NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
7
the number of deaths almost doubled. Foot and mouth disease
was responsible for 2,008 outbreaks as against 5,373 in 1927-28.
Including 69,780 cases of this disease, the total number of
animals affected in the above outbreaks was 114,566 compared
with 200,075 of the previous year which shows a decrease in the
number of attacks by over eighty-five thousand. The staff could
render help in 5,970 outbreaks.
26. The following table compares the statistics of outbreaks
of contagious diseases, deaths, etc., with reference to the area
and cattle population in each range :—
Range.
1
North Bihar ...
Central
Orissa
Total ...
Area
in square
allies.
2
20,457
33,844
28,864
83,105
Livestock.
3
0,029,637
10,474,062
7,803,869
27,907,548*
Number of
outbreak
reported.
4
1,148
2,768
2,061
6,862
Number of
outbreaks
attended,
5
1,141
2,599
2,230
6,070
Number of
animals
affected.
6
8,746(a)
33,189(b)
72,632(c)
114,566
Number of
deaths
recorded.
7
3,992
10,291
3,484
37,767
Remarks.
8
*
The
figures are
according
to
the
1atest
census of
1926.
(a) Includes
(b)
Do.
(c)
Do.
3,630
13,850
42,400
cases of foot and month disease.
ditto.
ditto.
27. Chaukidars recommended for punishment or reward.—
135 chaukidars were punished or recommended for punishment for
failing to report outbreaks, while 61 were rewarded or recom-
mended for rewards for giving timely help to the staff.
EQUINE.
28. Glanders.—Nil.
29. Anthrax.—Only one case, resulting in the death of the
animal occurred in Patna.
30. Surra.—5 cases were reported, 1 being in Hazari-
bagh, 2 in Champaran, 1 in Ranchi and 1 in Manbhum
district. Of these, 3 died and 2 were cured after nagano]
treatment. The Mounted Military Police horses, which were
on their way back from Jamshedpur, were successfully treated
by naganol injections at Ranchi.
31. Tetanus.—2 deaths from tetanus were recorded in
Bhagalpur against 4 in the previous year.
8
BOVINE.
32. Rinderpest was reported in all districts, the heaviest
mortalities being caused in Cuttack, Sambalpur, Ranchi, Angul
and Puri districts of the Orissa Range, and Palamau, Santal
Parganas and Gaya of the Central Range. Though there has
been a slight increase in the number of deaths in North Bihar
there was no special outbreak in that range. The condition of
the Central Range was much the same. It is in the Orissa Range
that the disease demanded greatest attention. In Cuttack, it
appeared in a virulent form and lingered throughout the year, the
Sadr and Banki subdivisions of the district being badly affected.
The staff that could be detailed to these areas did not prove
sufficient and as a result, more than three thousand cattle
succumbed. Ranchi and Sambalpur also suffered considerably
from the same malady though the percentage of deaths in them
was lower than in Cuttack. The majority of the outbreaks
in Sambalpur were confined to the Bargarh subdivision where
the disease ultimately took a virulent form in consequence
of the infection imported from the surrounding Feudatory
States in Orissa and the States of the Central Provinces,
bordering on it. On account of its peculiar situation it is
necessary to have this part of the district placed under proper
surveillance.
A proposal for the appointment of another
touring veterinary assistant surgeon for this subdivision with
Padampur as his headquarters has already been submitted to
Government for sanction.
33. The following table shows the particulars of the out
breaks of rinderpest in each range as compared with those of
the previous year :—
Range.
1
North Bihar ... ...
Central ... ...
Orissa ... ...
Total
Outbreak reported.
1927-28
2
85
704
854
1,143
1928-29
3
99
774
1,174
2,047
Outbreak attended.
1927-28
4
86
677
318
1,080
1928-29
5
98
706
920
1,792
Number of animals
affected.
1927-28
6
706
10,482*
3,436
14,623
1928-29
7
784
11,032
27,260
39,966
Number of deaths
recorded.
