2
members of Co-operative Credit Societies reported outbreaks of their own accord
and were instrumental in getting cattle inoculated. During the year 3,527
outbreaks were reported against 3,883 of 1914-15. The number attended also
shows a decline of about 13 per cent. as compared with the previous year. The
decrease is attributed by Mr. Quinlan to the wide area which the Veterinary
Assistant has to cover and to the inadequacy of the staff to cope with outbreaks
at different places at the same time.
4. Rinderpest and Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia continued to be the chief
causes of cattle mortality in the Province. The former was responsible for
about three-fourths of the total number of deaths and assumed a virulent form
in the districts of the Orissa Division, especially Puri, as well as in the districts
of Patna., Gaya, Shahabad, Monghyr, Palamau, Hazaribagh, Bhagalpur and
Champaran. The total number of deaths from the two diseases recorded in
Table II shows a decrease in comparison with last year's figures, but this,
Mr. Quinlan believes, does not represent the true state of things as a large
number of deaths remained unreported. Treatment by inoculation is still far
from popular among the cattle-owners in spite of the best efforts of the Depart-
ment in this direction, and the year under report shows a considerable decrease
in the number of inoculations performed. The total number of cattle immu-
nized during the year was 98,144 including 39,382 inoculated by the inocula-
tors in Ranchi against 130,027 of the previous year, i.e., a decrease of 31,883.
The inability of the Superintendent to tour as much as in previous years and the
absence of three experienced Inspectors on leave or deputation is largely respon-
sible for the decrease. There was also very strong local opposition in the area
affected. The Superintendent considers that he should be armed with some
power of compelling owners to have their animals inoculated. This is not
feasible but it should be considered whether some indirect pressure cannot be
applied by forbidding the movement of cattle from infected places.
The Superintendent reports that in his opinion the Ranchi inoculation
scheme does not justify its existence. He is considering, however, the number
of inoculations performed by each operator and perhaps it is rather the case
that certain operators have failed to justify their existence. It must be
admitted however that there is again a falling off in the total number of
animals immunized. I have recommended the continuance of the scheme
during the current year.
5. Two dep6ts for the supply of serum and vaccine were opened during
the year, one at Cuttack and the other at Muzaffarpur. The former proved
very useful during the outbreak in Balasore, Cuttack, Puri and Angul.
6. The total number of hospitals open for in-patients rose from 20 to 23
by the creation of the posts of Veterinary Assistants at Dumraon and Hajipur
and the opening of the hospital at Begusarai. The total number of cases
treated in the hospitals showed a slight improvement. The number of
new cases treated by Itinerant Veterinary Assistants also rose from 53,613
to 54,904.
7. As a result of the scheme initiated last year for the improvement of
breeding operations in this Province, requisitions for bulls, cows and buffaloes
increased but all of them could not be complied with. The bulls at the Govern-
ment cattle-breeding farm at Sepaya are not yet ready for distribution. An
Inspector was deputed to the Punjab to purchase buffalo bulls for the Bettiah
Estate and others. During the year two cows and one Montgomery bull were
obtained from Pusa for the Deputy Commissioner of Palamau and five heifers
from the Sabour Dairy herd were supplied to him. Two Montgomery bulls,
one to Sonbarsa Estate and the other to the Deputy Commissioner of Angul,
were supplied from the Sabour Dairy herd.
8. The Government cattle-breeding farm at Sepaya continued to do satis-
factory work. The number of the herd rose from 119 to 204 at the close of the
year. A full account of this farm will be given in the Annual Report of the
Agricultural Department.