14
Towards the close of the year, numerous black buck in the Bir died of
the disease, the prominent symptoms of which were wasting and diarrhœa.
I was never able to obtain a fresh undammaged carcase for post-mortem
examination, but I made post mortems on 2 animals which were shot when
probably convalescent from the disease and ulcers were found in the small
intestines similar to the ulcers of rinderpest in cattle. I have little doubt that
the disease the buck were suffering from was rinderpest.
(i) Strangles—Broke out among young stock mules and donkeys in
September. The disease gave a good deal of trouble, but no deaths occurred.
(j) Surra.—There is no previous record of any cases of this disease on
this farm, or in fact in any part of the Hissar District except the Sirsa Tahsil,
One of the farm camels was found to be affected on October 2nd and a pony
mare on October 15th. Altogether 4 camels, 7 pony and 2 donkey mares
became affected.
There is little doubt that the concentration of camels in the Government
Camel Corps located at Hissar from January 1917 to December 1917, coupled
with the deluges of rain and consequent plague of biting flies, was responsible
for this outbreak. Part of the 2nd Government Camel Corps, which was sent
to Hissar in June, bore a very bad reputation for surra and the disease assumed
very serious proportion among the camels of both the 6th and 2nd corps during
August and September.
I did my best to prevent any farm animals being grazed in the vicinity
of the corps animals, but the corps was camped on the edge of the Bir close
to ground habitually much grazed by farm mares and camels, and no doubt
farm animals at times were allowed to stray there. With the small supervising
staff on this farm and a large proportion of the stock attendants being small boys
it is practically impossible to prevent such occurrences. The outbreak involved
the veterinary staff in 2 months very strenuous work in detecting cases and
checking the outbreak. The majority of the cases were treated. A paper'
describing the methods of treatment employed and the results is being written
and will be offered to the Agriculture Journal for publication.
In connection with the outbreak 1 donkey mare and 2 pony mares were
destroyed, and 1 donkey mare died while under treatment, from an overdose
of arsenic during the year.
A paper in connection with the outbreaks of black-quarter, hæmorrh¬
agic septicæmia and rinderpest and describing measures taken in dealing with
them has been accepted for publication by the Agriculture Journal.
7. Table XVI shows the changes in farm stock during the year. The
following details are of interest :—
Herd bulls.—Six were entered during the year and are very promising.
Supernumerary bulls.—The following were issued:—
To Punjab District Boards
To Java ...
To private breeders ...
206
11
2
To Municipal Committee ...
To Native States ...
To Remount Depôt ...
1
2
1
The number issued to Punjab District Boards again constitutes a record.
The abnormal rain gave a good deal of trouble in connection with the work of
preparing these animals for issue. Their line was 3 or 4 feet under water on
the 22nd of September, and was unusable for weeks. The animals had all to
be let loose and recaught. They were again flooded out on 25th October, and
in consequence were not issued in as good condition as usual.
Male produce.—Practically the whole herd had to be rounded up and
lassoed, and inoculated against rinderpest in May, against black-quarter in June
and against hæmorrhagic septicæmia in December, but in spite of so much
knocking about good grazing enabled them to maintain condition.
The following were sold:—
To private breeders
...
...
...
...
4
Cows.—Suffered severely from rinderpest, the whole herd at one time
or another having to be inoculated, but at the end of the year the herd was
in magnificent condition. 1,315 calved during the year.