NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
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made by local bodies towards the housing and main-
tenance of veterinary dispensaries has also been
inadequate. With the return of better times the needs
of the department, whose activities mean so much for
the prosperity of the cultivator, must receive adequate
recognition both by Government and local bodies, but
in the meantime Government trusts that local bodies
will take serious notice of the remarks of the Director of
Veterinary Services on the urgent necessity of repairing
the dispensary buildings.
6. The thanks of Government are due to Major
Stirling for another year's energetic and efficient
administration of his department. Government is also
pleased to endorse his commendation of the work of the
officers of the department whose names have been
specially mentioned in the report.
ORDER.—Ordered that a copy of this resolution
together with the enclosure, be submitted to the Gov-
ernment 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),
C. D. DESHMUKH,
Revenue Secretary to Government,
Central Provinces.
GPN—1243—RS—12-10-32—238.
No. 863-1-3
FROM
MAJOR R. F. STIRLING, I.V.S.,
DIRECTOR OF VETERINARY SERVICES,
Central Provinces,
To
THE SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT,
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE,
Central Provinces.
Nagpur, the 11th July 1932.
SIR,
I have the honour to submit herewith the annual
report on the working of the Civil Veterinary Department
for the year ending the 31st March 1932.
I regret the
delay in submission which was occasioned by the fact that
again the district reports did not reach my office until after
the proper date. The last report was received as late as
on the 6th July 1932 and the writing of the report could
not be begun until these reports were received.
2. I held charge of the office of the Deputy Director
of Veterinary Services, Central Provinces, in addition to
my own duties till the afternoon of the 18th September
1931 when Rai Sahib R. V. Pillai returned from medical
leave and resumed his duties.
I toured in all divisions of the province and visited
60 hospitals and dispensaries.
I inspected the offices of
divisional and district officers, the village uplift move-
ment and the experimental work in the field. I also
inspected the more important slaughter-houses.
3. Rai Sahib R. V. Pillai, Deputy Director of
Veterinary Services, Central Provinces, resumed charge
of his duties on the forenoon of the 19th September 1931
on return from leave. He toured in Nagpur and Chhat-
tisgarh Divisions, inspected 30 dispensaries and the
offices subordinate to him.
2
I.—VETERINARY INSTRUCTION
4. The two State scholars sent to Great Britain for
the four years' veterinary course in September 1929 are
reported to have made satisfactory progress and to have
passed the respective professional examinations.
5. No scholarships tenable at the Bombay Veteri-
nary College were awarded during the year owing to
financial stringency.
6. Of the Central Provinces scholars studying at
the Bombay Veterinary College, the second year student
detained last year for the supplementary examination in
October 1931 passed and was promoted to the third year,
and six of the eleven third year stipendiary students com-
pleted the course, successfully passed the diploma exam-
ination and joined the department during the current
year. Eight of the thirteen second year students passed
the annual examination and were promoted to the third
year class.
7. Compounders' class.—Owing to lack of money
no stipends were awarded during the year.
In the two
sessions of this class held at the Nagpur veterinary dis-
pensary seven new candidates were accepted for training
during the year. Of the men so admitted, one was main-
tained by the District Council, Betul, one by the District
Council, Amraoti, one by the Mission at Damoh and four
private candidates studied at their own expense.
All these men completed the course, successfully
passed the test and found employment under district
councils. The student deputed by the Panabaras Court
of Wards last year, who was detained for further training,
also completed the course and resumed charge of his
duties at the Dyer veterinary dispensary, Mohalla.
8. Four probationary Veterinary Assistant Sur-
geons were trained in elementary bacteriological tech-
nique at the veterinary laboratory, Nagpur. The Deputy
Superintendents, Civil Veterinary Department, West
Berar, East Berar, Nerbudda and Chhattisgarh Divisions,
trained each a probationary Veterinary Assistant Surgeon
in dispensary routine, practical inoculations and castra-
tions and the Deputy Superintendent, Nagpur Division,
trained a temporary Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in
practical field work.
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9. During the year 26 students of the Nagpur Uni-
versity, attending the Intermediate course in Agriculture,
were examined by me in elementary veterinary subjects.
II.—TREATMENT OF DISEASES
1.—EXAMINATION OF SPECIMENS
10. There was an appreciable increase in the
amount of work done in the central laboratory during
the year. 59,952 specimens were received and dealt with
as against 49,197 of last year.
