4
" Treatment has been carried on by District Salútris. To be able to do any good in
this direction I would beg to be allowed to call attention to my remarks under this head in
last year's report. The instituting of Veterinary dispensaries is about the only method to
get the people to understand the advantages to be gained by adopting our remedies in
treating animals, and until every tahsil has at least one Veterinary dispensary we shall
be handicapped and make little or no progress in teaching the people the best way to treat
their sick animals."
South Punjab.—Veterinary-Lieutenant
Smith.
"Rinderpest has been reported by the Deputy Commissioners from every district
except Mooltan, Dera Ghází Khan, Amritsar and Hissár. As in previous years the greatest
number of cases was reported from the Kángra district, although the number has consider-
ably decreased this year as 1,040 to 2,193.
Whether this is to be attributed —
"(a) to the work done by the Veterinary Assistants,
" (b) to favourable climatic influences, or
"(c) to the disease having been prevalent so long in this district, many animals
having acquired a certain immunity,
I am not prepared to say.
"A serious outbreak occurred in Gurgáon and Delhi districts resulting in a high per-
centage of deaths.
"I personally investigated this outbreak which I found to have been very sudden in its
onslaught, attacking a large number of animals and many villages in a short space of time.
All the while I was much impressed, travelling as I was with the one local Veterinary
Assistant, with the little help that one could give in the way of assistance to the owners.
" Isolation was out of the question, treatment was attempted as far as practicable and
advice given.
"It is in these outbreaks that an organized Veteriuary staff is needed, so that any time
a call can be made for the temporary service of Veterinary Assistants from other districts,
the whole working under a Superintendent who could devote his whole time to the suppression
of each outbreak as it occurs."
I give also an extract from a letter written by Veterinary-Lieutenant
Smith just after he had visited the scene of the outbreak of rindepest in the
Delhi district.
"My chief object in sending you this report is to point out to you the difficulties
that arise in combating this disease.
" (a) In the first place the disease is endemic in this country, and when favour-
able circumstances arise spreads or breaks out into unusual virulence.
" (b) The Veterinary Assistant there attempts to allay the anxiety of mind of the
owners by treating the symptoms as best he can.
" (c) He is instructed to isolate and segregate the diseased from the healthy
This in a large village for one man to attempt, and no other authority
to back him up, is impossible. The owners will keep their animals when
sick in their own houses where they can the more easily feed and attend
to them.
" (d) Again although the owners are told the carcases are to be burnt or buried
with the skins on, it is much less trouble to them to allow the chamárs to
take the carcases away.
" I am informed that before long an immunising agent for inoculation will be ready
for use and, if successful, given a sufficient staff, an incalculable amount of good should
follow its use, but, until then, I hope you will see that the effects of this disease in this
country as in others are practically out of our hands."
All that is here said about the difficulty of coping with cattle disease is
very true. We can only hope that in time when the Veterinary Assistants
are better supervised, and more confidence is established from actual experience
in their treatment, the people will be ready to co-operate in all essential remedial
measures.
Appointment of a third
Superintendent, Civil Vete-
rinary Department.
7. The addition to the staff of the Civil Veterinary Department by a
third Superintendent who will devote all his time to the
cattle of the Province has at last been approved by the
Government of India (No. 570/59, dated 22nd March 1899,
from Government of India, Revenue and Agriculture Department); the scheme is
being worked out and will shortly be submitted to Government.