NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
Agents for the sale of Publications issued by the
Central Provinces Government
[NOTE.—Appointments of all official Agents in the United
Kingdom and on the Continent for the sale of Government Publi-
cations have been terminated with effect from the 1st April 1925.
All publications in future are obtainable either direct from the
High Commissioner for India, India House, Aldwych, London,
W. C. 2, or through any bookseller.]
INDIA
AKOLA:
The proprietor, Shri Ramdas Stores,
Tajnapeth.
ALLAHABAD:
Mr. Ram Narain Lal, Publisher, etc.,
1, Bank Road.
The Superintendent, Nazair Kanun
Hind Press.
AMRAOTI:
Thakur & Co., Booksellers.
BARODA:
Mr. M. C. Kothari, Bookseller and
Publisher Raopura Road.
BILASPUR:
Mr. M. A. Subhan, Bookseller and
Publisher.
BOMBAY:
D. B. Taraporevala, Sons & Co.,
190, Hornby Road, Fort.
Radhabai Atmaram Sagoon.
Sunder Pandurang,
25, Kalbadevi
Road.
Thacker & Co., Ltd.
CALCUTTA:
The Book Company, 4/4-A, College
Street.
Butterworth & Co. (India), Ltd.,
8-2, Hastings Street.
The Indian School Supply Depôt.
M. C. Sircar & Sons, 75, Iarrison
Road.
Newman & Co.
R. Cambray & Co.
S. K. Lahiri & Co.
Thacker, Spink & Co.
COOCH BEHAR:
Babu S. C. Taluqdar, Proprietor,
Students & Co.
DELHI:
The Oxford Book and Stationery Co.
JUBBULPORE:
The Manager, General Book Depot.
KARACHI:
The Standard Bookstall.
LAHORE:
The Punjab Sanskrit Book Depôt.
Rai Sahib M. Gulab Singh & Sons.
LUCKNOW:
The Proprietor, Newal
Kishore
Press.
The Upper India Publishing House,
Ltd., 41, Aminabad Park.
MADRAS:
Higginbotham & Co.
S. Murthy & Co., Post Box
No. 152.
The Proprietor, The City Book
Co., Post Box No. 233.
NAGPUR:
Aidan Binzani, Proprietors, Karmavir
Book Depôt, Mahal.
Mr. G. G. Khot, Walker Road.
Mr. G. A. Shastri, Bookseller and
Publisher, Hislop College Road.
The Manager, General Book Depôt.
The Manager, "The Hitavada"
The Proprietor, Bhisey Brothers,
Booksellers and Publishers.
PATNA:
The Patna Law Press Co.
POONA:
The Proprietors, New Kitabkhana.
RANGOON:
The
Superintendent,
American
Baptist Mission Press.
SIMLA:
Thacker, Spink & Co.
No. 42-694-XIV
GOVERNMENT OF THE CENTRAL PROVINCES
AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT
Nagpur, the 7th January 1932
READ—
Letter No. 1190-1-3, dated the 10th August 1931, from the
Director of Veterinary Services, Central Provinces,
forwarding the report on the working of the Civil
Veterinary Department for the year ending the 31st
March 1931.
RESOLUTION
The year 1930-31 was a comparatively healthy one
for live-stock and epidemic disease, and mortality was the
lowest recorded in the last seven years. Outbreaks
reported numbered only 4,487 compared with 16,684 in the
previous year, while mortality from contagious disease
fell from 46,241 to 17,965. As usual. while foot and mouth
disease was the commonest ailment the majority of deaths
were due to rinderpest. The variations in the statistics,
specially of rinderpest, suggest that there is a definite
cycle in its incidence and virulence. The occurrence of
this disease has been traced to the passage of herds of
cattle imported through the neighbouring States which
bring contagion in their train or contract the disease in
infected areas and disseminate it along their route.
The sudden fall in the number of outbreaks in the past
year, however, is a factor the significance of which calls
for examination in the absence of any evidence that
live-stock was imported, or disease prevailed elsewhere,
on a smaller scale than usual. The Local Government
has under consideration a scheme which has been
outlined by Major Stirling for controlling and safeguard-
ing the import of cattle into the province by means of
quarantine arrangements and protective inoculation.
