18
72. Should the misfortune ever arise again to form similar camps, no
efforts should be spared to procure men with sufficient knowledge of famine
cattle to be able to tell at a glance whether animals ought to be accepted or
rejected, as I feel sure that on this first careful selection the success or other-
wise of a famine cattle camp mainly depends. Those camps, where animals were
at first carefully selected, have shown a very slight mortality and scarcely above
what was to be expected under normal conditions; but those, on the contrary,
where all animals were taken regardless of conditions, show a very high mortality,
entirely due to the above cause.
Cattle sent by rail to forest lands.
73. In the month of October some 3,500 cattle were railed from the
Ahmedabad District and sent to the Thána forests and Dharampur. They
were sent inland some 30 miles and grazed in the forests and uplands of the
Thána District. The mortality was heavy, and I visited the various herds in
April. No disease was apparent, and they were dying of starvation, as the
grass was perfectly dry and yielded absolutely no nourishment, and the water-
supply indifferent. This somewhat doubtful experiment affords another instance
of how careful one should be in moving cattle from one part of India to another
either for breeding or any other purpose, and how little adapted the cattle of
one district are to accommodate themselves to totally altered conditions. The
large heavy Gujarát cattle practically hand-fed, living and working in a
perfectly level and flat country, suddenly find themselves transported to a
mountainous tract, where to gain a livelihood they were compelled to climb
steep places. This they were unable to do and suffered in consequence; whereas
the small hill cattle indigenous to the country capable of climbing like goats
were able to live in the same forests and keep in condition. Before condemning
this experiment as one to be avoided in the future, I think that evidence should
be forthcoming as to whether it was not possible under slightly altered
conditions to have achieved better results. But there can be no doubt that
working on general principles the moving of a heavy breed of cattle from the
plains to the hills is not sound policy and apt to end in failure. Another
instance has been brought to my notice where the results have been the same.
The following Veterinary Graduates were employed on famine cattle camps in
Gujarat and did excellent service:—Veterinary Graduate Basu, Veterinary
Graduate Juda Hyam, Veterinary Graduate Bhatt, Veterinary Graduate Shah,
Veterinary Graduate Maniar.
V.—VETERINARY
INSTRUCTION.
Veterinary Dispensaries.
Násik.
Of those treated.
Cases cured ... ...
„ relieved ...
„ died ...
...
„ incurable ...
„ unknown ...
„ remaining
...
Total ...
763
42
46
5
275
32
1,163
74. Veterinary Graduate R. Reuben.—Inspected on the 13th July and
found to be in good order. The total number of
cases during the year was 1,163 against 1,205 last
year. Out of the above, 271 were horses, 570 cattle.
187 buffaloes and the remainder small animals. The
Veterinary Graduate attended outbreaks of foot and
mouth disease and rinderpest, and paid 59 visits to
owners' houses, The report is satisfactory.
Receipts ... ...
Expenditure ...
Balance ...
Rs.
5,655
1,669
3,986
a.
10
6
4
p.
11
5
6