(3)
See table III.
20. Haemorrhagic septicaemia.—This appeared this year in a specially
virulent form and attacked 41 districts resulting in a total mortality of
3,142. Twenty-one thousand four hundred and ninty-one head of cattle
were inoculated with very satisfactory results, and it is believed that had
it not been for these measures very much more serious losses would have occurred.
21. Foot-and-mouth disease.—During the year under report these provinces
have again suffered very severely from this scourge. It has prevailed with
greater or less intensity throughout the whole area, very few districts escaping
its ravages. The reported losses from the disease were 2,854. the mortality
being chiefly confined to young stock or old, weakly and decrepit animals. Apart
from the losses by death from this disease it causes much inconvenience to
agriculturists, especially during harvest or ploughing seasons. Cattle fairs and
markets are responsible for much of the spread of the disease and the appearance
of one case in a village is often soon followed by general infection throughout
the whole of the village cattle. This is to a great extent owing to the apathy
and ignorance of villagers themselves, who cannot be induced to realize the
necessity of early treatment and segregation, etc. The veterinary assistants have
been kept very busy throughout the year, in attending and treating cases of this
disease. Where funds were available, medicines have been distributed free to
owners of affected cattle. The question of how to deal effectively with foot-and-
mouth disease is a very serious one in a country like India, owing to the large
tracts of unfenced land where cattle can wander at will and indiscriminately infect
others with whom they come in contact. In the absence of legislation prohibiting
transit of diseased animals, and movement from infected areas, which seems to
be hardly practicable in this country at present, it is a difficult problem to solve.
22. Blachquarter.—This malady appeared in 20 districts and 3,114 deaths
are reported. The most serious outbreaks occurred in Jhansi, Hamirpur and
Banda—from Jhansi district alone 1,591 animals are reported to have died. This
malady causes considerable losses amongst young stock in certain localities and
sometimes recurs periodically. In places where it has been ascertained that this
takes place, cattle were vaccinated as a preventive measure. There is good reason
to believe that much saving of stock could be effected yearly if systematic vaccina-
tion could be carried out in all those places where blackquarter appears annually,
providing this could be done before the customary time for its appearance has
arrived. This, however, would entail a very thorough survey of each district
where the disease is believed to exist; but at the present time it is impossible
owing to the insufficient staff.
23. Anthrax.—Reports of this disease were received from 30 districts with
a mortality of 1,687 animals. Owing to the nature of this malady, its sudden
onset and rapidly fatal termination, it is only in a few cases that veterinary assist-
ants are able to reach the scene of the trouble in time to be of any assistance.
It is not easily diagnosed by laymen and consequently is often confused with other
diseases. Hence, as pointed out on previous occasions, very little reliability can
be placed on these figures.
24. Other contagious diseases.—One hundred and forty-five head of cattle
are reported as having died from other contagious diseases which include
pleuropneumonia, tuberculosis, contagious abortion, etc.
25. Contagious diseases amongst other animals.—Pleuropneumonia and
rinderpest have, as usual, been responsible for many deaths amongst sheep and
goats. Rabies, canine distemper, tetanus, haemorrhagic septicaemia, fowl-cholera,
spirochetosis, surra and various parasitic ailments have accounted for many deaths
among the smaller domesticated animals.
See table III.
26. Preventive inoculation.—During the year under report, inoculations
have been carried out in 736 outbreaks of disease and 48,974 animals were treated
by this method as against 56,619 of last year.
27. The Government of India has recently decided that in future the cost
of all sera and vaccines issued from the Imperial Bacteriological Laboratory,
Muktesar, is to be borne by the Provincial Government, local bodies (including
municipalities and district boards) etc
See table IV.
28. Other diseases.— During the past year the itinerating veterinary
assistants visited 16,416 villages and treated 25,653 animals for disease other than
those already reported on. In addition to this they castrated 253 animals and