Such measures form a recognized part of veterinary
policy in most countries, but their feasibility for this
province is largely a question of magnitude and expense.
2. It is unfortunate that financial considerations
preclude the adoption for the present of serum-simul-
taneous inoculation against rinderpest and the Local
2
Government hopes that the experiments, to which Major
Stirling refers, will result in an appreciable reduction in
the cost of this operation. The importance of the
control of cattle disease, to the utmost extent that is
humanly possible, is emphasised by the fact that, even in
a comparatively favourable season like the past one, the
avoidable loss caused to the cultivator by the death and
disablement of his cattle amounts to several lakhs of
rupees, while in periods of virulence the loss is doubled
or even trebled. It is, therefore, gratifying that the
measures adopted by the department for the protection
of cattle from blackquarter have had such marked success
that the mortality recorded from this disease is less than
a 10th of what it was in three out of the past four seasons,
while the decline in the incidence of, and mortality from,
hæmorrhagic septicæmia is another encouraging instance
of the increasing success of preventive vaccination.
A scheme has been drawn up for investigating paraplas
mosis, and, if it is possible to put it into operation, as is
hoped, with the assistance of the Imperial Council
of Agricultural Research, important results are looked
for that will facilitate the campaign against this wide-
spread infection and the economic loss occasioned by it.
It is clear from the report that the old-fashioned prejudice
against inoculation and vaccination of cattle has largely
been overcome and replaced by confidence owing to
propaganda and successful results, and that the protection
of the live-stock, which represents so large a proportion
of the capital of the agricultural community, is now
primarily a question of the provision of funds and staff.
3. The limitation of touring for a few months
owing to financial stringency and political conditions
account for the marked fall in the number of cases
treated on tour which contrasts with the increase in the
number of cases treated at the dispensaries. It is a
satisfactory feature that, in spite of the difficulties of the
year, the number of useless bulls castrated has been
more than maintained and has advanced nearer to the
figure which is considered to be the minimum required
for the improvement of the breed of cattle.
4. It is unfortunate that financial conditions bar the
way to the fulfilment of the request of local bodies for the
3
opening of so many new dispensaries, but the existing
staff barely suffices to meet existing commitments, and it
is impossible to start new dispensaries until the necessary
additions to the staff can be supplied and funds are
provided for maintaining these institutions. In certain
instances municipal committees and district councils have
not been able to see eye to eye in the matter of the
proportion of their contributions for the support of
dispensaries, and it is satisfactory that the report records
that the local bodies concerned have been able to come
to an agreement. Considerable advantage is taken of
dispensaries in towns by the local owners of animals and
the urban authorities representing them should be
willing to recognize the benefits received and to contri-
bute their share along with the rural community in
meeting the cost of such dispensaries.
5. Government is pleased to record its appreciation
of the efficient administration of the department during
a difficult period by Major Stirling and Major Priston
who officiated as Director for the greater part of the
year. Government also desires to thank Major Stirling
for his interesting report, and notes with pleasure the
names of the various officers of the department whose
work has been specially commended in the report.
ORDER.—Ordered that a copy of this Resolution,
together with the enclosure, be submitted to the Govern-
ment of India, in the Department of Education, Health
and Lands, that copies be forwarded to the Director
of Veterinary Services and to all Commissioners and
Deputy Commissioners, Central Provinces and Berar,
for information and guidance, and that it be published
in the Supplement to the Central Provinces Gazette.
By order of the Government
(Ministry of Agriculture),
G. P. BURTON,
Revenue Secretary to Government,
Central Provinces.
No. 1190-1-3
FORM
MAJOR R. F. STIRLING, I.V.S.,
DIRECTOR OF VETERINARY SERVICES,
Central Provinces,
To
THE REVENUE SECRETARY TO
GOVERNMENT,
Central Provinces.
Nagpur, the 10th August 1931.
