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At first he found that no statistics of any value whatever were maintained,
and in these circumstances, especially as the Veterinary Assistants em-
ployed knew little regarding the various maladies which existed in the villages
of their charge, it became necessary to devise a means of obtaining the neces-
sary information. As many villages as possible were visited, but it was of
course impossible to visit every one; still every endeavour was made to dis-
cover what diseases actually existed and were known to the people. The pro-
gress has necessarily been slow, but still a great deal has been done. The
Survey has so far been successful in deciding the nature of two of the
diseases which cause considerable loss of cattle in certain tracts which have
been visited, viz., Jowar poisoning and Fluke disease.
1st—Jowar poi-
soning.
527. A disease known generally all over India where Jowar (Sorghum vul-
gare) is grown and named by the people in the Southern Punjab, "patha lar
gaya" or "patha-lag-gaya." It has long been known to the native agri-
culturist that his cattle are apt to poison themselves sometimes by feeding
on the stalks of this generally wholesome and most useful plant, but
the why and wherefore of this strange occurrence has heretofore been a
mystery. All that was known was that the thing did happen occasionally
and particularly in years of drought when the plants become stunted and
dry up. This year was characterised by a very scant rainfall, and the
jowar became poisonous in many parts of the lower Punjab, especially
towards the west. Investigation proved that the cause was due to the fact
that in these conditions a considerable quantity of nitrate of potash is deposited
in a crystalline form in the dry stalks of the plants, and when the half-starved
cattle consume them death results from poisoning by this salt. It was found
that the quantity of the salt in some cases was 25 per cent. of the plant; a
quantity which, if an ordinary feed were taken, is sufficient to destroy the
animal in a very short time; indeed, death occasionally is apoplectiform
when a considerable quantity is taken, and very rapid with symptoms of
gastro-intestinal poisoning when a smaller quantity, sufficient to cause death,
is ingested. This discovery is of considerable importance and accounts for
a previously inexplicable phenomenon. Whilst the universal use of jowar
as a cattle food makes animals constantly liable to the danger of being poi-
soned, if a little care be taken in the examination of the plant by breaking
open the dried stems of suspected forage and the observation of the salt, which
is a simple matter, we are enabled to pronounce it dangerous and avoid its
use, so that when the people can be brought to understand this the danger can
be avoided.
Surra.
528. Another point which has been brought prominently to notice is the
prevalence of surra in some of the districts visited during the year, and more
particularly in the Kurnal district and the lower portion of Umballa, especial-
ly in the Naili tract of the Pipli tabsil which is much subject to inundation
and waterlogging for a considerable period of time.
The map in the pocket of the cover of this report, will convince most people
of the generally unhealthy nature of this district for solipeds and camels. Other
portions of the Punjab which have been visited by this plague, have also
been noted, and considerable progress, taking into consideration the staff at
our disposal, has been made in clearing up its geographical distribution.
2nd—Fluke dis-
ease.
529. Another disease, the cause of which has been elucidated, is one which
is very common in certain low lying tracts all over India, and is known to
the people in the parts visited as "Jonk". This malady is found to be
due to the attacks of an animal parasite similar to that which causes very
great losses in England, viz., "a fluke". The parasite which causes the death
of cattle and chiefly of buffaloes, though considerable losses of bullocks and
cows also result from its invasion, is not the same as that affecting the sheep
in England but differs widely from it. So far as a cursory examination of
the worm can allow us to decide, we have been led to classify it as the
"Fasciola gigantea" temporarily, but it is possible that it may correspond
with the "Fasciola magna" or "Carnosa" described by Stiles & Hassall. In
order to clear this up, Veterinary-Captain Pease has forwarded to Mr. Albert
Hassall. and C. W. Stiles Ph. D. the eminent helminthologists at the Bureau of
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