NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
127
33. Bovine lymphangitis.—Eight cases were treated with
Bovine lymphangitis vaccine at the Veterinary Institutions of
Trichinopoly, Karur, Tanjore, Mayavaram and Negapatam.
34. Strangles.—During the year about 30 jutka ponies
were treated at the Veterinary Hospital, Negapatam, without
any casualty.
35. Ephemeral fever.—Nil.
IV.—MISCELLANEOUS..
36. Bacteriological work.—One hundred and five specimens
were submitted by the staff to the Principal, Madras Veterinary
College, Madras, for microscopical examination for various
diseases. Of these 65 were declared positive. Two hundred
and twenty-nine specimens were examined by the Veterinary
Assistant Surgeons in charge of Veterinary Hospitals at
Trichinopoly, Tanjore and Negapatam. I examined thirty
duplicate slides received from the staff of this circle during
the year.
37. Municipalities.—Though the following municipalities
of this circle, viz., Srirangam, Karur, Tanjore, Kumbakonam,
Mayavaram, Tiruvarur and Mannargudi have adopted the
by-laws relating to the control of contagious diseases in
animals, the cattle mortality reports are not being received
from them. The Municipal Council of Trichinopoly refused to
adopt the by-laws. The cattle mortality register is not being
maintained at Negapatam and the matter is under corre-
spondence.
38. Meat inspection work.—The municipalities of Trichi-
nopoly, Karur, Tanjore, Kumbakonam, Mayavaram and
Tiruvarur and the Union Board, Nannilam, availed of the
services of the Veterinary Assistant Surgeons concerned for
meat inspection. The meat inspection work which was being
done by the Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in charge of
Veterinary Dispensary, Ariyalur, was discontinued from
December 1930 owing to retrenchment in the Union Board
at Ariyalur.
39. The Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in charge of the
Veterinary Hospital, Negapatam, examined 550 sheep intended
for human consumption on board vessels of the British India
Steam Navigation Company, Limited, during the year.
40. Export of cattle.—(1) The Veterinary Assistant Sur-
geon in charge of the Veterinary Hospital, Negapatam,
continued to grant health certificates for cattle exported to
the Straits Settlements.
128
(2) The Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Tiru-
turaipundi, rendered necessary assistance to the Customs
authorities at Adirampatnam in the classification of cattle
brought for export to Kayts (Ceylon).
41. Lethal chambers.—Lethal chambers for the destruction
of dogs at Tanjore and Kumbakonam are working satisfactorily
and those at Karur and Mannargudi are not working owing to
certain defects in the chambers. Dogs are electrocuted at
Trichinopoly Municipality. The construction of lethal chambers
at Mayavaram and Tiruvarur is engaging the attention of the
local bodies.
42. Cattle fairs and shows.—The annual cattle fairs at
Samayapuram, Trichinopoly district, and Neerathanallur,
Tanjore district, were held during the year and there was no
outbreak of contagious diseases at any of these fairs. The
Cattle Disease Act was put in force at both the fairs.
43. Propaganda work.—Magic lantern slides were exhi-
bited at Samayapuram cattle fair and leaflets were distributed
and lectures delivered at Neerathanallur cattle fair. Lantern
slides were not available from the Madras Veterinary College
when the cattle fair was held at Neerathanallur as they were
then in use elsewhere.
44. The Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in charge of
Veterinary Dispensary, Mannargudi, and Touring Veterinary
Assistant Surgeon, Tiruturaipundi, attended the Yadhava
Conference at Mannargudi and delivered lectures on veterinary
subjects. The Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeon and
Additional Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Tiruturaipundi,
participated in the Health Week Celebrations held at Tiru-
turaipundi and delivered lectures on veterinary subjects.
45. Government livestock.—The Government animals at
the Central Jail, Trichinopoly, and Borstal School, Tanjore
were attended to by the Veterinary Assistant Surgeons in
charge of Veterinary Hospitals at Trichinopoly and Tanjore
whenever necessary. The Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in
charge of Veterinary Hospital, Kumbakonam, inspected the
Government cattle at Aduturai Agricultural Research Station
and gave professional aid on many occasions during the year.
