9
My opinion is that both surmises are true. The late famine caused great re-
ductions generally in the number of outbreaks of disease by the dryness which
resulted, and by the reduction of the number of animals and increased care
taken of the remainder. It must not be forgotten that the Punjab, the North-
West Provinces and Bengal are subject to constant re-infection from China, and
it is to be expected that the average number of outbreaks of rinderpest would
be greater in those Provinces than in Bombay. The virus of rinderpest would
in the majority of cases be destroyed by desiccation before it could be conveyed
so far as this Presidency by road from the northern Presidencies. For the
past year I have made very careful personal inquiries of officials, ryots, and
others as to the prevalence of rinderpest, but have neither heard of the existence
of the disease excepting the reports of the four outbreaks noted above, nor have
I seen it. An outbreak of cattle disease reported in the Thána District as rinder-
pest and attended by my special assistant proved to be "some disease which he
could not diagnose," but he afterwards concluded it was a disease known in Italy
under the name of "Barbone" (Septicæmia Hamorrhagica). I may say that he
had never seen the disease before.
Of the four outbreaks of rinderpest reported during the past year only
three are worthy of note: one outbreak, each in the Thána, Ratnágiri and Dhár-
wár Districts, resulting in 32, 40 and 48 deaths respectively. These outbreaks
had ended before the reports of them had reached my office, and it might well
be asked in view of the absence of rinderpest in other parts whether these really
were that disease. Privately it has come to my knowledge that in some parts
there has been considerable loss amongst sheep and goats from the consumption
of ergotised bajari.
Anthrax.—Outbreaks of this disease were reported from four districts, and
it may be noted that three of them are the districts in which the reported cases of
rinderpest occurred, the other being an adjoining district. These districts have
a larger rainfall, get more or less water logged, and are more subject to diseases
of a miasmatic origin than others are.
Foot and mouth disease.—This is a very infectious and common disease.
It was only reported from five districts, the greatest number having been in the
Bombay City. Thirty-four deaths occurred in 1,720 cases—a percentage of 1.97.
Pleuro Pneumonia.—This does not appear to be known in a contagious
form.
Charbon-Symptomatique— Commonly called "black quarter"—Occurred
in five districts giving 400 cases with 355 deaths. This is a very common disease,
and from inquiries made when on tour it appears that one or two cases appear
yearly in most places, particularly after the rains have set in.
Other diseases.—Under this heading are included 9 cases of Glanders and
Farcy reported from the Bombay City, 29 cases of Surra in the Thána District,
15 of Tympanites in the Ratnágiri District, and three cases of rabies in
Dhárwár.
(3).—Treatment, Vaccination, &c.
23. Table XIX gives the number of animals treated by Veterinary Gra-
duates during the year. The total number of patients treated by them was
22,958 as against 21,486 last year—an increase of 1,472.
Inoculation.
24. Six outbreaks of rinderpest were reported during the year, four of
which turned out not to be rinderpest, but were believed to be a disease which
in Italy is called "Barbone," which is probably the same disease as that more
commonly called "Septicæmia Hamorrhagica" in India. The two authentic
outbreaks occurred at Bhisol and Amba Shiv in the Kalyán Táluka, Thána Dis-
trict, where 32 and 16 inoculations were respectively carried out by my special
Assistant Mr. Buxy, who made the diagnoses. These were but comparatively
small outbreaks, the number of attacks and deaths being in the former case 8
and 6 and in the latter 35 and 18. In the other four outbreaks there were
respectively in the number of animals attacked and the number of deaths 9 and
8, 55 and 44, 2 and 2, 5 and 4. At the request of the people Mr. Buxy inocu-
lated with anti-rinderpest serum at the first, third, and fourth of these outbreaks
B 506—3