1927-28
8
367
4,468
1,670
6,405
1928-29
9
424
4,547
11,414
16,385
9
34. Foot and mouth disease.—As stated in a previous
paragraph, the incidence of this disease was strikingly low,
although it was prevalent in all the three ranges and in North
Bihar Range throughout the year, affecting 3,530 cattle in 162
outbreaks, as against 13,850 in 588 and 42,400 in 1,258 outbreaks
in the Central and Orissa Ranges respectively. Altogether 59,780
animals were affected in 2,008 outbreaks with 228 deaths as
compared with 175,748 attacks in 5,373 outbreaks and 378 deaths
in 1927-28. In Orissa, a large number of cattle suffering from
this disease were carefully treated with the result that the
disease was suppressed to a great extent.
35. Hæmorrhagic Septicemia.—If
the statistics of this
disease for the last three years are compared, it will be seen that
there has been a gradual rise in the number of outbreaks, seizures
and deaths. As in the previous year, the disease was reported in
all districts except Angul. In North Bihar, high mortalities
were recorded in the districts of Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga and
Saran where respectively 659, 534 and 506 deaths occurred.
With a few exceptions in which extra staff had to be deputed
in this range, the outbreaks were, on the whole, mild. The same
was also the case with the Central Range although the two
districts, Patna and Gaya, suffered most from its attack record-
ing 2,056 and 1,168 deaths respectively. The mortalities were
not great in Orissa. Altogether, 2,470 outbreaks were reported
in the three ranges and in these, out of 12,839 animals attacked,
9,597 died, as compared with 1,589 outbreaks, 8,322 seizures and
6,389 deaths respectively, in the year 1927-28. 2,298 outbreaks
were attended by the staff.
36. Black-quarter.—Black-quarter
was reported, in 8
districts, namely, Saran, Champaran, Muzaffarpur,
Darbhanga,
Monghyr, Shahabad, Bhagalpur and Palamau with a total
number of 731 deaths out of 865 animals attacked in 191
outbreaks, the corresponding figures for the previous year being
respectively 673, 794 and 226. In Muzaffarpur, Saran and
Darbhanga the disease appeared almost simultaneously with
Hæmorrhagic Septicaemia. It was not reported in Orissa.
The disease was in each case confirmed by microscopical
examination. It occurred at the Patna farm causing 6 deaths
among the young stock.
37. Antkrax.—Anthrax
was reported in Gaya, Monghyr,
Bhagalpur, Santal Parganas, Hazaribagh, Palamau, Sambalpur,
Manbhum and Singhbhum, but no case was detected in the
North Bihar Range. In all, 158 deaths were recorded in 41
outbreaks compared with 406 deaths in 63 outbreaks during the
10
previous year. The disease was diagnosed microscopically in all
cases.
According to practice, a monthly return of: anthrax was
regularly submitted to the Consulats General of America at
Calcutta.
38. Other contagious diseases.—355 deaths shown under this
head includes 79 from rabies in dogs which is shown below
separately under "Canine ". The figure further includes 243
deaths from anthrax in sheep detected in Gaya.
39. Ganine.—79 deaths were recorded against 59 in 1927-28.
The figure includes 12 deaths among bovines in Hazaribagh.
TABLE III.
PREVENTIVE INOCULATION.
40. In spite of the limited staff available and reluctance on
the part of many district boards to boar the full cost of serum in
consequence of which the supply had to be restricted to some
extent temporarily in North Bihar and Orissa, there has been
an appreciable increase of over 82,000 in the number of cattle
protected. Altogether 328,153 inoculations were done against
245,532 of the previous year. The following table compares the
figures in respect of each range for the two years 1928-29 and
1927-28:—
Range.
North Bihar
Central
Orissa
... ... ...
... ... ...
... ... ...
Total ...
1928-20
85,988
145,589
96,626
328,153
1927-28
107,187
87,148
51,197
245,532
41. The details in respect of each district are shown in
table III.
42. Rinderpest.—Inoculations
were performed against
rinderpest in all districts except Purnea, the total number of
animals protected by the "serum alone " method being 149,098
in 873 outbreaks, as compared with 92,182 done in 587 out-
breaks in 1927-28. Unlike the previous years, this operation
11
was extensively carried out in the Orissa Range as the disease
prevailed throughout the range, even Cuttack and Balasore,
which had the reputation of being healthy districts, not being
excepted. In all, 68,021 head of cattle were protected in this
range against 27,865 in 1927-28 which must be called a substan-
tial increase for the year. In the Central and North Bihar
Ranges, though there was no special outbreak to attend, protec-
tion was given in 71,528 and 9,549 cattle against 50,195 and
14,122 respectively, in the previous year.
