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6. The work of the Farm in the autumn was severely handicapped by
the influenza epidemic which affected a very large proportion of the Farm staff.
It was only with the greatest difficulty that the absolutely necessary work of
feeding and grazing animals could be carried on. Work in the cultivation was
for a time at a stand-still.
The epidemic was very severe, and deaths were numerous. Many old
and valued Farm servants died ; chief among them were Jani the arm fitter,
Alah Din for many years bullock Jemadar, and Lekhia one of the cultivation
Jemadars.
7. Contagious diseases were less prevalent than usual. This was pro-
bably due to the small rainfall. Dry heat has a marked sterilising effect on the
viruses of the diseases from which we usually suffer most.
The following diseases occurred :—
(a) Black-quarter.—This was the only contagious disease from which
the Farm suffered serious loss. The disease broke out at Chaoni in the spring,
among the young male stock (which as usual had been vaccinated at the time of
weaning).
The affected herds were re-vaccinated, but for some reason unknown to
me re-vaccination did not confer the usual effective immunity. After one
month, deaths from the disease again occurred in re-vaccinated animals. The
herds were then re-vaccinated for the third time, but with no better results,
immunity again lasted for only one month.
Eventually the disease was stopped by moving the herds to other
grazing grounds (moving to fresh grazing grounds is always carried out in
case of outbreaks of this disease, but in this case movements within the area
usually reserved for male stock were ineffectual. They had eventually to be
moved to areas usually used by cows and heifers, which is difficult to arrange
for without risk of breeding occuring among the immature, and is only fallen
back on as a last resort).
Altogether 45 deaths occurred from Black-quarter during the year as
against 45 in 1917-18.
(b) Equine Contagions Abortion.—Four donkey mares and one pony
mare slipped foals as against 8 pony and 8 donkey mares last year. But
probably only in the case of one was the cause contagious.
(c) Foot and Mouth Disease.—As usually occurred in the spring and
autumn. The autumn outbreak was unusually severe and caused marked loss
of condition among the young stock generally.
A number of mature working bullocks were also severely affected, which
has not happened before in my experience of the Farm.
Deformities and other bad effects on the feet of young stock usually
due to this disease were largly prevented in this outbreak by passage of
affected animals through a foot bath which has been erected at Chaoni for
this special purpose.
Six animals died from the disease as against 19 in the previous year.
(d) Hæmorrhagic Septiæmia.—No deaths occurred from this disease
as against 71 in 1917-18.
Our freedom from this disease was no doubt due to the dry season.
(e) Navel ill.—Preventive measures as usual kept this disease under
control.
(f) Rinderpest.—This disease occurred at Sully in February. A herd
of 30 bulls, and two herds of cows with calves at heel were affected. The
affected herds were inoculated and isolated as far as possible, and fortunately
the disease did not spread to the other cows in number about 1,000 at Sully.
The disease however did spread to the working bullocks on the Sully Cultiva
tion, and inspite of serum inoculation losses were severe. Severe attacks of
Rinderpest are in my experience not common in old working bullocks, but in