SIR,
I have the honour to submit herewith the annual
report of the Civil Veterinary Department for the year
ending, the 31st March 1931. I regret the delay in sub-
mission which was occasioned by the fact that the district
reports did not reach my office until after the proper date.
The last reports arrived on the 23rd June 1931 and no
consolidation of figures could be begun until these were
received.
2. Major W. H. Priston, F.R.C.V.S., I.V.S.,
officiating Director of Veterinary Services, held charge
of the department up to the afternoon of the 11th
December 1930, when he reverted to his appointment in
the United Provinces.
He toured in the Nagpur, Wardha, Balaghat, Jubbul-
pore, Mandla, Seoni, Chhindwara, Betul, Akola and
Amraoti districts by road marches and inspected
23 dispensaries in these districts. He inspected the
offices of the Deputy Superintendents, East Berar and
Jubbulpore Divisions, and of the Veterinary Inspectors,
Amraoti, Chhindwara, Jubbulpore and Mandla. He also
visited the Government cattle-breeding farms at Bod,
Garhi and Ellichpur.
He examined at Betul the
candidates for the 22 scholarships tenable at the Bombay
Veterinary College.
2
3. I took over charge of the department on the 11th
December 1930, having been permitted to return to duty.
I toured in the Nagpur, Bhandara, Betul, Chanda,
Seoni, Jubbulpore, Mandla, Damoh, Saugor, Narsinghpur,
Chhindwara, Amraoti, Akola, Buldana, Yeotmal and
Hoshangabad districts by road marches and also by rail
and inspected 41 dispensaries in the above districts and
the Khandwa veterinary dispensary.
I inspected the
Rahatgarh slaughter-house, the offices of the Deputy
Superintendents, Civil Veterinary Department, Jubbul-
pore and Nerbudda Divisions, and the office of the
Veterinary Inspector, Hoshangabad, and the work of the
Veterinary Assistant Surgeon employed on the rural up-
lift scheme at Pipariya. I also attended the meetings of
the Advisory Board of the Imperial Council of
Agricultural Research held at Delhi during January 1931.
I supervised the work of serum-simultaneous inoculations
against rinderpest, in villages adjoining Nagpur and
Bhandara, with a view to test the reaction of the cattle
of the Province.
4. Rai Sahib R. V. Pillai, officiating Deputy
Director of Veterinary Services, was confirmed in the
Central Provinces Veterinary Service, Class I, from the
1st June 1930. He made over the additional charge of
the office of the Deputy Superintendent, Civil Veterinary
Department, Nagpur Division, on the 24th June 1930.
He toured in the Nagpur, Bhandara, Balaghat, Drug,
Bilaspur, Raipur, Wardha and Chanda districts by road
marches and inspected 16 dispensaries. He visited the
cattle-breeding farm at Garhi and assisted in the selection
of scholars for the Bombay Veterinary College. He then
proceeded on leave on medical grounds.
I.—VETERINARY INSTRUCTION
5. Of the two State scholars sent to Great Britain
for the four years' veterinary course in September 1929,
one of them, being a M. Sc., passed the B or second
professional examination, having been exempted from
appearing at the first professional examination, and the
other scholar passed the first professional examination.
6. Twenty-two scholarships tenable at the Bombay
Veterinary College were awarded to suitable candidates
during the year.
3
7. Of the Central Provinces scholars studying
at the Bombay Veterinary College, four of the six third
year stipendiary students completed the course, success-
fully passed the diploma examination and joined the
department during the current year.
Thirteen of the
twenty-one first year students and ten of the eighteen
second year students passed the annual examinations and
were promoted to higher classes and one second year
student was detained for a supplementary examination in
October 1931.
8. Two Veterinary Assistant Surgeons were deputed
during the year to the Imperial Institute of Veterinary
Research, Muktesar, for periods varying from three to
six months, for practical training in elementary laboratory
methods, including the theory and practice of the serum-
simultaneous method of inoculation against rinderpest.
Both the Veterinary Assistant Surgeons completed the
course and rejoined their duties in the department.
