14.
III.—CATTLE-DISEASE—INVESTIGATION AND PREVENTION.
(1).—Information collected.
1 Dhárwár, 2 Surat, 3 Ah-
medabad, 4 Panch Maháls,
5 Hyderabad, and 6 Thar and
Párkar.
56. Reports were received from 17 districts during the year, and the 6
districts noted in the margin did not send any reports;
but it is doubtful, for reasons given in my last annual
report (paragraph 53), that they were quite free from
disease. The total number of attacks from various
diseases amounted to 18,513, of which 8,810 or 47.58
per cent. proved fatal.
57. The attached sketch map of the Bombay Presidency, including Sind,
will show at a glance the tracts affected by cattle-disease and the degree of
severity with which they were prevalent in each tract.
(2).—Outbreaks during the year.
58. A reference to Table XXIII will show that—
Rinderpest—Was the most prevailing disease, as usual, throughout the
Presidency being most serious in Ratnágiri and Kánara, Upper Sind Frontier
and Shikárpur, Ahmednagar, Poona, Sátára, Násik and Belgaum. The total
number of attacks and deaths were 16,862 and 8,553 respectively.
Anthrax—Occurred only in the Sholápur and Kaira districts, the total
number of animals attacked and died being 237 and 85 respectively.
Foot and mouth disease—Is reported from eight districts. The number of
animals attacked was 1,146, of which only 63 died. The death-rate is generally
low in all districts except Bijápur, where all attacks proved fatal, and it is doubt-
ful if the disease was correctly diagnosed.
Pleuro-pneumonia—Did not occur in any of the districts.
Charbon Symptomatique—Reported from Sholápur and Belgaum; 185 animals
were attacked with 47 deaths.
Other Diseases—Include cases of glanders in Bombay and Jacobabad and
of variola in Karáchi, the former of which were all destroyed under the
"Glanders and Farcy Act."
Summary.—There is a marked improvement throughout the Presidency in
the actual numbers attacked and the percentage of deaths, although the cattle in
various parts must have suffered severely from the prevailing scarcity. As far
as I am able to judge, considerable improvement has taken place in reporting
outbreaks, and I trust in a few years that these statistics will be more or less
reliable.
(3).—Treatment, Vaccination, &c.
59. Out of 17 districts where cattle-diseases prevailed more or less during
the year, 9 districts had the advantage of the services of Veterinary Graduates,
who took the usual precautionary measures, as far as possible, by segregating
the infected animals and administering medicines. Veterinary Graduates were
specially deputed for treating outbreaks in Ratnágiri and Sholápur, as these
districts have no veterinary dispensaries. In several cases Veterinary Graduates
received intimations of outbreaks too late to enable them to arrive in time to be
of much benefit. District Officers also endeavoured to instruct the villagers of
the advantages of segregation. Several native drugs were administered as usual
by the owners, but their efficacy cannot be ascertained. No recourse to pre-
ventive vaccination has yet been had in this Presidency.
IV.—CATTLE-BREEDING, INCLUDING CATTLE FAIRS AND SHOWS.
Cattle-breeding.
60. A few Local Boards maintain stud bulls, but there are none in the
Presidency the property of Government.