8
PART II.—PROVINCIAL REPORT.
I AND II.—HORSE AND MULE-BREEDING.
23. In this Presidency there are neither horse nor donkey stallions belong-
ing to the Local Boards and no information is necessary under this head.
III.—CATTLE DISEASE—INVESTIGATION AND PREVENTION.
(1).—Information collected.
Khándesh.
Ahmednagar.
Sholápur.
Bijápur.
Broach.
Surat.
24. Reports in the prescribed form were received from 12 out of 18
districts in the Presidency and no reports were
received from the six districts noted in the margin.
The dispensary reports from Khándesh and Surat
show that these two districts were practically
free from any contagious diseases except a few cases of foot-and-mouth disease,
but there are no means of ascertaining whether the remaining four districts
were also free The reported number of animals attacked by various diseases
was 3,136 against 5,466 last year. Of this number 1,703 or 54.30 per cent.
proved fatal.
(2).—Outbreaks during the year.
" Rinderpest."—Broke
out in 6 districts, being serious in Násik, where 943
animals died, out of 1,483 attacked. The total number of attacks was 2,161, out
of which 1,417 or 65.57 proved fatal. These outbreaks occurred before definite
arrangements had been made for inoculation.
" Anthrax."—A few cases only reported from three districts, the total number
of attacks being 53 and deaths 49, or 92.45 per cent.
" Foot-and-mouth disease."—Reported from five districts, but was nowhere
serious. The total number of attacks was 693, of which only 27 or 3.90 per-
cent. proved fatal.
" Pleuro-pneumonia."—Only 10 cases reported from Ratnágiri, and all of
them proved fatal.
" Charbon-Symptomatique."—A few cases reported from Poona and Kánara,
the total number of attacks being 45 and deaths 42, or 93.33 per cent.
" Other diseases."—Include
cases of Gloss Anthrax in Belgaum and
Ratnágiri and of Surra in Thana. The attached sketch map will show the
tracts affected by cattle diseases.
(3).—Treatment,
Vaccination, &c.
25. Out of 13 districts, including the Bombay City, which sent in reports
on cattle disease during the year, nine had the advantage of the services of
Veterinary Graduates. The remaining four districts, especially Kánara and
Thána, which have suffered very severely from Rinderpest during the last three
or four years, had practically no cattle disease during the past 12 months.
Inoculation.
26. The following arrangements were made to carry out preventive inocu-
lation in this Presidency. Veterinary Graduate Basu, who had received a special
training for this work, was appointed on the 6th July 1900. Instructions were
issued to all Collectors and village officers to communicate direct by wire to
this office any outbreak of Rinderpest that may occur in their districts. Since
the above date, with the exception of a few sporadic cases, the Presidency has
been free of Rinderpest. Village officers at first did not quite grasp the
necessity of immediate action in the matter and reports were received weeks
after the disease had died out. The system has been thoroughly explained to all
concerned, and I think that village officers now realize the necessity of imme-
diate action, and I trust with the present arrangements to see considerable
progress made during the year. Twenty-one villages were visited in different