2
4. The report of the Civil Veterinary Department shows an increase
in the mortality of animals from contagious diseases during the year, the total
number of deaths reported being 15,950, as against 13,136 in the previous
year. The increase is attributed to the more accurate record of deaths kept
by the police in most districts, and partly also to an improvement in many
districts in the reporting of the outbreaks of cattle diseases. Though the
number of deaths amongst equines from the principal contagious diseases
fell again from 279 in the preceding year to 229, the number of deaths
among bovines increased from 12,847 to 15,707. The increase in the latter
case is attributed to the fact that rinderpest was, as usual, fairly prevalent
throughout the province, the districts most seriously affected being Mymen-
singh, Dacca, Rangpur, Tippera, Burdwan, Midnapore, Murshidabad and the
24-Parganas, and the mortality from this disease alone being 13,662 as
against 10.318 in the previous year. The heavy mortality is ascribed to
the late receipt or non-receipt of reports, stoppage of the supply of serum for
some time at the beginning of the year, and to the prejudice of cultivators
against inoculation. Another cause which is reported to tend to the spread
of the disease is the indiscriminate removal of the hides of the animals
which die of this disease. There were 340 outbreaks of this disease in the
area outside Calcutta and its suburbs, resulting in the death of 4,584 unino-
culated animals, while out of 37,813 animals, which were inoculated, only 221
or about 0.6 per cent. died. Similarly there were only three deaths among
1,958 animals inoculated for hœmorrhagic septicœmia.
In Calcutta and its
suburbs there were 25 outbreaks of rinderpest, to which prompt attention
was given by the staff of the Bengal Veterinary College, and inoculation was
performed in 1,198 cases, of which five only proved fatal.
It is reported that considerable prejudice against inoculation still exists
among cultivators. The Governor in Council trusts that persistent and
tactful efforts on the part of the officers of the Veterinary Department will
in the end overcome the objections which are due purely to ignorance, and
he would once again impress on the officers of the department the desirability
of utilizing every opportunity to explain and demonstrate to cultivators and
cattle-owners the benefits of inoculation and other precautions against cattle-
diseases generally when touring in the mufassal.
It is observed by the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, that
although an improvement has been noticed in many districts in reporting the
outbreaks of cattle-diseases, much still remains to be done to bring the system
into proper working order. The Governor in Council notices with regret the
Superintendent's complaint that very few reports were received from the
touring officers of the various departments, who, under the existing orders of
Government, are required to report promptly all outbreaks of cattle-diseases
coming to their notice, and that in many instances the reports were received
by the veterinary assistants after the disease had subsided. His Excellency
in Council trusts that the officers concerned will co-operate with the Superin-
tendent of the Civil Veterinary Department in this matter more whole-
heartedly in future.
5. The itinerating veterinary assistants visited 10,189 villages and
treated 53,287 animals during the year, as against 9,810 villages and 50,598
patients in the previous year. This is satisfactory. Six new veterinary
assistants were appointed during the year, bringing the total number of
such assistants employed in districts to 69, excluding four staff veterinary
assistants and six reserve veterinary assistants. The Governor in Council
notices with satisfaction that the local bodies have been realising their
responsibilities in the matter of employing additional veterinary assistants,
and that applications were made by them for more men than the department
could supply during the year. His Excellency in Council trusts that the
requirements of the local bodies will be fully met as soon as qualified
graduates from the Bengal Veterinary College are available.
6. In Calcutta and its neighbourhood all the stables lying in the area
under the Glanders and Farcy Act were regularly inspected during the year
and the disease was detected in six stables, as against nine in the previous
year. Three stables were also found infected with Surra. In the mufassal,
205 deaths were reported as against 194 in the preceding year. One hundred