9
Orders have recently been issued to all Superintendents to exercise their
judgment in fixing the dose required in the various stages of outbreaks with a
view to a sufficiently large dose being employed. They are also to decide what
cattle are to be inoculated.
59. Rinderpest.—Is reported to have accounted for 181,940 deaths during
the year against 141,810 last year.
60. Madras.—The mortality has been heaviest in Madras where 97,244
deaths occurred against 31,611 in the previous year. The districts which
suffered most were South Arcot 21,544, Chingleput 14,430, and North Arcot
12,202 deaths. The subordinate establishment is still very small and all that
could be done was to post a Veterinary Assistant to each of these districts to
treat animals and at the same time to carry out preventive inoculation when
possible. It cannot be expected of course that one Veterinary Assistant could
do anything-in the way of controlling oubreaks of this magnitude and the utmost
that can be expected is that he would be able to show such people as he came
in contact with the benefits of protective inoculation. Until more graduates
become available and it is possible to concentrate sufficient assistants to deal
with outbreaks, we cannot hope that much impression will be made on epide-
mics. The disease was also apparently present in 14 other districts but no
information is forthcoming on the point. Protective inoculation was carried
out in 643 outbreaks in 17 districts and 28,788 bovines and 126 other ani-
mals are reported to have been inoculated with good results.
61.—Eastern Bengal and Assam.—Rinderpest is always more or less pre-
valent throughout the entire Province and cases were reported from every
district during the year. The number of outbreaks and the mortality show a
considerable increase, 32,823 deaths having been reported from 23 districts
against 20,873 from 16 districts last year. The districts in which the mortality
was heaviest are Sibsagar 10,681, Lakhimpur 6,317, Kamrup 4,868, Sylhet
2,905 and Darrang 2,020. The year has apparently, however, been
much healthier in some districts than the preceding one. There was no out-
break in Bogra, Dinajpur and Rajshahi, the number of reported outbreaks
have been few and the mortality has not been heavy. Protective inocu-
lation was carried out in 249 outbreaks in 22 districts and 55,782 cattle
were inoculated with good results.
62. Bombay.—As was expected when Bombay was first invaded by
Rinderpest, the disease has spread over the whole of the Presidency and the
mortality since its first introduction has been very heavy. With the very
small staff available it was impossible to do anything to limit spread.
63. Reports of outbreaks have during the year been received from all the
districts of the Presidency and the disease has been prevalent in the island of
Bombay itself. The reported number of cases and deaths has been 41,598
and 19,413 respectively, against 50,144 attacks and 25,416 last year. The
severity of the outbreak appears to have slightly decreased. The number of
deaths did not exceed 2,000 in any district except Kanara where it was 2,274,
out of 4,132 attacked. In the districts of Ahmedabad, Panch Mahals, Kaira,
Surat, Thana, Kolaba, Dharwar, Belgaum, Satara, Sholapur and Ahmednagar
the reported deaths are over 1,000 and in the remaining districts below that
number. The number of outbreaks in which protective inoculation was carried
out is only 16 and 26,459 cattle were inoculated. It is hoped that when the
sanctioned scheme is brought into force, more attention will be given to dealing
with outbreaks in the districts. The staff at present seems to be chiefly
employed in dispensaries.
64. Burma.—The year has been a very favourable one as regards Rinder-
pest. In Lower Burma, in nearly all the Divisions, the mortality has been very
slight. In the Arakan Division, with the exception of Myohaung township
in the Akyab district, it may be said that no Rinderpest existed. The Pegu
and Irrawaddy Divisions also were practically free. In the Tenasserim Divi-
sion the disease occurred in all but two townships of the Amherst district and
was especially prevalent and severe in the Ye and Mudon townships.