Besides the above, 311
smears were examined microscopically and certified by the
divisional Deputy Superintendents. The details of posi-
tive findings in this branch of work are furnished on page
1 of Appendix I.
2.—CONTAGIOUS
DISEASES
11. The statistics given below indicate that the
year was not quite so healthy as 1930-31. The total out-
breaks recorded were 5,784 as against 4,487 of the previ-
ous year.
The total mortality was 19,695 as against
17,965 in the last year.
12. Opposition to inoculation was met with in some
remote localities only.
Much propaganda work was,
however, done by the field staff, as a result of which the
number of inoculations increased from 228,911 to 279,379.
13. The expenditure on biological products amount-
ed to Rs. 76,386 as against Rs. 85,380 in 1930-31.
14. Rinderpest.—This disease prevailed throughout
the province in a mild form, claiming 9,332 victims only
as against 12,144 of last year, the outbreaks recorded
being 1,448 as against 1,654.
90,848 cattle were protected against rinderpest by
the "serum alone" method.
The mortality among the
inoculated was reported to be 33 only and was due to
causes beyond our control.
15. Serum-simultaneous inoculation against rinder-
pest.—This method of protection of cattle against rinder-
pest, which was started during last year has had to be
4
discontinued owing to the comparatively heavy cost en-
tailed.
3,277 cattle belonging mainly to agriculturists
were protected by this method during the year so long as
funds permitted. The beneficial effects of this method of
protection having been made evident to the cultivators
there were far more demands for such inoculations than
could be undertaken for reasons stated above.
Experiments on the efficacy of a cheaper type of
"vaccination" of animals against rinderpest to which
reference was made in the last year's report are still in
progress ; the results so far achieved are very promising.
An original interim paper on this method of vaccina-
tion was contributed by me to the Veterinary
Journal,
London, and attracted some notice.
A résumé of the work was also presented to the
Royal Society of Medicine in collaboration with a pro-
fessional colleague.
Since the publication of this article advice has been
sought from workers in Siam and China.
It is hoped to make a further statement regarding this
method of prevention which reduces the cost of each
operation (staff excluded) from nearly Rs. 2 to a few
annas.
A separate communication about this work has been
made to Government.
16. Foot-and-mouth disease.—This disease pre-
vailed throughout the province with greater virulence as
3,087 reports were recorded against 1,893 of last year.
318 deaths were reported, the mortality being caused by
complications and being especially marked in young
stock.
17. Anthrax.—Anthrax was reported from all dis-
tricts except Akola and Narsinghpur, the number of out-
breaks being 183 as against 164 of last year. The mortal-
ity rose from 731 to 978.
Preventive inoculation was
undertaken and 1,864 cattle were protected against the
disease.
18. Hæmorrhagic septicæmia.—This disease pre-
vailed in a severe form in the districts of Drug, Bhandara,
Amraoti and Buldana.
In Drug district the disease
levied a very heavy toll amongst cattle, sheep and goats.
The number of outbreaks during the year was 759
against 500 of last year.
Microscopical confirmation
5
could be made in 239 instances only. The mortality re-
corded was high, involving 6,591 cattle and 1,540 goats
and sheep.
The field staff had very heavy work in protecting
cattle against this formidable disease.
103,525 animals
were protected by vaccine, 12,028 by anti-hæmorrhagic
septicæmia serum, while 11,542 underwent hæmorrhagic
septicæmia vaccine-serum inoculation.
The results of
vaccination against this disease have been all that could
be desired and it is regrettable that owing to shortage of
funds more cattle could not be so protected.
19. Blackquarter.—This disease prevailed in a
mild form, only 79 reports of the occurrence of the
disease having been received as against 88 of last year.
This disease is endemic in certain areas of the province,
particularly in the districts of Chhindwara, Saugor and
Buldana.
The mortality reported shows a slight in-
crease, namely, 361 deaths as against 335 of last year.
51,744 cattle were immunized in advance of the
blackquarter season with blackquarter aggressin, 4,173
with blackquarter aggressin and serum (simultaneously)
and 289 by the "serum alone" method.
There is always a very large demand for blackquarter
aggressin, as the cultivators are convinced that inoculation
with this product before the middle of June satisfactorily
wards off the fatal effects of blackquarter which prevails
in the rainy season.
