3
Glanders and dourine.—No cases of these diseases were observed during the
year.
Surra.—Six cases were discovered in horses of which two belonged to South
Arcot, two to Tinnevelly, one to Guntur and one to North Arcot districts. The rest
of the cases included under this heading were in cattle in which a parasite, indistin
guishable from the surra parasite, was found.
Piroplasmosis.—Of the four cases confirmed, three were in cattle and one in a
dog.
Kumri.—This disease continued to be prevalent throughout the Presidency.
It is reported that 65 cases were diagnosed at the different hospitals during the
year, which means that at least that number of horses was rendered useless for further
work.
As a matter of interest, owing to the popular idea that there is some connection
between the two diseases, it has been ascertained that 60 horses were treated for
filaria oculi during the same period, but in only six cases was there a history of the
two diseases having occurred in the same animal.
During the year a case was submitted to Government for the employment of a
Special Research officer in this Presidency to work at kumri and several obscure
minor diseases in cattle, but they have recently decided that this is not necessary.
Rinderpest.—This disease shows a decrease of 1,073 from the figures of the
previous year. The mortality however was still very high, the number being 22,268.
The special report called for by Government in paragraph 5 of their Order No. 2022,
Revenue, dated 4th September 1915, when recording last year's report was submitted
to the Board recently.
The total number of inoculations performed against this disease was 90,898
against 95,508 last year. This figure includes 364 inoculations performed in Madras
city by the staff of the Veterinary College whose inoculation work this year has
been included in table III. P. Srinivasa Rao, the touring Veterinary Assistant of
Nellore district, alone inoculated 14,166 animals.
The Mobile corps was working in Nellore till the beginning of August 1915,
when it was transferred to Gōdāvari which was the district most affected during the
year. Additional veterinary assistants were working also in Nellore, Cuddapah and
Guntūr districts for combating this disease.
At the time of writing it appears to be subsiding in Gōdāvari district, but recent
reports indicate a recurrence of the disease in Kistna, which has probably been
re-infected from Hyderabad, where rinderpest is known to be prevalent.
When dealing with rinderpest in Gōdāvari district it was suggested that the
weekly cattle fairs of the affected tract, which undoubtedly help to disseminate the
disease, should be closed until it had subsided, but the local officers were unable to
carry out the suggestion as the contract for the fairs had been sold by auction. The
same thing has recently occurred in Chingleput district. It was reported that animals
affected with rinderpest were being brought to the weekly market at Wallajabad
but the district officials were unable to close it. It would be an improvement if some
clause were inserted when these contracts are sold by which a fair can be closed if
considered necessary by the Collector.
Anthrax.—This disease caused 7,497 deaths, the figures for the previous year
being 7,635. The largest number of deaths is reported from Kistna district.
Hæmorrhagic septicæmia.—This disease accounted for 4,951 deaths against
5,850 last year. Guntūr district again returned the largest number. Five hundred and
seventeen inoculations were performed against it in Nellore and Chingleput districts.
Black quarter.—The mortality under this head was 4,419, the figures for the
previous year being 4,870. Chittoor and Kurnool districts show the largest number
of deaths.
Foot and mouth disease.—There was a considerable drop in the number of deaths
reported, the figures being 1,199 against 4,646 in the previous year. The largest
mortality is reported from Ganjām.