19
Umballa and Montgomery districts according to returns were quite free
from the disease; this, however, is very doubtful.
The disease was prevalent in 7 other districts, but I am informed the
figures given are inconsistent with facts.
Foot and mouth disease.
29. The number of deaths under this heading was small, Rohtak is
said to have escaped altogether: seeing that foot and mouth
disease is an affection generally prevalent in all the dis-
tricts of this Circle, it is strange that there should have been no record of any
case in that district during the past 12 months.
In Ferozepore 2,100,756 animals were attacked, of which nearly 3,000
died. In Amritsar the losses from it were few.
Pleuro-pneumonia.
30. The losses from pleuro-pneumonia were very few; over 138,000 were
attacked in Ferozepore, of which about 5,000 succumbed:
with the exception of Gurdáspur district, the number of
seizures are hardly worth recording. In the latter 131 deaths occurred from
the affection, no cases were reported from Rohtak, Umballa and Montgomery.
Charbon symptomatique.
31. The only reports of the disease were received from Montgomery
and Gurdáspur, and only 12 deaths are shown altogether,
these being the only districts according to return in which
the disease appeared.
Other diseases.
32. Further deaths other than contagious occurred in the Ferozepore
district to the number of 17,000. The number given in
all other districts are very small, probably due to a very
large number of cases not being reported.
Casualty.
33. During the year the loss from cattle disease was according to
returns received over 57,000 in Ferozepore district, over
3,000 and 2,000 in Amritsar and Hissár respectively, and
other districts less in number. I feel satisfied that these figures do not repre-
sent anything like the losses incurred.
Returns from Simla and Karnál districts were sent in blank, but it is
presumed that cattle disease does exist in these districts as in others.
This is the first year that Table M has been introduced, which may
account for discrepancies, but a glance at the figures will, I think, show them to
be incorrect.
In the column of totals only 115 deaths from disease are shown to have
taken place in Rohtak district, in Kángra 170, in Mooltan only 349, and Mont-
gomery 235.
Further steps certainly ought to be taken to check the frightful losses
from disease among cattle in Ferozepore district.
Treatment.
34. Treatment is carried out by the district salotri in the villages of
the different tahsíls, in most districts a supply of medi-
cines being kept at each tahsíl in charge of the Tahsíldár
as well as at the different dispensaries.
IV.—Cattle-Breeding including Cattle Fairs.
Cattle-breeding.
35. On the subject of cattle-breeding very little
more can be said on the subject that was reported last
year.
I think less of the Hissár bull than I did then, he is in the majority of
cases altogether too big and cumbersome. The Chakwál bull would, I consider,
in the majority of cases prove better suited to the average cow seen in the
districts. He is not nearly so big as the Hissár bulls, but at the same time is
more compact and shows plenty of bone; 2 or 3 of these animals are now used
for breeding purposes in the Amritsar district. As the breed of cattle in many
districts shows anything but signs of improvement, it might perhaps be as well
if the experiment of introducing a few bulls other than Hissár were tried.