9. Compounders' class.—Owing to the demand for
trained compounders, three stipends were awarded to
suitable candidates, as a special case, during the two
sessions of the class. These three men completed the
course and successfully passed the test. Two of them
have since been posted to vacancies under district
councils and the third man will be posted to a new
dispensary proposed to be started during the current
year. The Amraoti District Council sent a candidate to
the first session of the class who volunteered to have the
training at his own expense.
Shortly after joining the
class his enthusiasm waned and he returned home.
The Manager, Court of Wards, Panabaras, sent a student
for training with a view to his employment at the Dyer
Veterinary Dispensary, Mohalla, on completion of his
training.
As this man was found on examination to be
weak in some subjects, he has been detained for two
months further tuition.
10. Five
probationary
Veterinary
Assistant
Surgeons were trained in elementary bacteriological
technique at the Veterinary Laboratory, Nagpur, prior to
being posted for work in the districts. The Deputy
Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, Chhattis-
garh Division, trained a probationary Veterinary Assist-
ant Surgeon in dispensary routine, practical inoculations
and castration.
4
11. During the year 14 students of the Nagpur
University, 8 of the B. Ag. and 6 of the Intermediate
course were examined by Mr. James in elementary
Veterinary subjects.
Eight and six, respectively, were
successful.
II.—TREATMENT OF DISEASES
1.—EXAMINATION OF SPACIMENS
12. The Central Laboratory as ever had a busy
time. Its activities can be judged by the fact that 49,197
specimens were received and dealt with as against 47,056
of last year. These include examination of bacte-
riological and pathological specimens, to say nothing of
routine examination of urine, milk and by-products of
milk.
The details of positive diagnoses made by this
branch of the department are on page 1, Appendix I.
2.—CONTAGIOUS DISEASES
13. The year under report has been a fairly
healthy one for cattle in these provinces. The number
of outbreaks recorded is 4,487 as against 16,684 of the
previous year. The mortality from contagious diseases
has therefore lessened from 46,041 of last year to 17,965
in this year.
14. The expenditure on biological products
amounts to Rs. 85,380 as against Rs. 1,32,826 in 1929-30.
15. With the experience of the results of various
inoculations the opposition to this line of preventive
treatment is almost becoming a negligible factor.
The
Deputy Superintendent, East Berar Division, reports
that there was some opposition to inoculation in Amraoti
District. This was probably due to activities beyond the
control of this department.
16. Rinderpest.—Though the disease prevailed
throughout the Province, it existed only in a mild form
and the death-rate caused was not very serious. Deaths
from this disease amounted to 12,144 as against 36,022
of last year. During the year 1,654 outbreaks were
reported as against 4,432 in the previous year.
5
For years it has been recognized that this formidable
disease is introduced, in many cases, from adjoining
territories. The local Government has asked this depart-
ment to devise a scheme by which a series of quarantine
stations could be arranged around the borders of the
province.
The department has this matter under serious con-
sideration, but is of opinion that this question will be of
purely academic interest until such time as the financial
stress is relieved.
It is very satisfactory to note that 115,824 animals
were protected against this disease by "serum alone"
method. It is more satisfactory to note that the
mortality amongst these protected animals amounted to
only 71. I hazard an opinion that these 71 were in the
acute stage of the disease when the Veterinary Assistant
Surgeon inoculated them.
17. Serum-simultaneous inoculation against rinder-
pest.—The "serum-simultaneous" method of inoculation
against rinderpest was begun on a small scale during the
year.
The initial cost of these operations seemed to work
out to Rs. 2-14-0 for each animal so protected.
This
factor exercised the minds of the responsible officers to
such an extent that the cost of the inoculations was quick-
ly reduced to Rs. 1-6-6, by a rearrangement of staff.
During the year, in addition to all available Govern-
ment cattle used in the various Government departments,
nearly 9,000 rural cattle were immunized.
Certain officers both gazetted and subordinate were
trained in this method of inoculation during the year,
and it is hoped that, in the very near future, the financial
stress will be so relieved that these trained officers will
be able to carry out these operations in their respective
areas. At present it looks as if this activity of the
department will have to be seriously curtailed along with
other social services.
