4
inoculations could have been performed, had there been no delay in reporting out
breaks, for, in a large number of instances, the disease had run its course before the
Veterinary Assistant reached the scene of outbreak.
19. The following Touring Assistants are mentioned for good work :—S. Seshadri
Ayyangar, K. Achanna Shetty, P. Subrahmaniyan, M. Vcnkata3ubbarayadu, K. R.
Lakshminarayana Ayyar, G. Theophilus, K. P. Duraiswami, K. A. Ramaswami
Ayyar, P. G. Rozario, C. N. Subbaraman and P. A. Vaidyanatha Ayyar.
III.—CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.
20. it is gratifying to note that according to table II, the mortality amongst
cattle from contagious diseases dropped from 59,297 in 1919-20 to 37,066 during
the year under report, and that there was a fall under every head as will be seen from
table XV.
At the same time it is regrettable to note that Ganjām district has returned the
largest number of deaths under foot-and-mouth disease, black-quarter and hæmor-
rhagie septicæmia and stands second in severity in respect of rinderpest and anthrax
and yet the number of outbreak reports received by the staff was 'nil' for anthrax
and black-quarter, only 9 for hæmorrhagic septicæmia and 8 for foot-and-mouth
disease. Two hundred and three rinderpest reports were received, but it is reported
that the Veterinary Assistants experienced the greatest difficulty in carrying out
inoculations for want of co-operation on the part of cattle owners.
21. Although most of the Municipalities expressed to Government their willing
ness to take over the work of maintaining registers of mortality and reporting to this
Department outbreaks of contagious diseases among animals, so far only eleven
Municipal Councils seem to have adopted the by-laws proposed for the purpose. The
Commissioner of the Corporation of Madras was addressed with a view to have the
by-laws introduced in the city, and he has recently informed the Superintendent that
the by-laws will be placed before the Standing Committee and the Council for
adoption.
22. Section 12 of the Village Officers' Manual containing a description of the
contagious diseases of animals was revised by Mr. Ware, and printed copies of it have
been distributed to the Chairmen of all Municipal Councils for guidance.
23. Rinderpest.—This disease accounted for 17,273 deaths as against 31,287 in
the previous year. It was severe in Anantapur, Ganjām and Kistna districts, the
number of deaths being 2,602, 2,531 and 2,135 respectively. Assistants on the
reserve staff were posted to these districts to help the permanent staff in combating
the disease. Guntūr and Vizagapatam districts were almost free from rinderpest.
In the course of 533 outbreaks, 65,080 bovines were inoculated, of which 18,161
belonged to Kistna district. Altogether 1,363 reports of rinderpest were received
and 1,169 of them were attended, the figures of the previous year being 1,730 and
1,197 respectively. In the case of a large number of reports not attended, the reason
given for non-attendance is that the disease was subsequently reported to have
subsided, while some had to be left unattended for want of sufficient staff.
21. It is to be regretted that it was not possible to carry out "Serum Simultane
ous" inoculations against rinderpest during the year. Arrangements were made to
protect the cattle at the Agricultural Farm at Chintaladevi by this method during the
last cold weather, but the Second Superintendent who was to have supervised the
inoculations fell ill at that time and the operation had to be postponed as it should
not be done in the hot weather. It is hoped to carry out this method of inoculation
here and in other places during the coming cold weather.
25. Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia.—The number of deaths recorded was 2,758
against 3,388 in the previous year. Ganjām, Kistna and Chingleput districts were
badly affected. The disease was threatening to become severe in Chingleput district
and necessitated the posting to that district of an additional assistant until it was
brought under control.
Out of 199 reports received, 168 were attended and in the course of 27 of them,
2,651 bovines were inoculated. Unlike rinderpest, hæmorrhagic septicæmia and
anthrax are not infectious but contagious only; consequently in outbreaks, nothing
like the same number of animals is affected and hence the number of inoculations