He also protected the conservancy bullocks of the Kumbakonam
Municipality against rinderpest during the year. The cattle of
the Central Jail, Trichinopoly, also were protected by serum
simultaneous method against rinderpest during this year,
129
46. Criminal poisoning.—Five cases of this sort were
brought to the notice of the staff of this circle. Four post-
mortem certificates were given by the staff. In two, the
accused were fined and the results of the other cases are not
known.
47. Malicious injury.—On the whole, 11 cases were exa-
mined for malicious injury by the staff and certificates given.
In five cases the accused were fined and the results of the
other cases are not yet known.
48. Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.—The
Act is in force in the municipalities of Trichinopoly, Karur,
Tanjore and Kumbakonam. Seventy-three animals were re-
manded to the veterinary institutions at Trichinopoly and
Tanjore for care and treatment.
49. Financial effects of the revised scale of fees.—The
introduction of the revised scale of fees is not very encouraging
at the Veterinary Hospitals, Trichinopoly, Tanjore and Kumba-
konam, where fees are levied. A comparative statement
showing the admission fees collected during the years 1929-30
and 1930-31 in the above institutions is appended below :—
Name of veterinary institution.
Veterinary Hospital, Trichino-
poly .. .. ..
Veterinary Hospital, Tanjore.
Veterinary Hospital, Kumba-
konam .. .. ..
Amount of admission fees
realized
during
1929-30.
Rs.
790
220
278
A.
6
0
8
P.
0
0
0
1930-31.
Rs.
523
185
138
A.
0
8
8
P.
0
0
0
V.—GENERAL.
50. The staff had to complain against nine village officers
for slackness in reporting outbreaks of disease promptly and
six of them were fined and the case of the other three is not
yet known.
R. NARASINGA RAO,
District Veterinary Officer, Trichinopoly.
17
130
ANNUAL ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE DISTRICT
VETERINARY OFFICER, MADURA, FOR THE YEAR
1930-31.
I.—ADMINISTRATION.
I held charge of Madura circle comprising three districts,
viz., Madura, Ramnad and Tinnevelly, throught the year.
I was on tour for 173 days, inspected the veterinary
institution at Periyakulam thrice during the year and the re-
maining veterinary institutions twice during the year. Each
of the above-mentioned institutions was inspected by me once
in detail.
I inspected all the offices of the Touring Veterinary
Assistant Surgeons twice during the year, once in detail and
the field work of each Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeon.
I attended two actual outbreaks of rinderpest—one with the
Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Madura, and the other
with the Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Palni—and
helped the Veterinary Assistant Surgeons in conducting serum
simultaneous inoculations and arresting the spread of the dis-
ease. I attended the annual cattle fairs held at Madura,
Kanniseri, Kilaviraraghavapuram and Kalugumalai and advised
the ryots on the importance of veterinary aid, and the advan-
tages of early castration. I helped the Touring Veterinary
Assistant Surgeons in charge of the fairs in popularizing the
Burdizzo method of castration by performing castrations in
the fairs themselves. I inspected the Government livestock
at Koilpatti during the course of my inspection of the office
of the Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Koilpatti, and
found all the animals healthy. I also inspected twice the
private cattle farm at Dhonavur of Tinnevelly district, once
when the animals were subjected to the double intradermal
tuberculin test and a second time when the animals were pro-
tected by sero—aggressin method of inoculations against black
quarter.
I attended the Missionary Conference whose main theme
is "Rural Uplift" at Kodaikanal during May 1930, and
arranged that the Veterinary Department should participate.
Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, G. R. Visvanathan, was
specially deputed from the Madras Veterinary College for the
purpose. Magic lantern lectures on important cattle diseases
131
were delivered; charts of scientific interest, samples of sera
and vaccines and photos of various operations were also
exhibited.
An animal show was conducted by the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at Kodaikanal during May
1930. Quite a variety of animals were on view including bandy
bullocks, pack-ponies, dhoby donkeys, milch cows, calves,
dogs, fowls, etc. Of the various classes opened for competi-
tion, I was one of the judges.
There was an outbreak of glanders among ponies in Pan-
naipuram village, Periyakulam taluk, Madura district. I
tested 32 ponies with mallein. Four animals declared positive
for glanders were destroyed under the Act.
