NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
7
Report on the Civil Veterinary Department, Punjab,
for the year 1928-29 by Mr. W. Taylor, M.R.C.V.S.,
D.V.H., I.V.S., officiating Director, Civil Veteri-
nary Department, Punjab.
I.—ADMINISTRATION:
1. Mr. T. F. Quirke was incharge of the Department
until March 13th, 1929, when he proceeded on leave and I
officiated for him.
2. The year under report has been an eventful one and
is full of promise for the future. The separation of the De-
partment from the Department of Agriculture has brought
with it a needed increase in the supervising staff and the
appointment of the Director, Civil Veterinary Department,
Punjab.
As a result of the re-organisation of the Department which
took place during the year under report, the old arrangement
by which the Province was divided into 3 circles was abo-
lished. Steps are now being taken to provide a separate
Superintendent for each Revenue Division.
The process of development in the department should
be continued until such time we have a Deputy Superintendent
for each district and a veterinary dispensary for each zail
of the Province.
3. The Chief Superintendent. Director, Superinten-
dents, Assistant Superintendent and Deputy Superintendents
toured in their respective circles in connection with horse,
mule and cattle breeding, the investigation and control of
contagious diseases and inspection of Veterinary Dispen-
saries. As usual during the course of these tours, District
Officers, Members of District Boards and other prominent
zamindars were interviewed and matters relating to the
Veterinary requirements of their districts freely discussed
with them.
4. The Department is securing more and more advant-
age of the unique facilities provided by the Co-operative
Department organisation for popularising veterinary aid
amongst stock breeders of the Province. The feeling is
growing amongst our staff that there is much to be gained
by closer co-operation with the staff of the Co-operative
Department. This is being encouraged in every way possible
and the response from our Veterinary Assistants augurs
well for the progress of the work of the Department.
8
5. Again this year the Department took part in the
Demonstration train which toured the Province from Oc-
tober to April. A complete Veterinary Car was fitted up,
of which full advantage was taken to demonstrate by means
of simple interesting exhibits, the work being done for the
improvement of the live-stock of the Province.
6. Cattle breeding propaganda films lent by the Imperial
Dairy Expert were shown throughout the tour and these
were accompanied by lectures and demonstrations of the local
breeds of cattle, sheep and goats by our staff. Magic lantern
slides illustrating diseases of live-stock in conjunction with
lectures, dealing with the economic losses to stock owners
from these different diseases, were a regular feature of the
Department's propaganda work carried out at the different
centres visited.
7. The Director acted as an Examiner at the Punjab
Veterinary College, Lahore, for the L. V. P. Examination.
He attended the meeting held to consider the recommenda-
tions of the Royal Commission on Agriculture and the
Agricultural Conference which were held at Simla.
8. The Director toured in the Hariana and Dhanni
Cattle Breeding tracts to examine the progress of the work
done there. He also visited the grantee farms in the Lower
Bari Doab Canal Colony, the Government Cattle Farm,
Hissar, and many other places in the Province during the
course of the year.
II.—TREATMENT OF DISEASE.
I.—CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.
Mortality.—Table II.
9. During the year under report 29,146 deaths from
contagious diseases were reported
against 42,416 in the previous year.
In the absence of any legal powers to prohibit the movements
of animals or to enforce other effective measures against the
spread of disease, the Department's policy is to try and con-
vince zamindars as a means of self-protection of the necessity
of adopting simple precautionary measures against the in-
troduction of disease into their villages. Quite marked
progress has been made in popularising the use of the preven-
tive Sera and Vaccines by stock-owners, but no appreciable
reduction in the mortality occurring amongst villagers cattle
can be expected until lambardars, zaildars and other village
officials accept some responsibility for dealing with disease.
Without the active co-operation of the villagers themselves
in fighting disease, there can be very little real headway made.
9
Examination and collec-
tion of Pathological speci-
mens.
10. During the year 72 specimens were received from
the subordinate veterinary staff for
examination. These were, as usual,
examined in the Laboratories attached
to the offices of the Director at Lahore
and Superintendents at Rawalpindi and Ferozepore.
(a) Equines.
NOTE.—Only those outbreaks of contagious diseases amongst equines which occur
in non-selected districts of the Province are dealt with by this Department.
Glanders.—Table II.