In addition, inoculation by "serum simultaneous " method
was undertaken at the Government Cattle Farm, Patna, where
89 animals were protected
43. Of the total number, 891 animals died of the disease,
the death-rate among the inoculated being '59 per cent,
44. Hæmorrhagic Septicmmia.—Except Angul where this
disease was not reported, protection was given to cattle in all
other districts, the total number inoculated being 145,646 in 651
outbreaks against 110,189 done in 544 in the year 1927-28.
The total approaches the number done against rinderpest. The
largest number or 65,750 inoculations were performed in the
Central Range, the figures for the North Bihar and Orissa
Ranges being 53,545 and 26,351 respectively. If the district
figures are considered, it will appear that the greatest number
of cattle (22,069) were protected in Patna and next to that,
19,460 were done in Gaya.
45. Only 106 cattle died which shows the death-rate as "07
per cent, among the inoculated.
46. The total number includes 6,097 cattle which were
protected with hæmorrhagic septicaemia vaccine in six districts.
47. Anthrax.—No
inoculations were performed against
anthrax in North Bihar. In all, 8,119 cattle were protected by
anti-anthrax serum in the other two ranges against 12,116 in the
previous year, the largest number (3,700) being done in Gaya.
31 inoculated animals died.
48. Black-quarter.—The latest preventive methods against
black-quarter were employed with the result that 25,204 cattle
were inoculated as compared with 21,131 done in 1927-28. Of
this number 22,894 were protected in North Bihar and 2,310 in
the Central Range. Only one death occurred among the inocu-
lated animals. The disease was not reported in the Orissa Range,
12
49. Supply of sera and vaccines.—The following table
shows the quantities of sera and vaccines dealt with by the
department during the year :—
Serial
no.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Name of serum or
vaccine.
Anti-rinderpest serum ...
Hæmorrhagic septicaemia serum ...
Anti-anthax serum ...
Hæmorrhagic Septicemia vaccine
Black-quarter aggressin ...
Ditto
serum ...
Tuberculin
...
Goat Virus ... ...
Mallein ... ... ...
Cost of bottles and packing cases
Total
Cost per dose.
Rs.
0
0
0
0
0
5
0
a.
3
6
6
3
4
6
7
p.
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
...
0 7 6
...
...
...
Quantity received.
574,800
174,000
14,000
9,000
12,000
30,000
27
15 c.c.
6
...
...
...
Value.
Rs.
1,07,775
65,250
6,250
1,687
3,000
11,250
12
5
2
1,94,232
9,033
2,03,265
a.
0
0
0
8
0
0
10
0
13
15
0
.15
p.
0
0
0
0
0
0
6
0
0
6
0
6
Rs. 1,45,306-3-6 including outstandings of Rs. 1,05,064-15-4
from the previous years were realized from local bodies and
credited to Government A sum of Rs. 1,63,024-11-4 still
remains to be recovered for the products received from the
Imperial Institute of Veterinary Research, Muktesar, but this
sum includes Rs. 24,864-3-0, being the value of sera, and vaccines
in stock on 31st March 1929. Excluding the stock in hand and
the amount due by the department, the amount payable by local
bodies on the above date was Rs. 75,221-5-9.
50. Protection by sera and vaccines which was given freely
to the raiyats for their cattle in the preceding years was hamper-
ed to some extent during the year under review due to the
refusal of some district boards to pay the cost beyond their
budget provisions. Most of the local bodies having represented
the matter, Government was pleased to give immediate relief by
making a supplementary grant of Rs. 24,000 in addition to the
ordinary provision of Rs. 5,000 in the veterinary budget. This
sum was distributed only to the deserving local bodies which
spent up to or more than 1.5 per cent, of their total income on
serum. Government have also been pleased to sanction another
item of Rs. 20,000 so as to raise the total provision to Rs. 25,000
for payment to the district boards on the above principle during
1929-30 and have authorized the Director, Civil Veterinary
Department, to distribute the amount according to his discretion
13
TABLE IV.
