51
REVIEW BY THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE.
Below letter No. 1374, dated 26th June 1909, from the Superintendent, C. V. D.,
to the Under Secretary to Government, R. D., Bombay.
No. A/5190 OF 1909.
Poona, 3rd August 1909.
Forwarded with compliments.
2. The work of the Department falls naturally into three divisions in
connection with
(1) Contagious disease.
(2) Non-contagious disease.
(3) Breeding.
3. As regards contagious disease we still have a mortality of over 8,000
to record, and as stated by the Superintendent there can be little doubt that
the true number is considerably greater than this. Taking the four most deadly
diseases, viz., Rinderpest, Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia, Black Quarter and Anthrax,
it must he clearly understood that we have no effective remedy for these. The
anti-rinderpest inoculations, as stated in paragraphs 11-13 of the report, have been
too few to have any appreciable effect; and it is chiefly the animals of little or no
value that have been submitted to inoculation. From the nature of the case I
fear that we cannot hope for much success from this source in the near future.
Nor can we look to legislative measures such as have been successful in other
countries, since it would be impossible to enforce them. At present there are
no closed pastures in this country, and the cultivator has no means of saving
his cattle from infection from any disease that may be about unless he is
prepared to tie them up indefinitely. I do not think that it is looking too far
ahead to aim at the creation of effective hedges and fences in suitable localities,
which in time of contagious disease would admit of the segregation of the
infected from the uninfected. Meantime we are practically helpless. Some
7,000 animals were treated for contagious diseases during the year. Presumably
most of these cases were foot and mouth disease, and in the remainder some
alleviation was attempted in the case of the more deadly diseases.
4. The treatment of non-contagious disease at the 32 dispensaries comprises
by far the greater part of the work of the Department. 56,000 animals were
treated during the year as against 43,000 the year before, and steady progress is
being made in this direction. The work done at Nadiád, Násik, Ahmedabad and
Ratnágiri is distinctly satisfactory, while the improvement at the Poona City
dispensary is marked and very creditable to Mr. Marathe. The figures given for
" average daily attendance " are evidently calculated by different methods at
different dispensaries; but they indicate that in some cases the dispensary staff do
a fair day's work. In other cases this is obviously not so. Dispensaries have
naturally been located in towns of some size, mostly at the District head-quarters;
and the popularity which they are gaining is mainly amongst the urban population.
I am far from saying that this is no use, but I venture to call attention to the
fact because in the new scheme for the expansion of the Veterinary Department
it is proposed to introduce widely to rural areas the system of dispensaries which
has gained some popularity in the towns. It appears to me, however, that the
circumstances of the two cases require consideration. The diseases treated at
these dispensaries are by far the greater part of a comparatively simple nature,
such as wounds, sores, sprains, skin disease, external parasites and tympanitis;
such diseases in fact as a moderately skilled farmer in England would as a
matter of course treat himself. It is not to be expected that townspeople will
have much knowledge of the treatment of animals, and they will naturally be
glad to avail themselves of the dispensary round the corner. But are we to
make the same assumption about country people and, if so, are we to assume
that the cultivator will march his cow off 10 miles to the nearest Veterinary
hospital whenever she has a sore on her back or a pain in her stomach ? It
must be remembered that even at present in many of the cases entered the
animal has never been to the hospital at all, but a countryman from a distant
village has come in and said that he has a dozen animals affected with tics or