3
Altogether, 20,972 deaths are reported to have occurred out of 53,738
animals attacked, in 1,959 outbreaks. Veterinary Assistants attended 1,423
outbreaks against 675 and 914 respectively, in the years 1917-18, and 1918-17.
The rise in the attendance is satisfactory when the difficulties under which the
staff worked are taken into consideration.
Foot and Mouth disease.—Foot and mouth disease was milder and less
prevalent than for many previous years—990 outbreaks were reported, and in
these 331 animals died out of 30,125 attacked. 497 outbreaks were attended by
the Veterinary Assistants.
Hæmorrhagic
Septicæmia.—Hæmorrhagic
Septicæmia was prevalent in
all Districts except Puri, but the reported mortality is less than in the year
19I7-1S. Bhagalpur shows the highest number of deaths, viz., 345. 779 Out-
breaks were brought to notice, of which 476 were attended. The total number
of deaths was 4,040 out of 4,219 animals attacked, as compared with 5,993
deaths, and 7,018 affected during the previous year.
Black-Quarter.—Black-quarter
occurred in six districts, and affected 76
animals, out of which 72 died. Oat of 21 outbreaks 17 were attended. The
disease broke out among the cattle of the Bettiah farm, and caused the death of
5 calves. It was confirmed microscopically.
Anthrax.—Anthrax
was responsible for the death of 114 animals out of
181 attacked in 15 outbreaks. 14 outbreaks were attended while the disease was
confirmed microscopically in 7 outbreaks.
Other contagious diseases.—Mortality
under this head is one hundred and
ten, but, details as to the cause of death are not available.
Contagious disease among other animals.—This year an attempt was made
to get some estimate of the number of deaths among dogs, and other animals,
from rabies. As the figures are not satisfactory and require verification, they
will be included in next year's returns,
TABLE III.
INOCULATION.
93,182 cattle were immunized against all contagious diseases as com-
pared with 108,950 in the year 1917-18, the staff being responsible for
65,523; the remainder, 12,659, represents the work of the Ranchi Inocu-
lators
During the previous year, the number immunized by these two
agencies were 85,709 and 23,241 respectively. Considerable difficulty is still
being experienced in getting the people to take up this means of checking
disease. In Ranchi, it is very difficult to carry out inoculations, and the
same may be said of the districts mentioned in last year's report. The fact
that District Officers are now so taken up with their other duties as scarcely to
be able to give even occasional personal attention to this work, makes the
carrying out of this important duty of the Veterinary Assistants, a very
difficult problem. The work will have to depend in the future entirely on
the staff, and until this is increased all round, but especially in its superintending
officers, very little can be done to combat preventible diseases.
Rinderpest.—Inoculations
against Rinderpest were done in all Districts
except Shahabad and Muzaffarpur ; the total number of cattle immunize 1 by
the "serum alone" method, amounting to 69,835, out of which number
65,251 were the result of the Inspectors' and Assistants'work in 640 outbreaks ;
and 4,584, by the Inoculators, as compared with 52,580 and 11,717 respectively
in the year 1917-18. This shows a total increase of 5,538 inoculations but
a decrease of 7,133 in the case of the Inoculators. The largest number, viz.,
22,680 head of cattle were inoculated in Gaya in 225 outbreaks. The number
of deaths among the inoculated was 167 against 302 of the previous year. No
complaint was received regarding the efficacy of the serum.
During the year, an experiment, by the " simultaneous method " of inocu-
lation against Rinderpest, was carried out on the herd of cross bred Ayrshire-
Montgomery cattle at Pusa, under the supervision of Mr. Shilston, the 2nd
Imperial Bacteriologist. Altogether 170 animals were inoculated, and the
results were entirely satisfactory.