NUMBER OF ANIMALS TRFATED.
51. The total number of veterinary assistant surgeons
employed on touring duty during the year was 100 as compared
with 92 in 1927-28.
52. No new post of touring veterinary assistant surgeon
could be added to the cadre as the district boards were unable
to provide funds for same. On the contrary, the district board,
Gaya, resolved to abolish the third touring veterinary assistant
surgeon of Aurangabad (Nabinagar) and Gaya Sadr (Tikari)
with effect from the 14th June and 5th July 1929 respectively.
The district board, Hazaribagh, also resolved to abolish the
entire veterinary establishment of the district, but Government
having waived their claim to the recovery of the proportionate
sbare of contribution on account of the pay and allowances of
the veterinary assistants and agreed to supply sera and vaccines
free of charge so long as its financial position does not improve,
the board subsequently agreed to maintain the existing institu-
tions. Another post of touring veterinary assistant surgeon in
Monghyr was converted into a post of stationary veterinary
assistant surgeon for the hospital at Begusarai.
53. None of the proposals for constructing new buildings as
veterinary dispensaries advanced further except that the proposal
for the Simdega dispensary was sent up to Government while
the proposal for building quarters for the second touring
veterinary assistant surgeon, Angul, was sanctioned.
54. In consideration of the popularity which the department
has gained and in view of its future expansion the need for
additional posts of touring veterinary assistant surgeons is being
keenly felt throughout the province but more urgently in the
districts of Bhagalpur, Hazaribagh, Patna, Cuttack, Puri, Sam-
balpur, Singhbhum and Ranchi. Most of the local bodies which
were approached have expressed their inability to incur further ex-
penditure so long as substantial relief is not given towards meeting
the cost of serum. The useful work which this class of officer is
doing for the public in the suppression of cattle-disease, by preven-
tive inoculations, by advising on sanitary measures, and feeding
arrangements and also by the elimination of scrub bulls in addition
to treating ordinary cases is now generally admitted and requires
little comment on the subject. The Royal Commission on
Agriculture emphasized this point when they recommended
14
a large increase in the staff of touring veterinary assistant
surgeons. In their opinion each touring assistant should have
charge of 25,000 head of cattle. Even on a most rough calcula-
tion on this basis, the ultimate number of such assistants for
the province would be in the neighbourhood of 1,100 against
which the present cadre hardly consists of 150 assistants under
all heads. Time has therefore come when the question of
increasing the subordinate staff should receive the best and
earliest consideration both of Government and the local bodies.
55. During the year under report 146,889 fresh cases were
treated by touring veterinary assistant surgeons in the districts
and at headquarters against 167,518 in the year 1927-28. The
number included 27,891 cases of castration. The decrease of
20,629 cases in the total number is to be attributed to the fact
that foot and mouth disease was Jess prevalent both in Orissa
and Central Ranges as noticed above. This disrase affected Orissa
very severely in the year 1927-28.
56. Of the total number including castratioas, 40,860 cases
were treated by the staff in North Bihar, 65,106 in Central
and 40,923 in Orissa Ranges as compared with 32,151, 61,973
and 73,394 respectively, in the previous year.
57. The touring staff was able to visit 63,663 villages as
compared with 63,973, the figures according to ranges being
25,733 for North Bihar, 26,253 for Central and 11,677 for
Orissa against 26,933, 24,373, and 12,667 respectively, in 1927-
28. The decrease of about 1,200 in the number of villages
visited in the North Bihar Range was due to greater attention
being devoted to castration work, while that of about 1,000 in
the Orissa Range to continued outbreaks being present in par-
ticular areas. This decrease was however almost made up by
an increase of 2,000 villages visited in the Central Range.
TABLE V.
HOSPITALS.
58. There was no change in the number of hospitals which
remained 31 as before including those in charge of touring
veterinary assistant surgeons. Of the latter class, the hospital
at Begusarai was placed under a stationary veterinary assistant
surgeon.
