RESOLUTION
ON THE
REPORT ON THE CIVIL VETERINARY DEPARTMENT, BURMA,
For the year ended the 31st March 1916.
Extract from the proceedings of the Government of Burma in the Agricultural Department,—
No. 1V.-15 of 1916.
READ —
The Report on the Civil Veterinary Department (including the Insein Veterinary School), Burma,
for the year 1915-16 and letter No. 154C—IV.-1 of the 8th June 1916, from the Director of
Agriculture, Burma, forwarded with letter No. 818—IV.-17 of the 29th June 1916, from the
Assistant Secretary to the Financial Commissioner, Burma.
Resolution.—The Province was singularly free from cattle disease in
1915-16. For the fifth year in succession there was a decrease in the reported
number of deaths from contagious sickness; the total, 7,210, in an estimated
cattle population of six millions, was the lowest on record and just over a fifth of the
average for the ten years previous. Rinderpest, the chief scourge, claimed 3,589
victims or little more than an eighth of the average for the same period ; the
mortality was practically confined to Akyab and the districts bordering on the
Shan States, China and Siam, and there seems reason to believe that with effective
supervision and control over imported cattle, the evil prominence of this disease in
Burma will disappear. The Lieutenant-Governor is prepared to give sympathetic
consideration to proposals for strengthening the Veterinary staff in border districts to
secure this end. The Assistants of the Civil Veterinary Department visited 24,787
villages and treated 94,761 sick animals, both totals being the highest on record.
The Veterinary School at Insein continued to do good work in training the subordi-
nates of the Department, and the Hospital in dealing with sick animals sent for
treatment. There was a substantial increase in the numbers both of in-patients
and out-patients. Touring by Inspectors reached an adequate standard. The
Lieutenant-Governor accepts the proposal to reduce the minimum number of days
on which they are required to tour from 240 to 220 in the case of Inspectors who
attend a 30 days' course at the Insein School.
Sir Harcourt Butler thanks the three Superintendents,—Colonel Evans, C.I.E.,
and Messrs. Rennie and Cameron,—for the efficiency which characterised the
administration of the Department during the year, despite the fact that they were
tied to headquarters by military duties and their touring thereby restricted. The
success of the measures taken in co-ordination with district officers to prevent the
spread of disease and to treat diseased animals is in large measure due to increas-
ing public confidence in the Department. Reports of outbreak are more promptly
made, and the benefits of early segregation are more widely realised. Still closer
relations between the Department and cattle-owners may be expected from the
spread of Cattle Insurance Societies on co-operative lines ; the system of insur-
ance adopted encourages the better treatment of cattle and the resort to expert
assistance in case of sickness.
The total expenditure incurred on the Department rose to Rs. 2¾ lakhs, of
which some Rs. 70,000 were contributed by District Cess Funds.
By order of the Lieutenant-Governor of Burma,
MAYMYO :
The 21st October 1916.
W. J. KEITH,
Revenue Secretary to the Government of Burma.
Printed by order of the Government of Burma.
G. S. P., Maymyo—No. 16, Rev. Secy., 23-10-1916—360-C. R. W.