91
Umballa.—By order of the Deputy Commissioner, two camels suffering
from Surra, were destroyed belonging to the Police.
Pipli Tehsil.—Surra made its appearance in the rains of 1894 and at
the village of Looki 4 horses and 8 asses died. During the wet season of 1895
the returns made, included 15 villages, in one of which Bhoosthala, all the
solipeds succumbed to the above disease. As far as could be ascertained in
other tehsils, viz.:—Jagadhri, Kharer and Naraingarh are freer from Surra than
the southern part of the Pipli, which is swampy and subject to flooding
during the monsoon.
In 1895, Surra occurred in 21 villages in this district which lie for the
most part between the western Jamna canal and the Jamna river. The
tract is seriously water-logged and swampy 'kadir' owing to percolation from
the canal. Gogpur and Salpani Kalan are on the banks of the Markanda
and are subject to inundation in the rains. Omree is on the grand trunk road
and is subject to inundation from a small branch of the Ghittang river. The
losses have been serious in all, but some of the villages have been practically
cleared out of soliped animals.
Karnal District.—Pheta (Surra) caused its ravages during the rains of
1895 in 72 villages visited by Veterinary Captain Pease. The disease occurred
in many other villages, especially in those in the Khadir and Naili were it is
said to occur annually, but as so few horses are kept, the donkey and ponies
belonging to the Kumhars (potters) only are attacked and their loss does not
attract much attention. The losses from Surra in sixteen villages in the
above tehsil statistics were forthcoming are as follows:—
Animals.
Total number kept
...
...
...
...
Number succumbed
...
...
...
...
Percentage of deaths
...
...
...
...
Horses.
220
106
48.18
Mules.
55
22
40.00
Asses.
281
125
44.48
Many of the villages lost in addition a great number of their dogs from
this disease, in some there was scarcely a dog remaining. The Canines appear
to have contracted the malady through eating diseased carcasses.
It was thought to be more than likely, that the villages in the Indri and
Pipli tehsils sustained severe losses from the same causes as the above mention-
ed—the former lying between the western Jamna canal and the Jamna river,
the latter on the border of the Umballa. Surra is known to be enzootic in the
latter locality.
Surra has been most prevalent in the north-east corner of the Kurnal
District, part of the Kurnal tehsil lying in the angle formed by the Umballa-
Kurnal and Kurnal-Meerut roads, that is between 77º and 78º Longitude
and 29º.50" and 30º N. Latitude.
In this locality alone no less than 101 villages are known to have suffered
very considerable losses. The general opinion however is that nearly all the
villages in this Tehsil have suffered more or less from the ravages of this di-
sease.
Delhi District.—Surra (Zahrbad) occurred in 7 villages of the Soneput
Tehsil, situated in the Jamna khadar during the latter half of 1895. The fol-
lowing native remedies were tried, but none of the drugs had any curative effect.
Ziri Siah, Ziri Safaid, Sohaga, Sajji, Phatkari, Hing, Nimak Lahori, Nimak
Sambha, Kalonj, Goor, Ajwain, Khuarasani, Ajwain Desi, Ajwain Babayl, Gund,
Peepla, Mul, Kali Mirch, Surakh Mirich, Darchini, Gundak, Purgatives were
also tried.