11. Twelve cases of Glanders occurred in two districts,
viz.,—Amritsar and Gujranwala, during
the year under report against 39 cases
in three districts last year. As usual, none of these cases
were reported by their owners, but were detected by our
district staff. The Department finds very great difficulty
in applying any effective measures against the disease parti-
cularly in large Municipalities like Amritsar and Lahore where
tonga ponies are often kept under most insanitary conditions
and cases remain undetected sometimes for very long periods.
Anthrax.—Table II.
12. No case of Anthrax was reported during the year
under report. None last year.
Surra.—Table II.
13. The total number of cases confirmed by micros-
copical examination of the blood during
the year under report was 15 as com-
pared with 36 during the previous year. The highest mor-
tality took place in Ferozepore district. These were sporadic
cases which came under the notice of our ordinary district
staff.
By arrangement with the Principal, Punjab Veterinary
College, additional centres for the treatment of this disease
are being opened during the Surra season under Veterinary
Assistants specialty trained for this work. A note on the
progress of the work done in the treatment of the disease
at these centres will be found in the report of the Punjab
Veterinary College, Lahore.
As the result of recent research work done by the Director,
Imperial Institute of Veterinary Research, Muktesar, very
noted progress has been made in the Chemotheraphy of Surra
of horses and cattle, which is likely to have far reaching
results in this Province.
10
Dourine.—Table II.
14. No case of Dourine was detected during the year
under report. There had been no case
during the previous year.
Other contagious dis-
eases.—Table II.
15. No death was reported during the year under report
against 50 deaths last year.
(b) Bovines.
Rinderpest.—Table II.
16. Rinderpest appeared in all the districts of the
Province, except Ambala, Ludhiana and
Mianwali. Fourteen thousand three
hundred and fifty-nine deaths were reported against 25,708
in the previous year. This disease was particularly severe
in the districts of Karnal, Kangra and Shahpur. The whole
question of contagious diseases and their prevention was
fully thrashed out with the Members of the District Board,
Kangra, during the year.
Simple pamphlets explaining the protective measures
which need to be taken in the Kangra and other hilly tracts
against the ravages of this disease were distributed to villagers.
As explained in previous annual reports, the half-starved
cattle of the hill tracts are particularly susceptible to this
disease.
Anti-Rinderpest Inocu-
lations.—Table III.
17. Anti-Rinderpest inoculations were performed in
436 outbreaks and 92,576 cattle were
inoculated against 919 outbreaks and
192,659 inoculations in the previous
year. Ninety-one animals died after inoculation which were
probably in the incubative stage of the disease at the time of
inoculation.
18. The Department expects shortly to be in a position
to offer live stock owners facilities for the protection of their
more valuable cattle by means of the serum simultaneous
method of inoculation against Rinderpest. On account of
the comparatively great resistance of our local breeds of
cattle, the incidence of this disease Rinderpest and the
mortality caused by it are, notwithstanding adverse local
conditions, remarkably low, when one considers the almost
negligible efforts made by the stock-owners themselves to
tackle disease. The direction in which the Veterinary De-
partment can give the greatest measure of assistance to stock-
owners, in general, is by convincing them that through their
11
own efforts in carrying out quite simple protective measures,
the present incidence of disease in villages can be very con-
siderably reduced.
Under the circumstances explained therefore the
Director feels that it would be advisable to commence the
serum simultaneous method of inoculation on a scale neces-
sary for the protection of the more valuable animals only
and not as a general routine method for adoption to field
conditions in this Province.
Foot and Mouth dis-
-ase.—Table II.
19. During the year under report 1,144 animals died
from this disease as compared with
1,815 in the previous year. This
disease appeared in 22 districts of the Pro-
vince. The highest mortality took place in Rohtak district
where alone 542 animals died of this disease. The necessary
preventive measures were as usual adopted by the Subordi-
nate Veterinary Staff.
Hæmorrhagic septicæ-
mia.—Table II.
20. During the year under report, hæmorrhagic septi-
cæmia appeared in all the districts
except Simla. Eleven thousand and
twenty-six animals were reported to
have died against 11,347 in the previous year. This
disease was reponsible for heavy mortality in Sialkot
and Lahore districts. Hæmorrhagic septicæmia runs
a rapid course and causes very serious mortality amongst
cattle and particularly buffaloes unless prompt measures
are taken to protect by means of serum inoculation in
contact animals. The Department finds very great difficulty
in obtaining early information which is so essential for
successfully dealing with this disease and in addition
facilities are also wanting for increasing the mobility of our
staff.
