184. The total number of villages visited by them was 35,331
and the average number of days of touring was 220.
A good many complaints were received during the year of the
inefficiency of the Veterinary Assistants and it was found necessary to
remove two from the service for various misdemeanours. An attempt has
been made to improve the quality of their work by means of Refresher
Courses at the Insein Veterinary School as reported in the chapter on
" Veterinary Instruction."
Under the present departmental instructions Veterinary Assistants
are required to spend at least 20 days on tour during the month, to take
with them a chest containing medicines and to treat at least 60 animals
per month. In the opinion of at least one Superintendent these
instructions should be revised for the reason that they are very often
evaded and that it is difficult to prevent their evasion. It has been
suggested that they should be required to take out the medicine chest
only in cases of contagious disease like foot-and-mouth and then only by
order of the Township Officer. I have not, however, considered it
advisable to introduce any changes at present and until the orders of
Government have been received on the reorganisation proposals. In
the absence of dispensaries the present method seems to be the only
one suitable for providing cultivators with assistance in case of outbreaks
of foot-and-mouth disease.
34. Reorganisation Proposals.—In paragraph 28 of last year's report
attention was drawn to the impasse which had been reached in
connection with Veterinary training in this province. In September
1928 a Conference of Veterinary Officers was convened in Rangoon
when the subject was discussed. The conference afterwards met the
Financial Commissioner (Transferred Subjects) and as a result of the
discussion I drafted proposals which may be summarised as follows :—
(1) The raising of the entrance standard of the school to the High
School Final (already proposed by the Agricultural Com-
mittee of 1925).
(2) The alteration of the teaching from Burmese to English.
(3) The raising of the stipend from Rs. 25 to Rs. 40.
(4) Replacing of the present grade of Veterinary Assistants by a
grade of Veterinary Assistant Surgeons on the present scale
of pay drawn by Veterinary Inspectors, the cadre of the new
grade to be roughly three-fifths of the present cadre of
Veterinary Assistants.
(5) The abolition of the present grade of Inspectors.
(6) The new staff to be completely mobile in each circle, the
Superintendent to have power to transfer the staff and concen-
trate them in places where contagious disease is rampant.