4
ANNUAL REPORT ON THE CIVIL VETERINARY DEPARTMENT, BURMA,
Ten appointments were made, viz. 3 Veterinary Assistants and 7 Reserve
Veterinary Assistants.
Two Veterinary Assistants were promoted to Inspectorships to fill the vacan-
cies caused, one by Maung Tha Dun Zan whose services were seconded for foreign
service, Hsipaw State, and the other to the created post of a twelfth Inspectorship.
The casualties amongst Veterinary Assistants during the year were 6, viz. two
died and four were removed from the Department, one being medically unfit.
One Veterinary Inspector retired from the service of Government and his
place will shortly be filled.
The strength at the end of the year was therefore 11 Veterinary Inspectors
and 120 Veterinary Assistants. These were distributed as follows :—
Veterinary Inspectors—Lower Burma 5, Upper Burma 6.
Veterinary Assistants—Lower Burma 69 (including 6 Reserve Veterinary
Assistants, 2 Office and 1 School). Upper Burma 51 Veterinary Assistants
(including 3 Reserve).
The average number of days spent on tour by Inspectors in Lower Burma
was 254.9 and 215.56 in Upper Burma. They attended 54 outbreaks in Lower
Burma and 167 in Upper Burma.
Table IV.
The Veterinary Assistants during the year in Lower Burma visited 1 2,165
villages, and those in Upper Burma visited 10,384 villages. The average number
of days spent on tour by them in Lower Burma was 232.55 and in Upper Burma
332.88.
V.—EXPENDITURE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
(Vide Table XIVA.)
VI.—GENERAL REMARKS.
14. Cattle Disease.—In the year under report the Province has again been
dealt lightly with and has enjoyed freedom from severe general visitations of con-
tagious animal diseases.
Disease in Tenasserim Division.—The
large mortality in this Division was
due principally to rinderpest in the Mergui District. Inoculation was carried out
wherever possible, but as the herds are largely composed of buffaloes, many of which
are not easily handled, the difficulties in dealing with disease by this method may
be readily understood. Tavoy and Mergui buffaloes have a reputation for running
amok and have created some lively scenes even in Rangoon, on the arrival of
consignments, as may be remembered on several occasions. The Inspector,
evidently unacquainted with their full capabilities, was too confiding and in conse-
quence had to suspend work for some time while his injuries healed. Communi-
cations, too, are all dependent on tide and difficult at any time.
In the Kawkareik Township of the Amherst District, disease was scattered
far and wide though individual outbreaks were small. In this connection I would
point out that on the ridge between Kyondo and Kawkareik there are between
7,000 and 8,000 head of cattle belonging to Indians which- are permitted to wander
about all over the place and are extremely difficult to deal with when disease is
prevalent.
15. Segregation Rules.—These
are generally reported to be well understood
and in most cases fairly well followed. As is to be expected cases have occurred in
which outbreaks have been fostered by their disregard.
The worst offenders
in this connection have as a rule been Indians, who as non-residents in village-tracts
have appeared to consider that the rules do not apply to them. The use of segre-
gation camps has been further extended this year, notably in the Pyapôn and
Ruby Mines Districts with excellent results.