59. It is gratifying to note that the district board and
the municipality, Cuttack, have at last come to a decision for
15
the re-opening of the local veterinary hospital. Government
was pleased to lease out a plot of the Khasmahal land to the
municipality together with the building on it on a nominal
rent of Re. 1 per annum and plans and estimates for conversion
of the existing building into a hospital were drawn up. Pend-
ing the necessary alterations the hospital was started informally
from 1st April 1929 by placing it under a reserve veterinary
assistant surgeon. Government will shortly be approached for
sanction to the terms arrived at between the two local bodies for
the maintenance of this institution. The hospital at Puri was
formally opened during the year in the newly-constructed build-
ing with a stationary veterinary surgeon in charge. The district
board, Balasore, was anxious to build a new hospital, but it
was considered unwise to launch upon an expensive scheme of
this kind when the financial position of the board was such
as to necessitate the abolition of two out of a total of four
posts of touring veterinary assistant surgeons. The stationary
veterinary assistant surgeon was therefore withdrawn temporarily
as an alternative to the abolition of two touring veterinary
assistant surgeons proposed by the board, the hospital being
placed in charge of the sadr touring assistant. A proposal was
made to the district board, Ranchi, for the entertainment of
a stationary veterinary assistant surgeon with a view to reliev-
ing the present veterinary assistant surgeon who is a touring
officer with hospital duties to perform but it was not accepted
by the board.
60. The district board, Patna, having transferred the
management of the Bankipur veterinary hospital to the Patna
City municipality, there is now no stationary veterinary assistant
surgeon under this board.
61. With the exception of the Hiranpur Government
veterinary hospital, none of the other proposals for the construc-
tion of new veterinary hospitals matured. As regards Hiranpur,
the work of converting the human dispensary into a veteri-
nary hospital made satisfactory progress, but possession of the
land could not be obtained during the year as the proceedings
for the transfer were not completed. An assistant will shortly
he placed in charge of this hospital.
62. Altogether, 56,525 fresh patients were treated at the
veterinary hospitals during the year as compared with 61,505
treated in 1927-28. Of these, 28,625 patients were treated in
14 hospitals in the North Bihar, 16,088 in 10 hospitals in the
Central and 11,812 in 8 hospitals in the Orissa Range as shown in
the table. In addition to these, 10,851 cases were supplied with
16
medicines but not brought to the hospitals and 2,869 castrations
were performed by the hospital assistants in the three ranges
against 6,509 cases and 1,675 castrations in the year 1927-28.
The figures indicate an all-round improvement under this head.
TABLE VIII.
BREEDING OPERATIONS.
63. Control of livestock improvement.—The
Development
Board at a meeting held on the 30th August 1928 further
discussed the policy to be adopted for the control of livestock
improvement, especially the question as to which of the two
departments, Agriculture or Veterinary should be responsible
for the work. Hitherto, though there was no set policy, the
Civil Veterinary Department did the work by purchasing bulls
and cows, organized cattle fairs and advised Government on the
subject of improvement of cattle, the Agriculture Department
on the other hand, started and maintained several cattle-breeding
and dairy farms in the province. In accordance with the recom-
mendations of the Royal Commission on Agriculture, however,
the Development Board agreed that the control of livestock
improvement will rest with the Agriculture Department but the
Civil Veterinary Department will continue to control the Patna
Cattle-breedins and Dairy Farm which it started. The board
also recommended the appointment of a livestock officer with
the necessary staff to be employed under the Director of
Agriculture. All these recommendations are now receiving
the attention of Government.
64. Buffalo breeding.—As a result of the decision of the
Development Board held on the 7th February 1928, to which
a reference was made in the previous year's annual report,
Government, sanctioned the purchase of 33 Murrah buffalo
bulls from the Punjab for distribution through the district
boards in the Muzaffarpur-Darbhanga area. The purchase was
made by the Agriculture Department and under orders of
Government the distribution of these bulls and their inspection
were also taken over by that department. It was not possible
for the Civil Veterinary Department to cope with this work in
the villages, though the bulls would in most cases, be placed
under veterinary assistant surgeons who would help the Agricul-
tural Department with professional advice only.
65. Stud bulls.—On the 1st April 1928, the number of stud
bulls (including four, the property of Government) at the
different veterinary hospitals and dispensaries in the province
was 58 against 59 on the same date of the preceding
A COW BYRE AT THE PATNA FARM.