4
24. Black quarter.—This disease was reported from five districts and caused 104
deaths against 38 deaths in the previous year. The disease was diagnosed by Veterinary
Assistants in the districts of Noakhali, Goalpara, and Sibsagar. The cases in the
other districts were not reported promptly and no examination could be made.
25. Anthrax.—This
disease was reported from 12 districts and caused 2,312 deaths.
The diagnosis was confirmed by microscopic examination in 10 districts, the cases in
Bakarganj and the Garo Hills were not previously reported and no action could bo
taken in regard to the diagnosis. Nowgong and Sibsagar report the heaviest loss.
Returns of this disease are now submitted monthly to the American Consul
General, Calcutta.
26. Other contagious diseases—Eight thousand and thirty deaths have been
reported against 8,448 in the previous year. No information in detail is available
regarding these diseases.
PREVENTIVE INOCULATION.
27. Rinderpest.—Table
III shows the result of serum inoculation in the
Province. During the year inoculation was performed in 316 outbreaks of rinder-
pest in 36 districts and subdivisions. In these outbreaks 7,060 animals died before
inoculation was undertaken, 33,375 bovines and 96 others were inoculated. There
were 282 deaths reported amongst the inoculated. In the previous year inoculation was
undertaken in 37G outbreaks in 35 districts and subdivisions; in these outbreaks 8,096
animals died uniuoculated and 38,153 Bovines and 83 others were inoculated; there
were 339 deaths reported amongst the inoculated animals. There was thus a decrease
of 4,765 in the number of inoculations over that of the previous year. This reduction is
chiefly due to the diminished prevalence of the disease. If the supply of serum had
not been strictly limited more inoculations would have been undertaken. Opposition
to inoculation owing to religious and other prejudices is diminishing and the demand
for inoculation is increasing. During the year many applications for the services of
inoculators were received from villages where inoculation had been previously carried
out, thus proving that the value of the serum had been recognised.
28. The largest numbers of inoculations were made in the subdivisions of Silchar,
Jorhat, Golaghat, North Sylhet, and in the districts of Jalpaiguri and Mymensingh.
Last year the largest numbers were in Sylhet, Bakarganj, Jalpaiguri, Dhubri, and
Tezpur. This year no report of rinderpest was received from Bakarganj which
reported the largest number of inoculation in the previous year.
29. Anthrax.—During
the year 81 outbreaks of suspected anthrax were reported.
In 21 outbreaks the disease was definitely diagnosed by microscopic examination.
In 60 suspected outbreaks the disease proved not to be anthrax after examination.
In four outbreaks no microscopic examination was made as material was not available.
Inoculation was carried out in 25 outbreaks in 12 districts and subdivisions, in which
16 Equines and 184 bovines and two others are reported to have died unin culated.
30. In those outbreaks 553 horses, 2,763 bovines and two others were inoculated,
of which one horse and eight bovines are reported to have died subsequently from the
disease.
31. In the previous year 22 outbreaks of anthrax in 10 subdivisions were report-
ed, in which 302 horses and 3,203 bovines and 6 others were inoculated.
32. Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia.—Preventive
inoculation against hæmorrhagic
septicæmia was undertaken in three outbreaks in the district of Dacca, in which 99
bovines died before inoculation. The disease was microscopically diagnosed. One
hundred and seventy-six animals were inoculated and no further deaths were reported
on subsequent enquiry. The results were so far satisfactory that urgent requests were
made for more inoculation, which could not be complied with owing to the insufficient
supply of serum.
33. The total number of outbreaks in which inoculation was carried out during
the year was 344, in which 7,3.51 animals died before inoculation. The total number
of animals inoculated was 36,965, of which 291 subsequently died. In the previous
year inoculation was undertaken in 398 outbreaks, in which 8,285 animals died before
inoculation and 41,747 animals were inoculated, of which 342 subsequently died.
ITINERANT ASSISTANTS' WORK.
34. Table IV shows the number of animals treated and castrated by the Veteri-
nary Assistants on tour during the year. They visited 9,447 villages and treated
90,101 animals; of these 30,771 animals were treated for contagious diseases and 59,202
animals for non-contagious diseases. In the previous year 6,662 villages were visited