An investigation of Theileriasis at Kodaikanal was under-
taken by me during the month of March 1931, with Veterinary
Assistant Surgeon V. P. Subbiah in charge, Veterinary Dis-
pensary, Madura City, to assist me in the investigation.
Details of the investigation with the results are mentioned
under "Bacteriological work"
During the year, 7,164 animals were protected by the serum
simultaneous method of inoculation against rinderpest of which
eleven bovines belonged to the Government Agricultural Farm
at Koilpatti and the rest belonged to the ryots. Virus for
inoculation was obtained from the Madras Veterinary College
and local virus was also used whenever virus was not available
at the College. In addition, 121 serum alone method of inocu-
lations against rinderpest, 109 serum alone method of
inoculations against hæmorrhagic septicæmia, 61 sero-aggres-
sin and 15 serum alone method of inoculations against black
quarter were conducted. Ninety fowls were protected against
pseudo-fowl-pest with the vaccine from the Madras Veterinary
College. A tabular statement showing the quantities of the
different kinds of sera, aggressin and vaccine and virus used
is appended below :—
Anti-rinderpest
class II special
serum.
67,075 doses
..
Hæmor-
rhagic
septicæmia
serum.
160 doses.
Black
quarter
serum.
68 doses.
Black
quarter
aggressin.
750 c.c.
150 doses.
Pseudo-
fowl pest
vaccine.
100 c.c.
Madras
Veterinary
College
virus.
1,440 oz.
Local
virus.
232 oz.
While at headquarters, I attended the Veterinary Dispen-
sary, Madura City, every day and rendered professional aid
to the Veterinary Assistant Surgeon.
132
II.—EXECUTIVE STAFF.
The total number of Veterinary Assistant Surgeons in this
circle at the close of the year was 26, 15 in charge of
Veterinary Institutions including the Veterinary Assistant
Surgeon in charge of Veterinary Hospital, Veerakeralampudur,
ten in charge of touring billets and one attached as Reserve
Veterinary Assistant Surgeon to the District Veterinary Office.
There were no casualties during the year.
(a) Hospitals and Dispensaries.
During the year under report a new Veterinary dispensary
was opened at Srivilliputtur of Ramnad district from 1st
September 1930. The Veterinary Hospital at Veerakeralam-
pudur continued to be under the management of the Uthumalai
Estate. The Veterinary Assistant Surgeons in charge of
Veterinary Institutions at Periyakulam and Sivakasi also did
touring work throughout the year. The touring work attached
to the Veterinary Dispensary, Ramnad, was abolished from
October 1930.
The number of patients treated at the veterinary institutions
of this circle during the year under report was 19,508 as
against 18,048 of the previous year. The number of cases
supplied with medicines but not brought to the institutions was
292 as against 563 of the previous year. Six hundred and
forty castrations were performed during the year as against
555 of the previous year. Of the above castrations, 458 were
performed by the Burdizzo method against 375 of the previous
year. Two equines were also castrated by this method.
Six cocks were caponised at the Veterinary Dispensary, Kodai-
kanal, as against eleven of the previous year.
There has been an increase in the number of admissions,
castrations and daily average attendance in the veterinary
institutions at Dindigul, Periyakulam, Ramnad, Devakottah
and Tinnevelly as compared with those of the previous year.
An increase in admissions and castrations but a slight fall in
the daily average is observed in the Veterinary Dispensary,
Madura City. The fall is attributed to the decrease in the
number of equine patients received for treatment and also to
the general financial depression. In the veterinary institutions
at Sivaganga and Rajapalayam the figures of admissions and
daily average have increased when compared with those of last
year; but there is a slight fall in the number of castrations.