Hæmorrhagic septicæmia is only second in importance
to Rinderpest as a menace to cattle rearing in the Province
and it is undoubtedly on the increase owing to the extension
of water-logged areas and the consequent increase in parasitic
infestation of the villagers' cattle, which condition leaves
them a prey to this disease.
Inoculations
against
Hæmorrhagic
septicæ-
mia.—Table III.
21. Preventive inoculations against hæmorrhagic septi-
cæmia were performed in 414 outbreaks
and 101,157 animals were inoculated,
as compared with 410 outbreaks and
117,217 inoculations.
12
Preventive Vaccinations
against
Hæmorrhagic
Septicæmia.—Table III.
22. Vaccinations against this disease were performed
on 297,692 animals in 1,044 villages of
27 districts against 298,676, 1,063 and
27 respectively during the previous year.
The highest number of vaccinations was performed in Jhang
district where 32,714 animals were vaccinated. The Depart-
ment is concentrating on preventive measures against this
disease, the efficiency of the vaccine being now well establish-
ed in many villages which hitherto suffered very severely.
Black Quarter.—Table
II.
23. During the year under report 553 deaths were
reported as compared with 499 deaths
during the previous year. The highest
mortality took place in the Hissar district where 108
animals were reported to have died of this disease.
Vaccinations
against
Black Quarter.—Table II.
24. Vaccinations against this disease were performed
on 28,666 animals in 131 villages of
14 districts against 36,818, 161 and 10
respectively during the previous year.
The Department is not yet in a position to pass judgment
on the efficacy or otherwise of the new preventive Black
Quarter aggression which is still on trial.
Surra.—Table II.
25. During the year under report no death was reported
from Surra against 295 deaths during
the previous year.
Other contagious dis-
eases.—Table II.
26. During the year under report 391 deaths were
reported to have taken place amongst
bovines from other contagious diseases
as compared with 269 deaths in the
previous year. These include the following diseases :—
Gillar, mange, cow-pox, liver-fluke, influenza, pleuro-
pneumonia, etc.
Parasitic diseases are becoming very important in this Pro-
vince as the result of the increase in badly drained areas
over which cattle are allowed to graze.
(c) Other animals.
Mortality.—Table II.
27. During the year under report 1,646 deaths occurred
amongst other animals of the Province
as compared with 2,358 deaths in the
previous year. The details of mortality is given below :—
Rinderpest
Foot and Mouth disease
æmorrhagic Septicæmia
Other contagious diseases
..
..
..
..
Total
..
..
..
..
..
..
. .
..
..
..
378
63
95
1,110
1,646
13
II.—OTHER DISEASES.
Treatment of diseases
in villages.—Table IV.
28. During the year under report 35,589 visits were
paid to villages by the district staff
on tour. 2,62,650 animals were treated
and 1,70,424 castrations were performed
as compared with 34,084 villages, 220,039 cases and 143,322
castrations during the previous year. These figures show
that the progress in the field work done by our staff is being
steadily maintained. The castration work is particularly
creditable.
Simple pamphlets for distribution to zamindars explain-
ing the protective measures necessary against parasitic
diseases are in the course of preparation. The Department
is fully aware of the economic loss to the Province caused
by these diseases amongst the villagers' cattle and is gradually
improving its organisation for tackling the problem. The
grazing areas to which large numbers of cattle flock each year
are those situated in low-lying areas where drainage is most
difficult to provide and where the opportunities for parasitic
infestation are particularly favourable. The presence of
these un-controlled grazing areas are of very doubtful value
in the internal economy of the Province—they offer an
inducement to many zamindars to keep an excessive head of
stock not warranted by the amount of fodder available during
the greater part of the year.
III.—VETERINARY HOSPITALS.
Number of Veterinary
hospitals.—Table V.
29. In the beginning of the year under report there
were 241 veterinary hospitals in the
Province. During the year 17 new
hospitals were started at the following
places :—
1. Narnaund
..
..
..
2. Badlada .. .. ..
3. Sambhalka ..
..
..
4. Thanesar .. .. ..
5. Daroka .. .. ..
6. Banjar .. .. ..
7. Barsar .. .. ..
8. Nirmand .. .. ..
District.
Hissar.
Karnal.
Kangra.
