14
124. An outbreak of the disease occurred at the vaccine depôt at Belgaum
but no details are given as to mortality, &c.
125. Other contagious diseases.—The number of deaths amongst cattle from
other contagious diseases which have been reported to this Department was
74,080; the majority being from Madras, 44,988; whilst 17,939 were from Eastern
Bengal and Assam and 8,895 from the Punjab. No satisfactory information is
forthcoming regarding the rest of the contagious diseases known to affect stock
in this country, nor of the numerous parasitic diseases from which they suffer. As.
the Department expands we may expect more work to be done in this direction.
Camel.
126. Contagious disease amongst other animals.—Mr. Leese, the Officer
investigating Camel diseases, has submitted an able and detailed report of the
work carried out on Camel diseases during the year. He was engaged from the
27th April to September at Mohand on experiments and observations in con-
nection with the rôle played by biting flies in the transmission of Surra. A
detailed report of this work has been submitted to Government. The experiments
are of considerable interest on account of the proof which has been obtained
that the Tabanus, Hæmatopota and also Stomoxys are all capable of transmit-
ting the disease mechanically. It appears certain that the importance of the
various flies as factors is not equal: the larger Tabanidæ are the commonest
and most potent factors in the spread of Surra in the camel. The Hæmatopota
are next, and the Stomoxys is only an occasional agent. This agrees with the
observations made in other countries and explains how it is that a few cases of
Surra often occur in an outbreak after the disappearance of all but the
Stomoxys.
127. Unfortunately, conditions were not suitable for the prosecution of ex-
periments to ascertain whether the trypanosoma of Surra undergoes any deve-
lopment in a particular fly. Recent observations in Africa seem to show that
there is a great probability that a Tsetse fly does act as a definitive host for T.
gambiense and T. brucei, and a trypanosome of the T. dimorphon type. There
do not, however, appear to be the same grounds for suspecting that the theory
applies to Surra; in fact the evidence so far available points in the other direc-
tion, and the only conclusion so far justifiable appears to be that biting flies
simply transmit the disease mechanically.
128. Mr. Leese found it impossible to keep the Tabanus alive. His experi-
ments with Mosquitoes appear to furnish evidence against a cycle of develop-
ment of the trypanosome in the Mosquito and he did not obtain any evidence in
support of any cycle of development in Stomoxys; there was a good deal of
evidence, on the other hand, against it.
129. Mr. Leese has worked very hard in collecting information regarding
the Surra zones in the grazing grounds, and the knowledge so far gained cannot
fail to be of the greatest possible benefit to the State.
130. Surra has been very severe in Camels this year, partly owing to the
heavy rain-fall and partly to some of the Corps having taken part in the Fron-
tier expedition and worked in fly zones during the Surra season. There is much
valuable information in Mr. Leese's report on this subject.
131. The treatment of Surra in the Camel has received attention both at the
Lahore College and by Mr. Leese. Atoxyl, Orpiment and Emetic have been
tried but the results so far obtained have been negative; and although it has,
in some cases been found possible to keep the trypanosomes out of the blood,
they have invariably returned when the treatment was discontinued. Mr.
Leese's experiments were much hampered for want of proper accommodation.
He makes the following remarks in addition to the report already submitted on
the Prophylaxis of Surra:—
"(i) That hill-camel breeding should be encouraged in the North
Punjab in the areas which were mentioned and on the lines sug-
gested in the report on Camel breeding sent to Government in Feb-
ruary 1908. This would provide Surra free remounts, suitable for