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the Survey Commissioner and Director of Land Records and Agriculture, owing
to want of funds and the fact that the people will not allow their cattle to be
treated by a Veterinary Graduate. This difficulty has not been experienced in
other parts of the Presidency, and I think it is only a matter of time when
villagers will, of their own free will, segregate affected cattle as reports received
this year are very much more satisfactory on this particular point.
926. Several native drugs are reported to have been used by the owners,
but it is difficult to ascertain how far they proved efficacious. No recourse to
preventive vaccination has yet been had in this Presidency.
Remarks.
927. That something has been done in this direction during the year under
review cannot be denied; that as much as I would have liked to have been able to
report as having been accomplished, has not been done, I cannot deny; still with
this small staff at our disposal and the Subordinate Establishment not under proper
supervision and control, I feel confident that more could not be expected. There
are, however, two Officers who could assist more in this direction. I allude to
the Superintendents, Civil Veterinary Department, Central Provinces and Madras;
their duties are or should be mainly connected with cattle, and they should devote
themselves as much as possible to the investigation of disease: there cannot be a
more important subject, and these Officers especially should do all that lies in
their power to throw light on obscure diseases in their Provinces. I would also
now add the Superintendent, Civil Veterinay Department, Bombay, to the list
of Officers who should materially assist in this important section, as he has lately
been relieved of the charge of Sind, and should now have much time to devote
himself to all subjects bearing on the welfare of cattle in that Presidency.
928. Burma and Bengal do excellent work, and the other Superintendents
do all they can in this direction considering the other duties which they have
to perform.
929. The great want is more Officers, and a decision on the Subordinate
Veterinary Establisment: given these, we would be better able to cope with this
enormous question.
930. That dispensaries are increasing and doing excellent work, which
matter will be dealt with under the proper heading, is to me a matter of great
congratulation, for it is in the treatment of ordinary cases of simple disease
which causes great mortality, and which render cattle useless to their owners for
some considerable period of time through mal-treatment, that I want to see progress
made at first, rather than in attempting to suppress severe outbreaks of disease,
for as yet we are not in a position to deal with them, not having any legislation
on the subject. The time will come, I feel, when we shall be able to combat
the ravages of such diseases as Rinderpest, but it has not yet arrived, and pending
the consummation of this much to be desired end, our duty is to gain the
confidence of the people by attending to minor cases of sickness. Let them once
see that a Veterinary Assistant is to be trusted, and they will more readily
place themselves in our hands when we wish to introduce measures which will
enable us to cope successfully with serious outbreaks of disease.
Reliability of
Statements
showing
mortality,
and imperfect
system of
reporting
outbreaks.
931. Attention should be paid to the approximate correctness of the statistics,
showing the outbreaks which occur and the mortality during the year; at present
their reliability is doubtful. The Chief Secretary to Government, North-Western
Provinces and Oudh, states:—
The statistics of disease and mortality amongst cattle are admittedly imperfect, but there seems no reason
why only 37 out of 48 should have been able to send returns, and this defect should be remedied.
932. The Secretary to Government of Bengal states:—
There is attached to the Superintendent's Reports a synopsis of the transactions of the year in connection
with cattle disease, but the Superintendent expresses a doubt whether the figures given are even approximately
correct, and the Lieutenant-Governor shares this doubt, and desires to direct the attention of District Officers to this
synopsis.
933. It would serve no purpose to quote from other reviews of Veterinary
reports. The above will show that attention is being paid to this matter, and
I trust to see an improvement in this direction. It would be unfair to quote from
reports showing faulty registration of deaths, did we not allude to a Province in
which the reverse is the case. In Lower Burma cattle death registers are
regularly inspected by Officers of the Land Records Department and other