PART II.—PROVINCIAL REPORT.
IV.—CATTLE DISEASE—INVESTIGATION AND PREVENTION.
320. The portion of this report referring to cattle disease, cattle breeding,
etc., has been prepared by Veterinary Captain Pease, Assistant to the Inspector-
General, Civil Veterinary Department, who is in charge of the Cattle Branch.
This officer has deemed it necessary to give the report on disease in Burma
in extenso, in order to show what is required in other provinces. At present,
Burma is the only province that can be said to be making steady progress.
This I attribute to the following facts : —
1st.—Because the Superintendent's time is utilized solely in the educa-
tion of the Veterinary Assistants and the prevention of disease,
there being no horse breeding in the province.
2nd—Because the Provincial Veterinary Subordinate Staff is entirely
under his direction.
The latter I consider a most important point. Before this Department
can satisfactorily cope with cattle disease in this country, it will be necessary
to have a full subordinate staff in each district as well as a Veterinary Officer
in each province, whose time will be solely devoted to the Cattle Branch.
This full establishment cannot of course be expected for some years, but we are
gradually working up to this by the appointment of Veterinary Assistants ; and
when the time arrives it will be found advisable, and I might say imperative to
place every Veterinary Subordinate, whether entertained by the province,
by District Boards, Municipalities, or other bodies, under the control of the
Provincial Veterinary Officer.
With the present incomplete Subordinate Staff, at the disposal of the De-
partment, I beg to submit that most satisfactory progress has been made in two
directions, viz.:—
(a)—Work done in Dispensaries.
(b)—Treatment of cattle by Veterinary Assistants, and I would draw
special notice to Veterinary Captain Pease's remarks on these two points.
Much information has been gained during the year with reference to the
various breeds of cattle. Cattle fairs have been more regularly attended by
the various Superintendents. More attention to this important duty is neces-
sary, but in those districts where horse and mule breeding demand constant
supervision on the part of the Superintendents, it is impossible to expect
that they can do more than they are doing at present; and on this point, I
would draw attention to the remarks made by the Superintendent, Civil Ve-
terinary Department, South Punjab (vide page 127).
Veterinary Captain Pease, Assistant to the Inspector-General, Civil Ve-
terinary Department, reports as follows :—
Information
collected.
321. Under this heading very material progress has been made, but I can
only repeat my remark of last year, to the effect that until we have a properly
organised and supervised subordinate Veterinary establishment in every province,
no satisfactory progress can be made in either investigation and prevention of
cattle disease or in cattle breeding. In some provinces, where horse breeding
operations are extensively carried on, the Provincial Veterinary Officers report
that they have no time to devote to cattle breeding or disease. But even if
these officers had time at their disposal, they would be unable to do anything
unless they had a subordinate staff to carry on the work. Burma is really the
only province which is working on the right lines, and much credit is due to
the Superintendent for the work done. If it is intended to do any really good
work in other provinces a Superintendent for purely cattle work must be ap-
pointed to each, and a staff under his direct supervision is absolutely necessary.
In Bombay the system of report by mamlatdars has been continued, but
unfortunately all districts do not appear to have submitted the reports with