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Department of Epizootic Diseases of Animals
in Calcutta.
Control.—This department was under the direct control of the Principal
throughout the year.
2. Staff.—There were seven Inspectors including the Chief Inspector,
Babu S. C. Sircar, G.B.V.C., who worked in that capacity up to 31st January
1937 ; he, however, proceeded on leave for 4 months from 1st February 1937
prior to retirement from Government service and Babu K. C. Pramanick,
G.B.V.C., worked as officiating Chief Inspector from that date. Out of the
remaining six Inspectors, one worked at the court to give professional advice
to the trying magistrate in cruelty cases, one worked as Reserve Inspector
and the remaining four were placed in charge of the Glanders Districts within
the jurisdiction of the Glanders and Farcy Act.
3. Working of the department.—The staff as a general routine periodically
inspected all the stables within their jurisdiction in the detection of equine
cases coming under the Glanders and Farcy Act. They also attended outbreaks
of contagious diseases amongst cattle and performed preventive inoculations
when required. They inspected cattle byres, gowkhanas of the Calcutta Cor-
poration and other suburban municipalities lying within the Glanders area
as well as the cattle marts at Kidderpcre, Goabagan, Chitpcre, etc., to enquire
into the prevalence of contagious diseases and to instruct people in the scientific
care and management of their live-stock. They inspected on board ship 1,403
horses and 27 cattle and other animals in four vessels which arrived at the
port of Calcutta during the period April to October when the Presidency
Remount Depot remained closed. None showed any clinical symptoms of
contagious or infectious diseases.
4. This department was responsible for the sale of sera and other biological
products of Muktesar to local bodies and private parties within the Glanders
area and also for advice given to the suburban municipalities on the preventive
inoculation of their animals during outbreaks of cattle disease. There was a
sale of Rs. 254-1-6 for sera and vaccine including a small quantity of mallein
during the year under report.
5. Scheduled equine diseases.—During the year there were 17 outbreaks
of glanders amongst horses in Calcutta and suburbs. The incontact animals
of the infected stables were seized and tested. Some 21 horses came under the
Glanders and Farcy Act, of which 5 were found to be affected with glanders
and destroyed, the rest 16 being discharged. Nothing was paid as compensa-
tion to the owners as no owner came forward with an application.
6. Bovine contagious diseases.—Rinderpest and hæmorrhagic septicæmia
were detected during the year under report. The outbreaks were successfully
controlled by immediate attendance and timely inoculation by the inspectors
of this department; 1,483 head of cattle were inoculated in 17 outbreaks
with serum alone and by the goat tissue vaccine method against rinderpest ;
and 4 cattle against hæmorrhagic septicæmia in one outbreak. 47 cases
of foot and mouth disease were also attended.
7. A bulletin of the monthly incidence of epizootic diseases among horses
and cattle including rabies in dogs were circulated to all concerned by this
department.