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APPENDIX A.
Annual Report of the Animal Vaccine Depot at Shillong for the year
1899-1900.
Expenditure.
The total expenditure for the year was Rs. 6,991-10-7, being Rs. 738-10-10 less than the
previous year. The expenditure incurred by the Manipur State,
which is not included in the above, amounted to Rs. 761-12-6,
compared with Rs. 762-14 in the previous year.
The chief causes of the decrease in expenditure are that fewer calves were required and
fewer tubes despatched than in the previous year.
Petty construction and repairs.
The sum of Rs. 100 was expended in petty construction and repairs. These were unim-
portant and require no remarks.
Animals.
The number of calves purchased during the year was 429 at a net cost of Rs. 3,003. The
Manipur State was charged with Rs. 280, so that the cost to
Government was Rs. 2,723.
The account of calves was as follows :
UNPROTECTED CALVES.
Balance in hand on 1st April 1899
... ... ... ... ...
Purchased during the year
...
...
... ... ... ...
Total ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Inoculated
...
... ... ... ... ...
Returned to contractor ... ... ... ... ... ...
Died ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Balance remaining on 31st March 1900
...
...
... ... ...
118
429
547
330
5
21
191
PROTECTED CALVES.
Balance in hand on 1st April 1899
...
... ... ... ...
Inoculated during the year
...
...
... ... ... ...
Total
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Died
...
...
...
...
...
...
... ...
Returned to contractor
...
...
...
... ... ...
Balance in hand
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
1
330
331
20
311
Nil.
Mortality.
The total number of calves that died during the year was 41, compared with 34 in the
previous year.
The mortality was as follows :
Protected calves ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Unprotected ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Total ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
20
21
41
Of the protected calves, 14 died without lymph being taken from them and 6 after lymph had
been taken. There was a serious epidemic of a form of rinderpest about the end of November
and beginning of December. This epidemic affected chiefly a batch of calves brought from
Sonapur in Kamrup district. Of the inoculated calves, 4 died in their stalls, and also 12 of the
unprotected, though they were segregated and put in hospital.
The few remaining calves of this batch, 5 in number, were given back to the contractor, and
all work was suspended for 10 days, while the various buildings were thoroughly disinfected.
Though work in the depôt was suspended for 10 days yet there was no stoppage in the supply of
lymph to the province, as there is always at least 14 days' supply in hand ; and before the supply
was exhausted, work was commenced again. With the exception of this epidemic, the calves
have been healthy. Most of the remaining deaths were due to cold or exhaustion. Many of the
calves are brought up from the plains and are apt to catch cold on the way as the men who
bring them do not take sufficient care of them.
Expenditure on calves.
The net expenditure on calves was Rs. 3,003, compared with Rs. 3,507 in the previous year.
The decrease is due to the smaller number purchased, i.e., 429
compared with 501. There are 191 calves in hand, compared
with 118 at the end of last year. It will be seen that 72 fewer calves were purchased and
73 more remain in hand, compared with last year. This is due mainly to the smaller number
inoculated, i.e., 330, as compared with 390 in the previous year. A smaller number was inoculated
this year, as the indents from the plains were smaller, and also because the average number of
tubes loaded from each calf was considerably higher than in the previous year. It may seem a
large number to show as balance in hand, but it is a valuable asset for the ensuing year, and as
each calf costs Rs. 7, this may be looked upon as worth Rs. 1,337.
It must be. remembered too, that the balance shown in hand is simply an advance to the
contractor, who has men in various directions procuring the calves, and that at present there is
not really a single calf in the depôt, but that at any time the contractor can be called upon to
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