14
9. Lilla .. .. ..
10. Darapur .. .. ..
11. Duman .. .. ..
12. Wanbuchran .. .. ..
13. Rojhan .. .. ..
14. Kathunangal .. ..
15. Chak 312/J.B. .. ..
16. Jahanian
..
..
..
17. Jalalpur .. .. ..
District.
Jhelum.
Mianwali.
Dera Ghazi Khan.
Araritsar.
Lyallpur.
Multar.
Thus at the close of the year there were 258 veterinary
hospitals in the Province, as shown in the map at the end
of this report.
Government has also sanctioned the appointment of
the additional staff mentioned below for special breeding
tracts and low-lying areas and for the opening of 8 new dis-
pensaries during the year 1929-30 :—
Veterinary Assistant Surgeons .. ..
Veterinary Assistants, 1st grade .. ..
Veterinary Assistants, 2nd grade .. ..
Veterinary-Assistants, 3rd grade .. ..
Total ..
12
2
4
5
23
Work
of
Veterinary
hospitals.— Table V.
30. The total number of animals treated in the veteri-
nary hospitals during the year under
report was 857,951 against 792,149
during the previous year. In addition,
94,684 cases against 109,838 last year were supplied with
medicines, but were not brought to the hospitals. One
lakh sixty thousand four hundred and sixty-five castrations
were performed in these hospitals against 128,840 during
the previous year.
It is very satisfactory to note the steady increase in the
number of sick animals treated at
our veterinary
hospitals.
The scheme of outlying hospitals promises to be a.
very popular as well as economical method of extending the
usefulness of our present veterinary organisation in the vil-
lages. The net-work of hospitals provided is being
steadily expanded, the area of control of each Veterinary
15
Assistant- is, therefore gradually assuming more normal
proportions and offers greater scope for supervision.
Building of Veterinary
hospitals.
31. Many hospitals are still located in unsuitable,
temporary or hired buildings. The Dis-
trict Boards concerned are being in-
duced to provide buildings on the lines
of the approved standard plans according as funds are avail-
able.
It is hoped with the help of Government grant-in-aid
for the construction of new veterinary hospitals, that
suitable buildings will be provided at many of these places
in the course of the next few years.
Government grant-in-aid.
32. Steps have been taken to impress upon District
Boards concerned the importance of
utilizing without unnecessary delay, the
Government grant, together with their own contributions
on the construction of new rural veterinary hospitals or on
improving the existing ones.
The following is the detailed distribution of the Govern-
ment grant-in-aid during the year under report :—
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
10.
17.
Hissar .. .. ..
Rohtak .. .. ..
Karnal .. .. ..
Ambala .. .. ..
Kangra .. .. ..
Ludhiana .. .. ..
Ferozepore .. .. ..
Lahore .. .. ..
Amritsar .. .. ..
Gujranwala .. .. ..
Sheikhupura .. .. ..
Jhelum .. .. ..
Attook .. .. ..
Mianwali .. .. ..
Jhang .. .. ..
Multan .. .. ..
Dera Ghazi Khan .. .. ..
Total ..
Rs.
10,000
4,000
15,000
7,500
15,000
5,000
5,000
5,000
5,000
5,000
5,000
9,000
7,250
3,750
8,500
5,000
5,000
1,20,000
16
Simla Veterinary Dis-
pensary.
33. The receipts and expenditure of the Simla Veterinary
Dispensary during the year under report
were Rs. 12,425 and 9,227, respectively,
against Rs. 12,658 and 9,096 during the
previous year.
IV.—BREEDING OPERATIONS.
I.—BOVINES.
Stud bulls.—Table VII.
34. At the close of the year under report there were
3,130 district board stud bulls at work
in the various districts of the Province
against 2,926 last year. There were 611 additions and 407
castings during the year.
Indents for 510 Hissar bulls were sent to the Government
Cattle Farm, Hissar, out of which 323 only were available
for supply before the close of the year. The castings include
bulls which died or were cast on account of old age or being
otherwise unsuitable for further retention on the strength.
Details of the total number of bulls supplied during
the year as shown in column 3 of Table VII are given below :—
Stud bulls from Government Cattle Farm, Hissar,
supplied to districts .. .. ..
Bulls of the Hariana breed purchased by Rohtak
District Board .. .. ..
Bulls of the Hissar breed purchased by district
boards from the grantee farms .. ..
Dhanni bulls obtained by the district boards of Shah-
pur, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Attock and Mianwali ..
Montgomery bulls purchased by district boards from
the grantee farms .. .. ..
