12
Jullunder District.
Jullunder Tahsil.—In 1894-95 the names of 10 villages are specified, and Surra broke
out in three other villages at the commencement of 1896.
Dasaya Tahsil.—In 1894-95, 20 villages are specified as having lost the majority
of their animals, and in one, Sosyan, 36 horses succumbed to Surra. It is said, however, that
the disease appeared in nearly every village in the tahsil.
Hoshiarpur and Jullunder Districts, 1895-96.
Surra, the vernacular names for which appear to be 'Tap,' 'Sokhra,' 'Zahrbad,'
' Tapdik,' is said to have been very severe in these districts. The people say that the disease
spread from them to the ' Bet' villages.
Umballa District.
Pipli Tahsil.—Surra made its appearance in the rains of 1894, and at the village of
Looki four horses and eight asses died. During the wet season of 1895 the returns made,
included 15 villages, in one of which, Bhoosthala, all the solipeds succumbed to the above
disease. As far as could be ascertained, the other tahsils, viz., Jagadhri, Kharer and
Náráingarh, are freer from Surra than the southern part of the Pipli, which is swampy and
subject to flooding during the monsoon.
In 1895 Surra occurred in 21 villages in this district which lie, for the most part, between
the Western Jumna Canal and the Jumna River. The tract is seriously water-logged and
swampy, ' kadir,' owing to percolation from the canal. Gogpur and Salpani Kalan are on
the banks of the Markanda, and are subject to inundation in the rains. Omree is on the
Grand Trunk road and is subject to inundation from a small branch of the Ghittang River.
The losses have been serious in all, but some of the villages have been practically cleared
out of soliped animals.
1896, Umballa.—By order of the Deputy Commissioner, two camels belonging to the
Police, and suffering from Surra were destroyed.
Karnal District.
"Pheta" (Surra) caused its ravages during the rains of 1895 in 72 villages visited by
Veterinary Captain Pease. The disease occurred in many other villages, especially in those
in the Khadir (132 in number) and Naili (64 in number) where it is said to occur annually ;
but as so few horses are kept, the donkey and ponies belonging to the Kumhárs (potters)
only are attacked, and their loss does not attract much attention. The losses from Surra in
sixteen (16) villages in the above tahsil, when statistics were forthcoming, are as follows :—
Animals.
Total number kept
Number succumbed
Percentage of deaths
Horses.
220
106
48.18
Mules.
55
22
40.00
Asses.
281
125
44.48
Many of the villages lost, in addition, a great number of their dogs from this disease; in
some there was scarcely one remaining. The canines appear to have contracted the malady
through eating diseased carcases.
It was thought to be more than likely, that the villages in the Indri and Pipli tahsils,
sustained severe losses from the same causes as the above mentioned—the former lying
between the Western Jumna Canal and the Jumna River, the latter on the border of the
Amballa. Surra is known to be enzootic in the latter locality.
Surra has been most prevalent in the north-east corner of the Kurnal District, part of
the Kurnal Tahsil lying in the angle formed by the Umballa-Kurnal and Kurnal-Meerut
roads, that is between 77° and 78° Longitude, and 29° 50" and 30° N. Latitude.
In this locality alone no less than 101 villages are known to have suffered very con-
siderable losses. The general opinion however is, that nearly all the villages in this tahsil
have suffered more or less from the ravages of this disease.
Delhi District.
Surra (Zahrbad) occurred in seven villages of the Sonaput Tahsil situated in the Jumna
Khadar during the latter half of 1895. The following native remedies were tried, but none
of the drugs had any curative effect: —Zirisiah, Zirisafaid, Sohaza, Sajji, Phatkari, Hing,
Nimak Lahori, Nimak Sambhar, Kalonji, Goor, Ajwain, Khursani, Ajwain desi, Ajwain
babayl, Gund, Peepla mul, Kali mirch, Surkh mirch, Darchini, Gundak. Purgatives were
also tried.