Efforts are being made and will be
continued, when funds permit, to satisfy even more fully
the demands made for this method of immunization.
The following table shows the progress made in this
work during the past three years and especially the
marked fall in the number of outbreaks owing largely to
timely prevention : —
Year.
1929-30 ...
1930-31 ...
1931-32 ...
Blackquarter
aggressin
alone inocula-
tions.
26,192
31,845
51,744
Blackquarter
serum and ag-
gressin serum¬
simultaneous
inoculations.
8,371
2,129
4,173
Total number
of outbreaks of
blackquarter.
662
88
79
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20. Piroplasmosis.—Infection by this protozoon has
long been recognized to be wide-spread among the cattle
of the province. The chronic form of the disease is most
common, as manifested by progressive emaciation and
the more or less constant presence of the parasite in the
blood.
The acute form of the disease is also not un-
common, especially in imported animals.
"Trypan
blue" treatment has been proved an excellent remedy to
cut short the duration of the disease.
62,992 animals
showing clinical symptoms were given trypan blue injec-
tion, including 17,450 cases that were confirmed for piro-
plasmosis microscopically. As a general tonic trypan
blue injections have become very popular with the
peasant.
The total quantity of trypan blue solution issued from
the central laboratory amounted to 1,991,316 c.c. as
against 1,471,610 c.c. last year.
The microscopical confirmations of the disease have
increased from 11,878 of last year to 17,450 for the year
under report. The increase is due to the larger number
of specimens received for microscopical diagnosis, and
the enthusiasm shown by the staff to deal with herds in
which symptoms of latent infection were noticed.
21. Seventeen cases of Piroplasma gibsoni were
successfully treated with tryparsamide solution.
Two
cases of Theileria mutans were also microscopically con-
firmed. Only symptomatic treatment was given for the
latter condition.
22. Trypanosomiasis.—The prevalence of Trypano-
somiasis was detected in 17 cases, of which 12 were
equines and the remaining five bovines.
All the bovines were successfully treated with tartar
emetic, while the equines were dealt with under the
Glanders and Farcy Act.
23. Tetanus.—Fifteen animals received tetanus
anti-toxin as a prophylactic measure prior to surgical
operations.
24. Strangles.—Four equines
were
confirmed
microscopically and dealt with. No mortality from this
disease was reported.
25. Rabies.—Thirteen dogs were given preventive
vaccination against rabies.
7
In consideration of the prevalence of this disease in
the province, during the year anti-rabic treatment for
dogs was made available in all the divisional head-
quarters.
26. Fowl cholera and spirochætosis.—This diseases
of fowls prevailed throughout the province. Sixty-seven
cases of fowl cholera, 20 of spirochætosis and two of
mixed infection (both diseases) were confirmed micro-
scopically. Preventive inoculation with anti-hæmorrhagic
septicæmia serum in fowl cholera and hygienic measures
had the desired effect of checking the spread of disease.
88 fowls were protected by this method.
Soamin treat-
ment for spirochætosis was also undertaken with success-
ful results.
27. Canine typhus.—Canine typhus was reported
from Nagpur only.
Sixty-six dogs were given canine
distemper mixed bacterin (Parke Davis') injections as a
prophylactic measure.
28. Coccidiosis.—Nine cases of bovine coccidiosis
were confirmed microscopically in which treatment with
methylene blue was found to be efficacious.
29. Other diseases.—The prevalence of bhowri and
tiwa was reported from some parts of the province. As
stated in the last year's report, investigation was continued
to find out an effective treatment for tiwa. It can now
be definitely stated that an intravenous injection of soda
salicylas, in cases of tiwa, effectively curtails the duration
of the disease.
Ready-made injections were available
in all important dispensaries. The department has been
asked to assist in the research work which is being con-
ducted into this disease in the Wellcome Research
Laboratory, London.
3.—MISCELLANEOUS
30. Medico-legal cases.—During the year 234 certi-
ficates for injuries and cruelty to animals were issued and
107 post-mortem examinations were performed.
Fifty-one poisoning cases were reported from the
districts of Nagpur, Chanda and Raipur.
Professional
evidence, whenever required, was given by the staff.
