3
and the local inoculators. The deaths were 1,217 recorded in 72 villages. In
Cuttack, the disease affected a large area in Tirtol and neighbouring thanas and
caused considerable mortality, 1,954 deaths having been reported from 173
villages by the close of the year. This outbreak was the more difficult to deal
with owing to the strength and persistence of local religious prejudice opposed
to any kind of interference with the cattle : and a number of villages had to be
reported to the District Magistrate for failure to give assistance or for active
obstruction of the staff, while the Inspector in charge of this circle was found
to have neglected his duty and has been suitably dealt with. It is satisfactory
to have to report that Shahabad which suffered so severely in the previous
year, was practically free from the disease.
In Gaya and Monghyr, a considerable number of cattle died, but it is
possible that some of the deaths may have been due to parasitic enteritis, which
the Inspector reported was bad in the inundated area in October, November
and December.
In the affected districts 14,390 deaths occurred out of 33,979 attacked in
1,058 outbreaks. Of this number, the Veterinary Assistants could attend only
675 outbreaks against 914 in the previous year. More attention will be given
to this subject in future.
Foot and Mouth Disease.—This disease appears to have been very pre-
valent in Shahabad, Gaya, Ranchi, Cuttack, Puri and Angul. The outbreaks
reported were 2,631 of which 1,031 were attended by the Veterinary Assistants.
The total number of animals affected was 77,895 out of which 1,041 are
reported to have died.
Hæmorrhagic
Septicæmia.—Hæmorrhagic
Septicæmia was reported
from all districts. Mortality was highest in Gaya. Altogether 7,018 animals
were affected in 1,166 outbreaks of which 5,993 died as compared with 5,584
deaths reported during the previous year. 641 outbreaks were attended. The
disease was confirmed microscopically in 18 instances.
Black-quarter.—Black-quarter
affected six districts, and caused the death
of 183 cattle out of 202 attacked in 58 outbreaks. It was diagnosed microscopi-
cally in 3 instances
35 outbreaks were attended:
Anthrax.—Anthrax
occurred in 9 districts, and caused the death of 103
cattle out of 120 attacked. All outbreaks were attended. It was confirmed
microscopically.
Other contagions diseases:—Thirty-three
deaths were recorded under this
head. The cause of death is unknown.
TABLE III.
INOCULATION.
Rinderpest —The number of cattle inoculated in the province against the
different contagious diseases, is 108,950 as compared with 118,788 in the previ-
ous year and 98,144 in 1915-16. Of this number, 85,709 represents the work
of the Departmental staff, and 23,241 the results of the Ranchi inoculating staff.
Inoculations were carried out only with the greatest difficulty in Cuttack,
Sambalpur, Gaya and Monghyr. Considerable opposition was also met with in
Ranchi.
The number of animals protected against rinderpest by the " Serum alone''
method amounts to 64,297 in 536 outbreaks against 75,405 in 636 outbreaks
during the previous year.
Of the above total, 52,580 cattle were inoculated by the departmental staff
and 11,717 by the Ranchi inoculators.
The cause of the decrease in number of inoculations has been explained
in a previous paragraph.
The number of deaths among protected cattle was 302, as compared with
288 in 1916-17. In one instance in Motihari, the death rate was high owing
to the carelessness of the Veterinary Assistant in not using sufficiently high
doses.