5
Five cases occurred on the Rawalpindi-Kohala tonga line and were des-
troyed. A representation to the Kashmir Darbar has been made in this con-
nection.
All the important tonga lines in the province were inspected.
Surra—table II.
4. The effect of a year of scanty rainfall is shown very mark-
edly in the surra mortality.
There were only 16
deaths reported against 171 last year. There is no doubt
that isolated deaths from surra are frequently regarded as due to natural causes
by the laymen responsible for the statistics, but that cannot be avoided. The
figures are nevertheless satisfactory so far as they go, and provide an indication
of the conditions that obtained.
Detailed instructions for the treatment of surra have now been issued
to the veterinary staff, and it is hoped that successful results may be obtained.
Bovines.
Rinderpest—table II.
5. Although no district was entirely free from rinderpest during
the year, there was a very satisfactory decrease in
the mortality. 9,317 deaths were reported against 49,154
in the previous year.
Apart from the year being a healthy one in itself, it is probable that a
large number of the most susceptible animals were killed off last year. In
dealing with epidemic disease like rinderpest it is a disadvantage that a period
of freedom produces hypersensitiveness to attack. For this and other reasons
therapeutic treatment may be only moderately successful unless combined
with hygienic and police measures. Until such can be adopted cycles of mor-
tality must be anticipated.
Preventive inoculation—
table III.
6. Preventive inoculation was carried out in 23 districts and 180
out-breaks. 32,096 inoculations were performed and
40 animals died after inoculation.
2,896 uninoculated animals died in the course of the outbreaks.
The general success of rinderpest inoculation is now accepted. It has
been definitely decided that in future owners of animals inoculated against
rinderpest must pay at the rate of three annas per head (six annas in the
Kangra and Simla districts and in Pathankot, Una, Murree and Kahuta
tahsils). The veterinary assistant who does the work has to collect the money
and credit it into the treasury. District boards may, if they wish, remit
the fees on inoculations and credit Government annually with the amount
which would have been realised had fees been imposed. So far the district
boards of Sialkot, Gurdaspur and Shahpur have decided to remit the
fees.
A great many district officers and the officers of this department were
not in favour of levying fees from owners at present, and the system will pro-
bably tend to delay the growing confidence of the people. It is quite
natural that they should not wish to pay, though they may value it more
when they do.
One of the greatest objections to the system is that in order to
deal effectually with outbreaks all contact animals should be inoculated. This
cannot be done when the respective owners are not unanimous in their desire
to pay for the serum.
Since the 1st January 1912, when the new system was brought
in, 65 outbreaks of rinderpost have been reported. In 4 only were inocu-
lations accepted on payment and only 184 animals were inoculated.
In the same period of the previous year 24,681 animals were inoculated in
149 outbreaks.
It is possible that opposition may gradually be overcome. That fees
have been paid in Kangra is a healthy sign, as heavier fees are charged and
the animals are less valuable. It is remarkable the way in which the attitude