8
4.—HOSPITALS AND DISPENSARIES
31. Two new veterinary dispensaries were opened,
one at Risod, district Akola, and the other at Amarwara,
district Chhindwara, during the year under report. The
total number of veterinary dispensaries was 102 at the
close of the year.
32. The Veterinary Assistant Surgeon employed on
rural uplift scheme at Pipariya continued to do useful
work.
Rural uplift work was also started in other dis-
tricts of the province and the officials of this department
are helping this movement so far as it lies in their power.
33. The Deputy Superintendent, Chhattisgarh Divi-
sion, inspected once the State veterinary dispensaries of
Rajnandgaon, Raigarh and Khairagarh.
34. The number of cases treated by Deputy Super-
intendents, Veterinary Inspectors and Veterinary Assist-
ant Surgeons on tour was 458,820 (including 96,666
castrations) as against 377,215 (including 82,776 castra-
tions) in the past year.
The number of cases treated at
dispensaries was 177,817 (including 11,300 castrations) as
against 159,150 (including 9,180 castrations) in the pre-
vious year. The mofussil cases, i.e., those supplied with
medicines but not brought to the dispensaries, were
102,223 against 121,623 in the past year.
In addition
29,892 cases were supplied with medicines by the staff on
tour.
35. At last the department has managed to pass the
100,000 figure in the number of castrations performed, at
dispensaries and on tour.
An increase from 4,000 castrations per annum twelve
years ago to 107,966 marks the attainment of one ambition
of the department.
36. The reduction in the number of the so-called
mofussil cases is pleasing but greater efforts will be made
to reduce still further this number.
Too frequently, in past years, it has been found that
villagers come to dispensaries and demand large quanti-
ties of phenyle which may or may not be used for
medicinal purposes.
9
The need for medicine has declined remarkably when
antiseptics of equal value but not phenyle have been
supplied.
37. Buildings.—A site has been selected for the
construction of veterinary dispensary buildings at Bala-
pur.
The Saugor District Council carried out repairs to
the Saugor dispensary buildings and an absorption pit was
constructed at the Betul Veterinary Dispensary.
As is remarked by the Commissioner of Nagpur Divi-
sion some of the dispensaries are "wretchedly housed".
This applies to many districts and in at least two cases in
recent years nothing was done to repair buildings until
they had become so dilapidated as to merit their descrip-
tion as "uninhabitable" by the Civil Surgeons.
It is such a pity that local bodies do not repair build-
ings immediately their attention is drawn to the necessity
but frequently evade the subject for years until rebuilding
or expensive repairs become necessary.
III.—BREEDING OPERATIONS
38. The cattle-breeding farms continued to be
managed by the Agriculture department and the officers
of this department rendered necessary assistance by
giving advice on professional matters.
39. Owing to shortage of staff no Veterinary Assist-
ant Surgeons could be placed on special duty to emascu-
late unsuitable bulls during the cold weather as sometimes
had been done in previous years.
40. Propaganda.—During the year nine cattle fairs
and shows were held in different places in the Central
Provinces and Berar as shown in table No. XIV attached.
The cattle fairs at Singaji (Nimar district), Garhakota
(Saugor district), Hirdenagar (Mandla district), Wun
(Yeotmal district) and Bairam (Amraoti district) were
largely attended.
The departmental staff attended these
and some other less important fairs and shows, opened
temporary dispensaries and arranged lectures on veteri-
nary matters supplemented by practical demonstrations of
inoculation, castration, spraying and intravenous injec-
tions. Magic lantern lectures were also arranged.
2
10
41. Sanads were awarded during the year to land-
owners and others in recognition of their assistance to the
subordinate staff of the department while carrying out
veterinary propaganda work in the district.
IV.—ESTABLISHMENT
42. Owing to financial stringency the post of the
Deputy Superintendent in charge serum-simultaneous
method was abolished and, on the recommendations of
the retrenchment committee, the local Government
reduced the number of Deputy Superintendents' posts
from seven to five.
43. Rai
Sahib
Gouri
Shanker
Shrivastava,
Messrs. C. N. Subannah, Rahim Bux, P. S. Nair and
Kashi Prasad worked hard and efficiently.
Mr. Muhammad Abdul Quadir, Deputy Superinten-
dent, Civil Veterinary Department, East Berar Division,
who had worked hard and loyally for over thirty years,
proceeded on three months' leave preparatory to retire-
ment, with effect from the 21st March 1932.
