4
It will be observed that there is a considerable increase in the number of cases
treated and castrations performed on tour, while there is a decrease in the number of
inoculations done.
The number of Rinderpest reports received was less than in 1918-19, but more
inoculations would have been performed against this disease if serum could have
been obtained in the quantities indented for.
22. The following touring assistants are mentioned for good work:—M. Venkata-
subbarayadu, B. Hanumantha Rao, P. N. Sivarama Ayyar, K. Mallikarjuna Rao,
C. N. Subbaraman, K. A. Ramaswami, A. Krishnaswami, T. A. Ratnaswami,
A. S. Mahadeva Ayyar, M. Noor Ahmad, C. Madhaven Nambiyar, B. Ramayya and
P. Subrahmaniam.
III.—CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.
23. According to Table II the number of deaths amongst cattle from contagious
diseases dropped to 59,297, as compared with 76,114 of the previous year.
Prom Table XV it will be seen that there was a decrease under every head
except Anthrax, in which however the rise was negligible.
24. Government having commended the proposal of the Superintendent on the
subject, most of the municipalities in the inufassal have expressed their willingness
to take over the work of maintaining registers of mortality and reporting to this
department outbreaks of contagious disease occurring in horses and cattle in munici-
pal areas, and also cases of sheep-pox in sheep and rabies in dogs, so that it is to be
hoped that in future years the figures of animal mortality reported from municipal
towns at least will be more reliable than they have been before. Government have
also expressed the wish that the other municipalities will shortly fall into line with
the majority in this matter, but as far as is known the question has not yet been
raised in the most important municipality of all in this Presidency, viz., the Madras
Corporation, in which there is no satisfactory arrangement for reporting cases of
contagious disease in animals.
25. Rinderpest.—The mortality from this disease fell from 44,164 in 1918-19 to
31,237 in the year under review. South Arcot district again reported the greatest
number of deaths, viz., 5,290. Eight thousand two hundred and forty-two inocula-
tions were carried out against this disease in that district, and at the time of writing
it has nearly subsided there. Other districts reporting a large mortality are
Chingleput, North Arcot, Chittoor, Anantapur and Tanjore.
The number of inoculations performed in each case will be seen in Table III.
In all, 85,364 inoculations were performed against Rinderpest in the course of
671 outbreaks, against 126,087 during 834 outbreaks in the previous year.
26. Altogether 1,730 reports of Rinderpest were received by the staff, and of
this number 1,497 were attended.
In the previous year 1,904 reports were received and 1,561 of them attended.
A certain number of reports were not attended as the disease was reported to have
subsided, but a larger number were left unattended owing to want of time on the
part of the staff. Additional assistants were posted to Chingleput, Chittoor, Ananta-
pur and Tanjore districts but they were unable to comply with all demands when the
disease was at its height.
27. The District Magistrates concerned were asked to close those cattle fairs
which were found to be importing the disease, but again in many cases the people held
unauthorized gatherings of cattle, which continued to come in from Mysore, with the
result that the disease could not be stamped out in Chittoor, North Arcot and
Chingleput districts.
28. In 1914 this Government addressed the Darbars of Hyderabad and Mysore
with a view to obtain co-operation in dealing with Rinderpest, but so far it is not
possible to report much progress. It is understood that their veterinary staff is
being increased but cases have occurred, both in Hyderabad and Mysore, where the
existence of the disease in some of the border villages of the States, probably owing
to want of staff or inefficient reporting, was first discovered by a member of this
department.
29. In accordance with the orders of Government the staff have been directed
not to inoculate cattle against Rinderpest unless the owners give a written promise to