No. 2642, REVENUE, 30TH AUGUST 1911.
3
than a very few cases. The large size of the villages in this Presidency, must make
it extremely difficult for the munsif to even see the carcase in the majority of cases.
In order to try and verify these returns as far as possible, touring Veterinary Assist-
ants have recently been instructed to submit specimens, taken from some of the
affected animals in every outbreak to which they are called, to the Head office for
microscopical examination. To begin with, confirmation will only be made in a very
small percentage of cases, but if munsifs can be persuaded or compelled by District
officers to report every outbreak, and the number of touring Assistants increased in
each district, so as to ensure prompt attendance, this percentage should rise high
enough to be, at least, a slight check on munsifs' returns. So as to prevent delay,
the Principal of the Madras Veterinary College has kindly promised to examine
the specimens when the Superintendent is out in camp.
Glanders.—
Surra.—
Epizootic Lymphangitis.—
No deaths are reported from these diseases.
Rinderpest.—Twenty-four thousand four hundred and thirty-five deaths
are reported for this year as against 56,900 last year. Preventive inoculation
was performed on 21,080 cattle and 115 sheep in the course of 331 out-
breaks. The inoculation figures of last year were 46,952 bovines and 1,149
other animals in 593 outbreaks. This clearly shows that rinderpest was not so
prevalent during the year under report, but even allowing so much, the precentage
of deaths to outbreaks is distinctly satisfactory. There is still a certain amount of
prejudice against inoculation reported from some districts but, on the whole, the
ryots of this Presidency appear to have recognised its usefulness.
Blackquarter.—A decrease of more than 1,500 deaths is reported under this
disease. The issue of Blacklego ids having been discontinued, no preventive inocu-
lation was carried out.
Foot-and-mouth disease—was reported from all districts during the year, but
appears to have been worst in Ganjám, Vizagapatam and South Arcot. In many
instances, the subordinate staff reported the finding of this disease amongst animals
in a village from which no outbreak report had been received, so that in addition to
the number of fatal cases reported, there must have been many more animals
rendered permanently useless for want of attention.
Haemorrhagic septicaemia.— The figures show no variation from last year.
Anthrax.—
No preventive inoculation against either of these diseases was performed.
Piroplasmosis.—No cases were discovered amongst cattle, but a few cases in
dogs were reported from Bellary and Cocanada. In neither instance were they
confirmed by microscopical examination.
Fowl cholera—is reported to have caused large losses amongst poultry in Vizaga-
patam. The disease was confirmed microscopically.
Section 2—Other diseases.—Veterinary Assistants treated 3,439 cases on tour and
castrated 17 animals during the year, while 337 castrations were performed by
salutries. Although this shows a slight increase on the figures of last year, the
number of cases treated on tour is still deplorably small. The reason is that
hitherto many touring Assistants have been allowed to halt in their head-quarters
when no outbreak reports were forthcoming. Touring Veterinary Assistants are
now required to spend at least 20 days a month in camp, so that there should be a
considerable increase in these figures next year.
Section 3—Veterinary hospitals.—At the close of the year under report there
were 19 hospitals open in the Presidency excluding the Madras Veterinary College
hospital, for which a separate report will be submitted by the Principal.
The veterinary hospitals at Ongole and Ellore were, from the beginning of the
year under report, transferred from Government to the District Boards of Guntúr
and Kistna respectively, while other hospitals remained under the same administra-
tion as during the preceding year. No new hospitals were opened during the year,
and no reports have been received from Trichur and Pudukkóttai—the hospitals at