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PART I.—IMPERIAL REPORT.
B.—REVENUE SECTION.
V (A).—EQUINE DISEASES.
Glanders and
Farcy,
514. During the year under review, certain points connected with the
working of the Glanders and Farcy Act have been discussed and decided upon,
whilst others are still under consideration.
515. Owing to representations that the powers of Officers of the Army Veterinary
Department, as Inspectors under Section 4 and as Veterinary-Surgeons under
Section 7 of the Act, being limited to the Cantonments in which they serve or
which they periodically visit on duty, rendered it impossible for them to exercise
these powers in areas adjoining Cantonments, whence the danger of infection
spreading to Government animals is greatest, it has been decided by the
Government of India that such Officers may be empowered to act as Inspectors
over an area within a radius of 5 miles from each Cantonment.
516. The Government of the North-Western Provinces, in dealing with
the application of the Act to the whole of the Provinces, foresaw the difficulty
which existed, when a case of Glanders was discovered, of having it examined
by a Veterinary Practitioner. There being but one Superintendent in the North-
Western Provinces, it was pointed out that although as a general rule he would
proceed to the locality and deal with the matter, still, it might happen that he
would be unable to do so, if for instance the disease happened to exist in several
places at one time.
517. Under the circumstances, the Lieutenant-Governor suggested that in
cases of urgent necessity Veterinary Officers of the Army Veterinary Department
might, with the express permission of the Military Authorities, and when this
could be done without interference with their military duties, be deputed to the
scene of any outbreak irrespective of the 5 mile radius. The Lieutenant-
Governor pointed out that if this were permitted, it would be possible for the
North-Western Provinces to extend the Act as desired by the Government of
India, but otherwise, in view of the paucity of qualified Veterinary-Surgeons
available for the duties of a Veterinary Practitioner under the Act, the working of
the Act would have to be limited very greatly.
518. I am pleased to be able to report that this important amendment was
sanctioned, for it enables the Act to be made applicable to the whole Province,
and as outbreaks are very seldom reported at more than one centre at the same
time, it will be seldom necessary to add to the duties of the Officers of the Army
Veterinary Department.
519. Rules have been framed for the working of the Act in the Hyderabad
Assigned Districts, the difficulty being the absence of any qualified Veterinary
Practitioner. It was, therefore, proposed that the Veterinary-Surgeons appointed
under Section 7 of the Act, should be:—
(1)—The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department.
(2)—The Senior Veterinary Assistant.
The latter appointment only until an Officer of the Civil Veterinary Depart-
ment is appointed.
520. Owing to a most serious outbreak of Glanders in Bombay, which
will be referred to when dealing with outbreaks in different Presidencies, His
Excellency the Governor in Council extended the Act to the whole of Thana and
Colaba Districts.
521. A case having occurred in which an Inspector under the Act was
refused admission to a Commission stable, I considered it necessary to address
the Government of Bombay in order that, if necessary, the rules under which the
Act is worked should be amended so as to give an Inspector power to enter any
portion of a licensed or public stable, and to inspect the horses at any time that
he may deem necessary. It was thought advisable to propose that the Act itself
should be amended. This is now under the consideration of the Government
of India.