114
Foot and mouth disease.—More than half the deaths reported occurred in the Belin township,
viz., 289 out of 457. It broke out in April in most of the circles of the township, and continued
till October; the heaviest mortality reported was 76 deaths in July. Since October the death-rate
has steadily decreased. The remaining deaths were reported from various villages throughout
the district.
Upper Burma.
As in Lower Burma the outbreaks of foot and mouth disease were marked by their severity
and rapidity of extension, calls for assistance came from almost all parts of the province. The
districts suffering severely from this ailment were, Shurbo Sagaing, Mandalay, Meiktila, Yame-
thin, Magwe, Lower Chindwin and Yen.
In one township alone, viz., the Ava township of the Sagaing District, it is estimated that
nearly 9,000 animals were laid up during the month of September. In Shwebo during August
quite 50 per cent. of the cattle in the district were uufit for work.
Rinderpest.—This disease was not very prevalent excepting in the Bhamo District, where it
broke out at the commencement of the year, and continued through May and June, but subsided
in July.
Anthrax.—Outbreaks of anthrax were confined to the Upper and Lower Chindwin districts, and
were most prevalent in June and July.
Northern Shan States.
Rinderpest.—In a virulent form broke out at the commencement of the year, and continued
through May and June, causing many deaths amongst the cattle, in and around Thebaw and Las-
hio; the disease died out in July.
Foot and mouth disease.—Prevailed for some months, viz., from July to December.
Southern Shan States.
Foot and mouth disease was very bad in these States from the month of May, and showed no
indications of dying out till August.
A few cases of contagious pleuro pneumonia were reported from the Lower Chindwin
district.
GENERAL REMARKS.
Cattle Disease.—During the year under report this province was visited by terrible outbreaks-
of foot and mouth disease which were exceptionally widespread and severe. Thousands of cattle
were rendered unfit for work and many died. At one time the disease prevailed to such an extent
in many districts that all those connected with agriculture and its products were in a state of
great anxiety, and not without good reason as ploughing operations were almost suspended for
want of working oxen. The disease was most persistent, abating for a brief period in one part of
a district only to break out with increased virulence in another.
The immense losses of live-stock hit the cultivators very hard, being short of money owing to
the very low prices of paddy during the previous two years.
Urgent calls for assistance were received daily from all parts of the province. As the new
assistants had fiinished their course, the Department was fortunately in a position to meet all
demands. Men were posted and sent off hurriedly to the affected districts, equipped with ample
supplies of drugs to carry out treatment and also provide as much as possible those cultivators who
needed medicine.
The number of deaths registered was 9,506, more than double the mortality in 1891-92 and
1893-94, and 4,285 in excess of 1892-93. The following District sustained the heaviest losses,.viz.,
Amherst 2,550, Henzada 1,507, Pegu 1,478, Bassein 652, Hanthawaddy 550, Thongwa 508. The
increased violence and severity of the outbreaks may be to some extent attributed to the peculiar
rainy season of the year, which was unfavourable to the healthy life of man or beast.
Rinderpest.—A few districts suffered some severe losses from this scourge, notably Bassein
with a mortality amounting to 5,002 Pegu 2,387, Myaungmya 1718, and Hanthawaddy 1,081.
The remaining districts of the province were comparatively speaking, free. Bassein is a particu-
larly bad district for contagious diseases, especially cattle plague. Many factors tend to make
mortality heavy from these diseases in the Delta districts. Some are beyond control, such as the
heavy rainfall combined with general inundation of the country. Oxen and Buffaloes are crowded
on any piece of high ground ; they are unable to take excercise and are exposed night and day to
an almost incessant down-pour of rain, or the animals are crowded into sheds built on piles and
kept there for months; such conditions must tend to cause depression of the nervous system,
congestion of internal organs, and general predisposition to contract disease ; whenever it does
appear it simply decimates, or makes a clean sweep of herds. These districts on account of their
prosperity are very rich in live-stock. Again the drinking supply near villages is at times hor-
rible, as the rain and rising of the rivers often carries the accumulated filth of the hot weather
from the villages, cattle dens, etc., into the neighbouring water-supply. The habitual ingestion
of such filth cannot prove otherwise than detrimental. The people in a general way take great
care of their animals, that is, as regards feeding and grooming ; but their ideas of sanitation are
to say the least, very rudimentary.