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369. During the year under review the Lieutenant-Governor was pleased
to apply the Glanders and Farcy Act, with effect from 1st January 1899, to
the whole of the territories of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh. Rules
under the Act were framed and Inspectors and Veterinary Practitioners were
appointed.
370. By Notification No. 731-1-889 C. of 1900, powers were conferred on
Veterinary Practitioners to enable them to test any suspected horse with
Mallein, and as being the first Province in which this most useful measure has
been introduced, I deem it advisable to give the rules in extenso :—
"1. Any Veterinary Practitioner, during his examination of any horse under section 7 of the Act for the
purpose of ascertaining whether it is diseased, may apply the Mallein test to it; and the owner or person in
charge of the horse shall give all reasonable assistance in the operation.
"2. A Veterinary Practitioner who applies the Mallein test to a suspected horse shall arrange for its being
kept in isolation, and for due precautions being taken against contagion to men or other horses during such
period as may be necessary for the completion of the test. The owner or person in charge of the horse shall
give the Veterinary Practitioner all reasonable assistance in making these arrangements, and shall receive from
the Veterinary Practitioner written instructions as to his duties.
"3. The cost of detailing, isolating, and testing any horse shall be borne by the owner or person in charge
thereof, and may be recovered from him by the District Magistrate as a fine.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by section 14, sub-section (4), the Lieutentant-Governor and Chief
Commissioner is pleased to direct that any owner or person in charge who fails to give reasonable assistance
when required under rule 1 or rule 2 shall be punishable with imprisonment, which may extend to one month,
or with fine, which may extend to fifty rupees, or with both."
371. Similar rules for the working of the Act were also framed for the
Province of Sind, and also for the Port of Karachi. Inspectors and Veteri-
nary Practitioners were also appointed.
Bengal.
372. That glanders exists to a large extent in Calcutta has, I think, been
proved, and as the horse trade from this city is very large, I deemed it advis-
able to recommend the Bengal Government to adopt the same suppressive
measures which have been so successful in Bombay, and I am pleased to find
from a letter received from the Director of Land Records and Agriculture,
dated 2nd March, that the Government of Bengal has approved of Act XIII
of 1899 being applied to Calcutta, and has further approved of the appoint-
ment of Special Inspectors to work the provisions of the Act under carefully
framed rules. All that is now awaited is a report which has been called for
showing the staff required, its cost and its organization. I trust therefore
to see the Act in operation in this city at an early date.
373. During the year under review, the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary
Department, Bengal, has submitted a final report on the outbreak of
glanders which existed in Behar during the two previous years. He shows
that 653 horses were tested with Mallein and that 22 were suspected of
glanders, of which 10 were destroyed. In conclusion, he states :—
"Another point of interest may be found in the fact that animals that only reacted in a moderate degree
to Mallein were not destroyed at once, but subjected to a re-test later on. The second test resulted in favour
of the suspected animal in several cases. This system is the one recommended by Professor Nocard of the
Pasteur Institute, and I had no hesitation in adopting his method, as his observations were confirmed by those
which have been made by myself at various times. That the new method has been successful is shown by the
fact that glanders has not re-appeared."
Cleausing of
Horse-Boxes and
Cattle Trucks.
374. This most important subject has been definitely settled, and in a
Resolution, dated 19th December 1899, the Governor-General in Council was
pleased to direct that the following rules be adopted:—
"Rules for the cleansing of vehicles used for the conveyance of animals.
"1. The washing and cleaning of all horse-boxes will be done at carriage and wagon-examining stations.
" 2. Every horse-box, cattle truck or vehicle used for the conveyance of animals shall, on every occasion
after an animal is taken out of it and before being used, be cleaned and disinfected as follows:—
"(a) The floor of the vehicle, and all other parts thereof with which the droppings of the animal have
come in contact, shall be scraped and swept; and all dung, fodder, litter, scraping, sweepings
and other matter shall be effectually removed therefrom and forthwith burnt or well mixed
with quicklime, and be effectually removed from contact with animals.
"(b) The whole of the box area and fittings are to be thoroughly scrubbed with water by means of a
sponge or brush, and then rinsed with phenyle solution and a coating of lime-wash applied,
care being taken not to disfigure the outside of the vehicle.
"(c) The manger is to be cleaned by—
firstly, scraping, so that all clogging of dirt, dust, or nasal discharge may be removed;
secondly, scrubbing with a brush and boiling water, and rinsing with phenyle solution in the
proportion of one quart to ten gallons of water ; and