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9th—A piece of land to be enclosed temporarily as a segregation
hospital if temporarily, it should be ploughed up after the
outbreak, and lie fallow for 21 days—
(a) or the sick to be kept in the villages, and the healthy
kept outside in the fields for 21 days after the last case
has recovered.
10th.—The healthy to be watched for further outbreak for 21 days.
They could do their ordinary work all the same.
11th —Removal of cattle from an area declared infected to be forbid-
den for 21 days after the last case has recovered.
12th.—A Chaukidar should be placed in charge of the segregation
hospital, and if it is considered desirable, he would have the
feeding of the sick cattle to attend to; and both his pay and
the feed of the animals might be defrayed from the provin-
cial funds, providing the outbreak be at once reported, other-
wise the expense would fall entirely upon the thana.
13th.—The presence of reliable Veterinary Assistants would save both
the Police and the Subdivisional Officer a great deal of trouble.
14th.—The above suggestions might be considered as temporary means
for combating disease. In due course the staff could be
drafted into dispensaries or other appointments.
The principles I would like to work on are:—
1st.—To secure the very earliest information of outbreaks; for the
sooner an outbreak is grappled with, the smaller will be the
area involved.
2nd.—To relieve the unit of a major part of the expense if early reports
are rendered.
3rd.—To save the unit as much inconvenience as possible consistent
with the object in view.
4th.—Not to slaughter cattle, which is entirely out of the question in
Bengal.
"In accordance with a request from the Director of Land Records, I enquired
of District Officers of Saran, Arrah, Birbhum and Darjeeling if an extension of
the section 7 of Act XI of 1890 to the fairs held in these districts would be use-
ful as a means of controlling contagious cattle disease. As the result of a sum-
mary which I laid before the Director, I am led to believe he considers the
extension would not produce the result desired.
"Rinderpest in Calcutta.—During the months of February and March 1897,
Rinderpest existed in Chitpur, Cossipur, and in the northern parts of Calcutta
itself. I am informed that outbreaks yearly occur. If it be too strong to say
that Calcutta plays the part of clearing-house in contagious disease for the
surrounding districts, it cannot be denied that an enormous traffic ebbs and
flows, and that Rinderpest frequently breaks out. Other diseases must have
occurred, for we had cases of foot and mouth disease in the Belgachia Veteri-
nary Institution under treatment.
"Owing to the peculiar arrangement of the bustees in Calcutta, isolation
of sick animals is practically impossible, unless an enormous staff of police be
detailed for the purpose.
"On the other hand, the Commissioner of Police reported to the Director
of Land Records and Agriculture, Bengal, that, "provided the removal and
treatment of cattle be carried out without cost to the owners, they will gladly
avail themselves of the advantages that may be expected."
"In connection with the remarks of the Commissioner of Police, I suggested
to the Director of Land Records and Agriculture, Bengal, (1) that a piece of
land (which is available opposite the Bengal Veterinary Institution) be acquired
as an isolation ground, and (2) that ambulances be procured to take sick ani-
mals there, so as to prevent possibility of their infecting others on the way, and
(3) that animals be treated by my students (a most desirable arrangement for
teaching purposes) and fed free of cost if an early report be made.