Mr. L. M. Roy, officiating Deputy Superintendent,
Civil Veterinary Department, West Berar Division, was
reverted to the post of Veterinary Inspector and posted
to Akola. He worked hard and efficiently.
44. Subordinate staff.—The posts of Veterinary
Inspectors will be abolished as vacancies occur.
The
strength of the Veterinary Inspectors during the year was
14.
Three officiating Veterinary Inspectors were
reverted to the grade of Veterinary Assistant Surgeons.
45. The strength of the Veterinary Assistant Sur-
geons at the close of the year was 122. During the year
one Veterinary Assistant Surgeon retired, the services of
two were dispensed with, one was sentenced to imprison-
ment on a criminal charge and five temporary men ter-
minated their period of employment when bona fide
residents of the province became available.
46. Recruiting.—Seven Veterinary Assistant Sur-
geons joined the department during the year, of whom
four were Central Provinces scholars who graduated from
the Bombay Veterinary College, two others who graduat-
ed from the same college and one from the Bengal
Veterinary College.
11
47. The names of the following officers are brought
to the notice of the local Government for their good
work during the year : —
Mr. Rahim Bux, Deputy Superintendent, Jubbul-
pore Division.
Mr. J. M. Biswas, Veterinary Inspector, Nagpur.
Mr. Amalnerkar, Veterinary Assistant Surgeon,
Basim.
Mr. Dost Mahomed Khan, Veterinary Assistant Sur-
geon, Bilaspur.
Mr. Ramkhilawan Singh, Veterinary Assistant Sur-
geon, Narsinghpur.
Mr. Rizvi, Laboratory Veterinary Assistant Surgeon,
Nagpur.
Mr. S. K. Dighe, Veterinary Assistant Surgeon,
Hoshangabad.
Mr. Tarasingh Garewal, Touring Veterinary Assist-
ant Surgeon, Drug.
The good work done by Veterinary Assistant Surgeon
G. D. Pani in connection with rinderpest vaccination is
the subject of a separate communication to Government.
I would also like to refer to the good work done by
Mr. N. Basavaraju, Superintendent of my office,
Mr. Bhagdikar, Accountant, and Mr. C. V. Naidu,
Camp Clerk.
V.—GENERAL REMARKS
48. Although the department was asked to help in
rural uplift schemes in only a few places, much more was
done in this way.
49. With the knowledge that rinderpest was not
likely to affect the province in a severe form this year and
with the full concurrence of the local Government every
officer was instructed to become a rural uplift worker in
his own particular area.
Lectures and demonstrations on general hygiene,
feeding and stabling of animals together with instruction
regarding the precautions to be taken to ensure a clean
milk and ghee supply, were ordered to be given in most
of the villages through which officers toured.
The benefits accruing from this type of work cannot
be estimated numerically in a report but such lectures, if
repeated often enough, must have an effect.
12
Whether so much can be done in a "rinderpest year"
is very doubtful, unless there is an increase of staff and of
the money provided for the department.
50. The Commissioner, Nagpur, organized a meet-
ing during the year, at which a provisional committee was
elected to frame the rules and constitution of a local
branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals.
It is my earnest hope that before the next annual
report has to be written a step forward will have been
made to minimise the cruelty which, unfortunately, is all
too common.
51. The seventh annual meeting of the Central
Provinces Veterinary Association was held at Nagpur
during November 1931.
It was largely attended and many interesting papers
were read and discussed.
From January 1932 a Central Provinces Veterinary
Association's Quarterly Journal was started, and it is
hoped that this small magazine, which has been so kindly
welcomed by senior officers and by the English veterinary
press, will bind together more closely the members of the
association and the department.
52. Before concluding my report I take the oppor-
tunity to thank heartily all the officers of the department
who, in every grade and with very few exceptions, worked
so well in a year in which financial considerations hamper-
ed to some extent their touring and the development of
the work in the area in their charge whether division,
district or tahsil.
53. I may be allowed also to thank the Divisional
Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners and chairmen of
local bodies who, in submitting reports and also at other
times, have made many helpful suggestions for the better-
ment of the work of the department.
I have the honour to be,
SIR,
Your most obedient servant,
R. F. STIRLING, MAJOR,
Director of Veterinary Services,
Central Provinces.