10
tality from 10 or 12 per cent. to ½ to 1 per cent., and recent reports show that the
dread disease is rapidly disappearing. Similar results have been obtained in New
Zealand. Funds have been provided for the purchase of a sufficient quantity
of Blacklegoids next year and arrangements are being made for a regular fresh
supply. Steps are being taken in the Punjab and United Provinces to ascertain,
so far as possible, in what villages the disease is enzootic with a view to the young
cattle being protected against the disease. Previous experience with this form of
inoculation in India has been very favourable. The method was popular and
easy of application and I have no doubt that very great benefit will result from
the attempt now being made. The Imperial Bacteriologist has been employed
in experiments with a view to the production of a suitable vaccine and experi-
mental use in the field will probably be attempted next year. In order to be
successful, it must be a vaccine capable of conferring immunity by a single in-
oculation preferably and in the same form as Blacklegoids.
61. Other contagious diseases.—40,499 deaths from other contagious
diseases are reported from the whole of India and Burma during the year but
the nature of these is not specified. Many contagious and parasitic diseases are
known to exist amongst cattle. As was stated last year, Tubercle and Tick
plague are common enough diseases and probably widespread and cause much
loss amongst cattle and buffaloes. Trypanosomiasis is known to be very prevalent.
Pleuropneumonia also has been reported but the diagnosis has not been con-
firmed. There are in addition Vaccinia, Scabies, Ringworm, etc. Parasitic
diseases are also common enough, such as Distomatosis caused by D. angusta,
Bilharziosis, and Coccidiosis, Filariasis, and probably others. Much time must
necessarily elapse before our knowledge of the prevalence of these disorders can
improve much.
62. Contagious disease amongst other animals.—No reliable returns have
been received in regard to the prevalence of contagious disease amongst animals
other than horses and cattle. The reports show a total of 1,224 deaths in dogs,
sheep, goats, elephants and camels from 11 diseases of the most virulent type.
It is well known of course that many hundreds of camels died from Surra alone,
many tens of thousands of sheep and goats from Anthrax, Gillar, Coccidiosis,
Filariasis, Chichri ki bimari, Distomatosis and probably other diseases as well.
Rabies and distemper are both extremely prevalent in the dog. Anthrax and
Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia carry off many lakhs worth of elephants, but we
have not sufficient officers to attend to the diseases of these animals. Labor-
atories are being gradually erected for research and with whole-time Patholo-
gists at work in them we may hope to work out many of the diseases affecting
" other animals " and devise methods for limiting or suppressing some of them
when the subordinate and supervising staff is strong enough. Experiments
have already been commenced in the Punjab Veterinary College Laboratory
with the diseases of sheep, diseased specimens of which have been supplied by
the Provincial Superintendent and his staff.
Other diseases.
63. Table IV gives the number of animals treated and castrated by Veteri-
nary Assistants on tour during the year. It appears from this that the Veteri-
nary Assistants visited 43,496 villages and treated 199,333 cases. There is a
great falling off both in the number of villages visited and the number of
animals treated. The number of villages visited last year was 47,492 and the
number of cases treated 258,718, whilst the number of Veterinary Assistants
employed has risen from 318 to 368. The chief falling off is in the Punjab
where 12,804 villages were visited last year by 71 Veterinary Assistants while
this year only 8,575 villages were visited by 74 Veterinary Assistant
employed and nearly 8,000 less cases were treated. There has been a
considerable falling off in the number of cases treated in the United Provinces,
Rajputana, Bengal, Central Provinces and Burma. An increase is noticed in
Sind and Bombay.
64. The falling off is explained in the Punjab by the fact that the Veteri-
nary Assistants are required to spend more time in the larger villages and that
inoculation work entails longer halts; and the fewer number of animals
treated is accounted for by the comparative freedom of the province from foot