Dajil bull purchased by the district board of Dera
Ghazi Khan .. .. .. ..
Local bulls purchased by the district boards ..
Total ..
327
72
48
152
5
1
6
611
The number of stud bulls issued this year to the districts
shows very steady progress in the cattle breeding activities
of the Department. Continuity in the supply of pedigree
bulls to particular villages is regarded as essential to the
success of any live stock improvement scheme. The Depart-
ment never fails to urge on district boards the importance
of making provision in their budget for increasing the strength
of stud bulls working in their districts. Except in the dis-
tricts of the Hariana and Dhanni Cattle tracts we have not,
17
however, yet succeeded in making other district boards
adhere to any regular scheme of supply.
The advice given by the Ministry of Agriculture in
its review of the last year's work of this Department is very
opportune, it is hoped that it will have the desired effect
in improving the system of supply and distribution of stud
bulls in districts.
Hariana Cattle Breeding
Scheme.
35. The following statement shows the allotments made
and the expenditure incurred by the
district boards of Hissar, Rohtak and
Gurgaon towards the scheme in their
respective districts during the year under report:—
District.
Hissar ..
Rohtak ..
Gurgaon ..
Cash prize ..
Surrender ..
Total ..
Govern-
ment
grant.
Rs.
10,000
15,000
15,000
2,000
3,000
45,000
District
Board
contribu-
tion.
Rs.
5,000
15,000
..
..
..
20,000
Total.
Rs.
15,000
30,000
15,000
2,000
3,000
65,000
Expendi-
ture.
Rs.
10,000
29,875
6,060
2,000
..
47,035
Balance.
Rs.
(a)
5,000
125
(b)
8,940
..
..
14,065
REMARKS.
(a) Government grant of Rs. 5,000 was given conditionally (1 :1 basis) and Rs. 5,000
unconditionally. District board has approached the Government to waive the condition
of 1 : 1 on account of financial difficulties due to famine.
(b) The balance of Rs. 8,940 could not be expended for want of definite instructions
from Government.
The progress of the scheme during the year has suffered
as the result of the fodder shortage which was felt more or less
acutely throughout the whole of the Hariana tract.
The number of bulls supplied and the total number of
approved bulls now working in the three districts are as
follows :—
Name of District.
Hissar .. ..
..
Rohtak .. .. ..
Gurgaon .. .. ..
Number of bulls
obtained during the
year.
40
122
24
Total number of
bulls working in the
district.
183
376
643
18
The holding of numerous small one day village shows
at different centres in the tract is having a very good effect
and is now regarded as a most valuable method of propaganda
for popularising the scheme. The Department intends to
increase the number of these village shows as far as funds
permit and is very hopeful of their ultimate effect on cattle
breeding.
Dhanni Cattle Breeding
Scheme.
36. The following statement shows the allotments
and expenditure incurred by the dis-
trict boards of Attock, Rawalpindi,
Jhelum, Shahpur and Mianwali towards
the Dhanni Cattle Breeding Scheme in their respective dis-
tricts during the year :—
District.
Attock ..
Shahpur ..
Rawalpindi ..
Jhelum ..
Mianwali ..
Cash prizes ..
Lapse ..
Total
..
Last
year's
balance.
Rs.
1,962
2,000
2,489
750
29
..
..
7,230
Gov-
ernment
grant.
Rs.
10,000
1,000
8,000
8,000
10,000
2,000
1,000
40,000
District
Board's
contri-
bution.
RS.
5,000
1,000
4,000
4,595
0,000
..
..
20,595
Total.
Rs.
16,962
4,000
14,489
13,345
16,029
2,000
1,000
67,825
Expen-
diture.
Rs.
13,589
4,000
10,266
12,690
15,075
..
..
55,620
Balance.
Rs.
3,373
..
4,223
655
954
2,000
1,000
12,205
REMARKS.
The number of approved bulls enrolled under the scheme
in the different districts at the end of the year is as under :—
Attock District.—Eighteen District Board bulls and 41
private bulls on subsidy.
Rawalpindi District—Twenty-one District Board bulls
and 28 private bulls on subsidy.
Jhelum District—Thirty-six District Board bulls and
35 private bulls on subsidy.
Mianwali District—Twelve District Board bulls and
72 private bulls on subsidy.
Shahpur District.—Twelve District Board bulls and 4
private bulls on subsidy.