Although the Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in charge, Veteri-
nary Hospital, Sivaganga, had done the largest number of
castrations during the current year, yet there is a slight fall
133
when compared with that of the previous year. The figures of
daily average and castrations in the veterinary institutions at
(Tallakulam) Madura and Veerakeralampudur show an increase
but a slight fall in the number of admissions is observed. The
fall in the former is attributed to the opening of a veterinary
dispensary in the heart of Madura City, while in the latter
the fall is attributed to the absence of foot-and-mouth disease
which prevailed in a severe form in and around Veerakeralam-
pudur during the previous year as a result of which a large
number of cases were received for treatment. An increase in
the number of admissions but a slight fall in the daily average
and castrations is observed in the Veterinary Dispensary at
Kodaikanal. The decrease is attributed to the small number
of Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' cases re-
manded to the infirmary for treatment. A slight fall under
admissions and castrations and an increase in the daily average
are noticed in the veterinary institutions at Virudhunagar,
Sivakasi and Tuticorin. The fall under admissions in the
Veterinary Dispensary at Virudhunagar is attributed to the
illegal collection of tolls for unladen sick animals brought to
the institution for treatment contrary to the orders of the
Special Officer in charge of the municipality and partly to the
civil disobedience movement in those parts. Owing to the pre-
valence of rinderpest in a severe form in Sattur taluk of Ramnad
district, the Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in charge, Veterinary
Dispensary, Sivakasi, was engaged in the constant attendance
of outbreaks. Consequently the dispensary had to be closed
during these periods and hence the fall in the number of
admissions. The change of location of the Veterinary Dis-
pensary at Tuticorin coupled with the distance of the veterinary
dispensary from the heart of the town is said to be responsible
for the slight fall in the number of admissions. The figures
of admission, daily average attendance and castrations are
satisfactory for the newly opened dispensary at Srivilliputtur.
A temporary waiting shed and an operation shed have been
constructed at each of the veterinary institutions at Tuticorin
and Srivilliputtur. A dressing shed was also put up at the
Veterinary Dispensary, Devakottah.
Veterinary Assistant Surgeons, K. R. Lakshminarayana
Ayyar, Veerabahu Pillai and Parameswara Menon deserve
special mention for good work.
(b) Itinerating Staff.
A new touring billet was opened in Tinnevelly district from
1st May 1930 with headquarters at Nanguneri. There were
in all ten touring billets. The touring billet of Ambasamudram
134
division remained vacant from 13th November 1930 to 3rd
December 1930 and no Veterinary Assistant Surgeon was
posted to hold additional charge of the billet. The touring
billet of Nanguneri was vacant from 7th September 1930 to 6th
October 1930 and the Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeon,
Tinnevelly, was holding additional charge of the billet. The
Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Srivilliputtur, opened
the Veterinary Dispensary at Srivilliputtur and as no hand was
available, this touring billet remained closed from 1st Sep-
tember 1930 to 13th October 1930 and the Touring Veterinary
Assistant Surgeon, Paramakudi, was in additional charge of
this division. The touring billet of Paramakudi division had
to be closed from 15th November 1930 to 22nd January 1931
when the permanent incumbent proceeded on medical leave:
the Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Sivaganga, was
asked to attend to outbreaks of contagious diseases in that
division.
A comparative statement of the work done by the touring
staff is appended below :—
Year.
1929-30 .. ..
1930-31 .. ..
Inocula-
tions.
4,775
7,560
Contagious
cases
treated.
1,768
1,039
Non-
contagious
cases
treated.
3,859
5,516
Castrations
performed.
696
1,113
From the above statement it will be observed that there
is an increase in the number of inoculations done, non-
contagious cases treated and castrations performed and a
decrease in the number of contagious cases treated. The fall
in the number of contagious cases treated is attributed to the
fact that contagious disease especially rinderpest was not so
virulent as it was last year, and the increase in the number of
inoculations is attributed to the growing popularity of the serum
simultaneous method of inoculation against rinderpest. The
considerable increase in the number of non-contagious cases
treated and castrations performed was due to the fact that
Veterinary Assistant Surgeons were able to perform systematic
touring more frequently than last year as they were not en-
gaged in the constant attendance of contagious diseases. Of the
1,113 castrations 1,065 were performed by the Burdizzo
method. Four equines were also castrated by this method.
Veterinary Assistant Surgeons, T. Sivagaminatha Muda-
liyar, M. Ramakrishna Pillai, S. Ramanarayanan, L. Bala-
krishnan and K. S. Vanniaperumal deserve special mention
for good work.
135
III.—CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.
A tabular statement showing the number of outbreak
reports received and attended to by the itinerating staff this
year as well as the previous year is appended below:—
Diseases.
