3
12. Glanders.—There has been a large increase in the number of cases of glanders.
The 49 cases were all diagnosed by Veterinary Assistants and were reported from nine
districts. Two of these were suspected cases, which were tested with mallein and
reacted. The reacting animals were destroyed.
13. Anthrax.—The number of deaths from this disease also shows an increase. It
was reported from eight districts and caused fifty deaths. The outbreaks at Dacca,
Sylhet and Sibsagar were confirmed by microscopical examination of material which
was sent to my office.
14. Surra.—This disease so far has been confined to six districts. The largest
outbreak was amongst the tonga ponies on the Gauhati-Shillong road, where there
were 47 cases. The majority of these cases were diagnosed by microscopical exami-
nation. The total mortality reported this year is ninety-eight. In the previous year
no cases were positively diagnosed. This disease is included in the Glanders and
Farcy Act, and all horses found infected are destroyed. As long as a diseased animal
is alive, it is a source of danger to others. The disease is transferred from animal
to animal by mains of biting flies of which there are several species. A peculiar
feature of the disease is that the causal agent, Trypanosomas Evansi is found in cattle
and buffaloes, in which it is only slightly pathogenic, and very seldom fatal. This
peculiarity renders the stamping out of the disease much more difficult, as blood
sucking flies can transfer the disease from cattle to horses. The disease is carried
over from one Surra season to another through the medium of cattle. Horses do
not carry it over, as they die out. Surra in the horse is always fatal, and no success-
ful method of treatment has yet been discovered. No cases of Dourine have been
diagnosed.
BOVINES.
15. Rinderpest.—This disease is always prevalent more or less throughout the
entire province. The number of outbreaks and the mortality show a considerable
increase this year when compared with the previous year, when it was reported from
16 districts, and caused 20,873 deaths. This year it is reported from twenty-three
districts as having caused 32,823 deaths. The mortality was heaviest in Sibsagar,
Lakhimpur, Sylhet and Kamrup.
16. Foot and mouth disease.—This disease was reported from seventeen districts as
causing 9,074 deaths, and in the previous year eleven districts reported it as causing
a mortality of 10,172. The districts where there are no Veterinary Assistants report
the highest mortality. Usually the mortality from this disease is low, and it is doubt-
ful if the disease has been correctly diagnosed in all instances. Nowgong, Kamrup,
Sylhet and Sibsngar show the highest mortality.
17. Hæmorrhagic Septicæemia.—This disease was reported from ten districts as
causing 4,618 deaths. the heaviest mortality was again in Kamrup. It was reported
in the previous year from nine districts and caused 4,616 deaths, and the heaviest morta-
lity was in Kamrup.
18 Black Quarter—Was reported from four districts, the total mortality being
201. In the previous year three districts were affected and 491 deaths were reported.
The Garo Hills and Sylhet report the greatest number of cases.
19. Anthrax.— Ten districts report this disease as causing a total mortality of
2,6S2. The heæiest loss was in Sylhet and Sibsagar. In the previous year anthrax
was reported from eleven districts and caused 1,576 deaths, Sylhet and Cachar then
showed the heaviest mortality.
20. Other conagious diseases caused 11,671 deaths, but no particulars of this loss
are available. Districts where there is little or no veterinary at showed the largest
returns. Last year 38,211 deaths were reported under this head.
21. The total number of deaths this year from contagious diseases of all animals
reported from 23 districts is 62,766. Last year 17 districts reported a total mortality
under all heads of 68,748.
PART III.—PREVENTIVE INOCULATION.
22. During the year under report there were 249 outbreaks of rinderpest in 22
districts in which preventive inoculation by the serum method was undertaken. In
these outbreaks, 5,687 animals died uninoculated and 52,413 animals were inoculat-
ed. There were 387 deaths reported amongst the inoculated animals. In the previous
year, preventive inoculation was undertaken in 69 outbreaks of rinderpest in 7
districts. In these outbreaks 2,748 animals died uninoculated and 18,308 animals
were inoculated. There were 169 deaths reported amongst the inoculated animals.