The appreciation of villagers towards this method of
protection against rinderpest, which is known to confer
an immunity for at least three years (if not for life), may
be worthy of record.
A Deputy Superintendent
whilst introducing this method proceeded to a village
named Gumgaon in Nagpur district. In Gumgaon
6
there were approximately 800 bovines.
He tried
to persuade the owners of all these animals to have their
cattle inoculated. On the following day 47 cattle were
brought in front of him for the purpose of immunization.
They were inoculated. About six weeks or two months
later rinderpest broke out in this village and the villagers
noted that the only cattle which did not develop any
symptoms of rinderpest were the 47 which had been treat-
ed by the Deputy Superintendent, whereas many of the
remainder did so. The number of deaths amongst non-
treated cattle was so grave as to encourage a deputation to
come from Gumgaon to the Deputy. Superintendent and
petition him to revisit their village and inoculate the
remaining animals. It was most unfortunate that, owing
to the requisition of his services elsewhere, the Deputy
Superintendent was unable to comply with their request.
Before closing my remarks on this section I may be
allowed to state that, in co-operation with Deputy
Superintendents Nair and James, and following on the
investigations already made by reputed European and
Asiatic workers a series of experiments have been
planned for execution during the forthcoming year.
The results of these experiments, if we are successful,
will save the Local Government a certain amount each
year. A report of our experiments will be submitted to
the Local Government in due course.
18. Foot-and-mouth disease.—As usual, this disease
was widespread throughout the Province.
There were
1,893 outbreaks recorded as against 10,617 of last year.
19. In a previous report I referred to Mr. Stent's
proposal when he was Deputy Commissioner, Nimar.
I may repeat that, briefly, Mr. Stent's scheme was to
provide alum and phenyle (the usual medicaments for the
treatment of foot-and-mouth disease) in each bazar, or
alternatively to each school master in each village. This
scheme was tried and enthusiastically pushed by my
officers in the Hoshangabad Division. The reports re-
garding the success of this scheme vary greatly and
criticism of it may be withheld for another year.
20. Anthrax.—164 reports of the occurrence of
this disease were received during the year as against 173
in the year 1929-30. There were recorded 731 deaths
from this very serious disease of cattle as against 890 in
7
the previous year. The disparity between the number
of animals affected and the number of reports is, in my
opinion, due to the reduction in time in visiting
outbreaks, by which the officers of this department were
able to give preventive inoculation to nearly 2,000
animals.
21. Haemorrhagic
septicaemia.—This
disease
prevailed in a severe form in the districts of Buldana,
Akola, Bhandara, Bilaspur, Saugor and Damoh. In
other parts of the province where it occurred the
mortality was not so severe.
Buldana, as in the past
years, holds the unenviable position of being the district
which recorded the highest number of outbreaks, namely,
fifty-three, and it looks as if the climatic conditions and
the geographical nature of the district favours the
"permanent settlement" of this disease. The activities
of this department, however, come in the way of
"a permanent settlement" if vaccine inoculations can be
carried out.
During the year about five hundred outbreaks with
approximately two thousand five hundred deaths were
recorded. Two hundred and thirty-three outbreaks
were microscopically confirmed and about five thousand
cattle were protected by the serum alone method and
about fifteen thousand cattle by the serum and vaccine
simultaneous method. Preventive vaccination against
the disease has gained the confidence of the people and
it has become increasingly popular.
This is evidenced
by the heavy demand for this vaccine. During the year
about sixty thousand animals were protected, an increase
of about one thousand two hundred. It is hoped that
when the present method of vaccination is extended on a
large scale the mortality from this disease will be almost
insignificant.
22. Blackquarter.—As in all other diseases there
was a decrease in the number of outbreaks of this disease
during the year. 88 outbreaks with 335 deaths were
recorded against 662 outbreaks and 3,423 deaths of last
year. In 31 outbreaks the disease was microscopically
confirmed, in the remainder clinical diagnosis was
sufficient.
The intensive departmental propaganda for protect-
ing cattle against the disease by means of blackquarter
aggressin has been a great success.
This is proved by