139
PART II.—PROVINCIAL REPORT.
III.—CATTLE DISEASE—INVESTIGATION AND PREVENTION.
Bacteriological
Survey.
720. Vety. Captain W. D. Gunn, Assistant to Inspector General, Civil
Veterinary Department, reports as follows :—During the past year considerable
progress has been made in the Bacteriological Survey of some of the Provinces
of India. There are now 73 Veterinary Assistants posted in the various
districts of the Punjab, 19 in the North-Western Provinces, and all these men
are required to send in monthly diaries showing the villages visited, the number
of animals affected with contagious diseases, and the number of deaths result-
ing. In this way an approximate estimate may be made of the extent to which
cattle have been attacked.
From Bombay I have also received regular reports of cattle disease.
The principal diseases with which we are mostly concerned and account
for most losses to cattle, are rinderpest, malignant sore throat, foot and mouth
disease, and anthrax. Surra is probably the most destructive disease among
horses, and the geographical distribution of this disorder will be found
below.
Rinderpest.—With the possible exception of foot and mouth disease,
this is the most widely-spread of contagious diseases, affecting cattle that we
have in India, and it certainly is the most destructive. It was enzootic in
every district through which I passed on my tour, and from the reports which
have been received it would seem to be equally destructive in all other districts.
Under the present system of monthly diaries which are kept by Veterinary
Assistants in each tahsil, we are enabled to obtain an approximate knowledge
of the extent of the disease. The term approximate is used advisedly, because
from personal experience it is known that the estimate of deaths are carelessly
made, but still the numbers given afford us a guide which will be invaluable
hereafter in helping to curtail the spread of these epidemics. During the
present year rinderpest in the Punjab seems to have been less severe than
during 1895-96. According to the reports received 7,729 deaths are attributed
to this disease, while in the previous year the number of victims amounted to
16,747. Mooltan showed the highest mortality, contributing 2,464 out of
the total 7,729. This must have been severely felt by the Zemindars of this
district and will, no doubt, seriously incommode their next season's agricultural
work. In the North-Western Provinces the district of Mirzapur suffered
heavily in comparison with other districts.
In the Bombay Presidency rinderpest was widely spread, as a glance at
the tabulated statement attached will show. The Talukas of Ratnagiri, Poona,
Satara and Upper Sindh Frontier seem to have been the most severely infected.
It is curious to note that the number of deaths in Ratnagiri was 2,940 among
7,083 seizures, which would give a proportion of 41.5 per cent., while in the
Satara, Poona, and Upper Sindh Frontier Taluks the proportion of deaths
to seizures are 47.4, 78.3 and 53.5, respectively. This would give an average
of, roughly speaking, 55 per cent. of deaths among those attacked. The
following is the list of the number of animals attacked and those which
died in the several districts of Bombay as compiled from the reports received
during 1896-97 :—
Broach
.
.
.
Belgaon
.
.
.
Kolaba
.
.
.
Khandesh
.
.
.
Kaira
.
.
.
Kanara . . .
Nasik . . .
Thana . . .
Ahmednagar
.
. .
Satara . . .
Poona
.
.
.
.
Upper Sindh Frontier . .
Karachi
. . .
Sholapur
.
.
.
.
Shikarpur
.
.
.
.
Ratnagiri
.
.
.
.
District.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
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.
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.
.
.
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.
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.
.
.
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.
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.
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.
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.
.
TOTAL
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
No. of seizures
173
515
165
745
96
1,716
1,220
1,667
1,317
5,156
3,418
5,902
137
980
540
7,083
31,779
No. of deaths.
75
240
130
351
20
1,150
413
1,084
409
2,434
2,677
3,160
44
266
348
2,940
15,741