19
II.––MULE-BREEDING.
57. A donkey stallion named " Jubilee " was purchased by Khán Bahádur
Gullam Rasulkhán Jatoi last year and presented to the Hyderabad Local Board.
This stallion covered 8 mares. No detailed information as to the cost of his feed,
keep, &c., has been received.
III.—CATTLE-DISEASE––INVESTIGATION AND PREVENTION.
(1).—Information collected.
1 Sholápur, 2 Surat, 3
Hyderabad and 4 Thár and
Párkar.
58. Reports were received, in the prescribed form, from all districts except
the four noted in the margin. The total number of
attacks from various diseases amounted to 12,648
against 18,513 last year, of which 5,918 or 46.79
per cent. proved fatal. In addition to the above numbers, reports were received
too late for incorporation in last year's annual report, to the effect that 2,200
cattle were attacked with rinderpest in the Upper Sind Frontier, out of which
1,400 died. By adding these figures to last year's total, viz., 18,513, it makes a
grand total of 20,713 attacks and 10,211 deaths last year against 12,648
attacks and 5,918 deaths this year.
This shows a very satisfactory decrease, as I am of opinion that these
statistics are getting more accurate every year and that a certain amount of
reliance can be placed on them as giving approximately the true mortality of
the Presidency. All Veterinary Graduates reported that rinderpest during the
past year assumed a very much milder form than in previous years and was
more amenable to treatment. This statement does not tally with the figures.
as the precentage of deaths this year was 67.25 against 50.72 last year. Sufficient
figures are not yet forthcoming to prove the somewhat risky statement, that I
am about to make, viz., that rinderpest in this country will, in the course of
years, become milder and milder in each successive generation through the fact
of a very large percentage of the animals getting the disease and recovering,
thereby becoming immune, and that they will to a certain extent transmit this
immunity to their offspring.
59. The attached sketch map will show the tracts affected by cattle disease
during the year under report and the degree of severity with which they were
affected.
(2).— Outbreaks during the year.
60. Table XXIII showing the attacks and deaths under several diseases
is summarised below :—
Rinderpest.—This disease was prevalent in almost all districts throughout
the Presidency, being very serious in the Upper Sind Frontier and Shikárpur
districts in Sind, and Thána and Kánara in the Konkan. The total number of
attacks and deaths was 7,295 and 4,906 respectively.
Anthrax — Reported from the Belgaum District only. 39 animals were
attacked, of which 20 died.
Foot and mouth disease—Prevailed more or less in most of the districts in
the Presidency Proper. The innocuous nature of the disease was apparent
throughout, except in Ahmednagar and Kánara, where the death-rate reached
as far as 20 and 44 per cent. respectively. This, no doubt, was due to the fact
that the animals attacked were suffering from the severe effects of the famine
and were in a wretched and emaciated condition. The total number of animals
attacked was 3,986, of which only 132 or 3.31 per cent. died.
Pleuro-pneumonia.—Only 4 attacks and 2 deaths have been reported from
Belgaum.
Charbon Symptomatique—Was reported from the districts of Násik,
Kánara and Kaira. The total number of attacks is 55, all of which proved
fatal.
Other diseases—Include 35 cases of glanders, all of which were destroyed
under the Act, cases of variola and gloss anthrax in Poona, Ludiána disease
in Dhárwár, spleenic appoplexy in Ratnágiri, and variola vaccinia in
Ahmedabad.