83
Burmans are also at times most careless. A case in point is that lately when investigat-
ing an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, imagine my astonishment at finding any num-
ber of animals with very sore feet standing up to their knees in slush and water, when some
high ground was available. Under such circumstances, it is easy to understand that when
ninety per cent. of the cattle of a village are attacked, a great many of them suffer the loss of
their hoofs, etc., and die. Generally speaking, I am glad to say that the people are most
careful of their livestock. During the rains in certain districts of Lower Burma it is not
always an easy matter to obtain high and dry ground.
While cattle are in the hands of the owners, they usually graze on the owner's lands ; in
such cases if any disease does break out, it has little opportunity of spreading.
It is to be hoped that this year timely information may be afforded this office regard
ing outbreaks of contagious diseases : a few more details submitted with reports will be most
acceptable. In the past, through having a small staff, I have not always been able to meet all
the demands for assistance. However, I trust that in a short time I will be able to afford
help in most cases.
With few exceptions, which were brought to the notice of Deputy Commissioners con"
cerned, I have noticed that the cattle death registers have been well kept. Mr. Batlivala'
who also inspected several districts, also found this to be the case. I should feel much obliged if
Deputy Commissioners and other District Officers would kindly initial and affix the date
of their inspections of these registers. Each form has printed, on the back, a short summary
of the symptoms of rinderpest, anthrax, and foot-and-mouth disease. Veterinary assistants
are ordered to inspect these registers. I would strongly urge that some system of registration
be extended to Upper Burma as soon as it can conveniently be done ; though we are aware
that the mortality is very heavy, we have no means of arriving at even an approximate idea
of the number of animals that perish annually. For the benefit of cultivators during large
outbreaks of contagious diseases it is intended to have printed slips, giving easy directions
and simple prescriptions, the ingredients of which may be obtained almost anywhere. These
slips will be sent to every Deputy Commissioner to distribute among township officers, who
will no doubt arrange for their circulation in every village. By this means the lives of many
valuable cattle may be spared. Veterinary assistants have always been in the habit of in-
structing the cattle owners of each village they visited regarding the precautions to be taken
on the outbreak of contagious diseases. Taking the small staff of Veterinary assistants, I
think they have accomplished a good deal in the manner of suppressing disease, especially so
when it is considered, that before they can show good results, they have to obtain the con-
fidence and the good will of the cattle owners. When the Bill is passed, they will then,
of course, be in a better position to see orders carried out. In thinking over the enormous loss
of cattle in this country and of revenue to the State, I hope I may be pardoned for suggest-
ing the following : That each large district should have at least four Veterinary assistants,
the medium-sized, three, and the smaller ones two. Take the average cost of a Veterinary
assistant at about Rs. 800 per annum, and the average cost of a good pair of working oxen
at anything between Rs. 160 to Rs. 200, if each Assistant only saves the small number of fifty
head of cattle, he renders remunerative service to the cultivators and also to the State ; fur-
ther the more men about the district, the easier for them to hear about outbreaks; and culti-
vators will have the advantage of knowing that assistance is near at hand, and will no doubt
very readily avail themselves of it. Another point in favour of this plan is that the assist-
ants of a district could, in an exceedingly short time, be concentrated at the scene of any
outbreak and thus perhaps save many animals. As matters now stand, it is at times most difficult
to spare an assistant from any district. Granting one or two can be spared, much time is lost
and heavy losses incurred, before they can arrive at the place where their services are required,
446. Very little information has been obtained from the Central Provinces
and Berar on the subject of cattle-disease investigation and prevention.
447. Veterinary Lieutenant Maxwell having only joined Baluchistan in
February 1894, but little information has been obtained.
Out breaks
during the year.
448. From Table L, page lxxv, it will be seen that the only Provinces
which have afforded any information under this head are the North-Western
Provinces and Oudh, Central Provinces and Berar, Bombay and Burma. No
such information was obtained from the South Punjab, North Punjab, Balu-
chistan and Derajat, Rajputana, Bengal and Madras.
449. The North-Western Provinces and Oudh report only deals with three
diseases, viz , rinderpest, anthrax, and foot-and-mouth disease. It will be seen
that the seizures are said to have amounted to 9,106 and the deaths to 2,846.
450. The Central Provinces report deals slightly with pleuro-pneumonia
in addition to the three diseases named above. The seizures are 11,434, and
the deaths amount to 7,292, from contagious diseases only. In Berar the
number of cattle affected with contagious diseases was 12,004, of which 5,434 died