Rinderpest .. .. ..
Anthrax .. .. ..
Black quarter .. ..
Hæmorrhagic septicæmia ..
Foot and mouth
..
..
Other contagious diseases ..
Other non-contagious dis¬
eases .. .. ..
1929-30.
Received.
240
11
30
12
28
1
7
Attended.
219
7
21
12
24
Nil.
7
1930-31.
Received.
162
17
17
38
5
4
5
Attended.
160
17
17
37
5
3
5
Rinderpest.—One hundred and sixty-two reports were
received by the staff during the year under report, as against
240 of last year. One hundred and sixty reports were attended
to and two reports were not attended to, as progress reports
showed subsidence of the disease. In three reports attended
to, the disease subsided before attendance. Rinderpest was
severe in Madura, Palni and Ambasamudram divisions and
Sattur taluk of Ramnad district, moderately severe in Periya-
kulam, Sivaganga, Srivilliputtur and Koilpatti divisions and
mild in Nanguneri division. Paramakudi and Tinnevelly divi-
sions were practically free from this disease. The prevalence
of the disease in Periyakulam and Ambasamudram divisions
clearly shows the source of infection to be traceable to
Travancore border.
Seven thousand one hundred and sixty-four inoculations
by serum simultaneous method and 121 inoculations by the
serum alone method were performed against rinderpest. The
major portion of the inoculated animals by the serum simultane-
ous method were hyperimmunised. The following table shows
the results among the animals inoculated by serum simultaneous
method:—
Number of animals
inoculated
by
serum-simultaneous
method.
(1)
7,164
Death due to reaction
within four days of
inoculation.
(2)
5
Death due to reaction
within the fourth
and seventh day of
inoculation.
(3)
..
Death due to re-
action within the
seventh and four-
teenth day of ino-
culation.
(4)
4
Death after fourteen
days of inoculation.
(5)
..
Total deaths among
the
inoculated
animals.
(6)
9
Remarks.
(7)
..
136
There had been in all nine deaths among the animals
inoculated by serum simultaneous method. The five deaths
shown in column (2) are said to be due to excessive reaction,
and the four deaths shown in column (4) are said to be due
to piroplasmosis. There was no opportunity to treat this.
In view of the prevalence of rinderpest in a severe form
in Madura district during the early part of the year under
report it was necessary to enforce the provisions of the Cattle
Disease Act of 1866 in the whole of Madura district from 1st
April 1930 to 30th June 1930 both days inclusive. In the
month of January 1931 the provisions of the said Act were
enforced in Melur taluk for a period of three months and
temporary dispensaries and hospital pounds were opened at
Natham and Melur to control the spread of the disease. From
6th March 1931 till the close of the current official year the
provisions of the Act were enforced in Periyakulam taluk of
Madura district. Cases of rinderpest treated with intravenous
injection of iodine (tincture iodine in 2 to 4 drachms doses
diluted with four times distilled water) in the early stages,
proved effective in the majority of cases.
Anthrax.—Seventeen reports were received and all of them
were attended to. In ten of these reports, the disease subsided
before attendance. No inoculations were carried out since
the disease was of a mild nature.
Black quarter.—In all, 17 reports were received during
the year and all of them were attended. In ten of these reports
the disease subsided before attendance. In one outbreak of
Madura division the disease prevailed in a moderately severe
form and 15 serum alone method of inoculations against black
quarter were conducted. In three other outbreaks of Tinne-
velly district where the disease prevailed also in a moderately
severe form, 61 animals were protected by the sero-aggres-
sin method of inoculation against black quarter.
Hæmorrhagic septicæmia.—The staff received 38 out-
break reports, of which 37 were attended to. In one outbreak-
report not attended to, progress report showed subsidence of
the disease. In four outbreaks attended the disease sub-
sided before attendance. The disease was severe in Madura
taluk and mild elsewhere. One hundred and nine serum alone
method of inoculations were performed in Madura division
against hæmorrhagic septicæmia and the disease subsided.
Foot-and-mouth disease.—The total number of reports
received is five and all of them were attended to. The disease
prevailed only in a very mild form. No opportunity occurred
for treating foot-and-mouth cases by Chemotherapy.