( 2 )
accurate. During a tour in Bihar it was brought to my notice long after the
disease had subsided that a severe outbreak, resembling Black quarter, had
occurred in the south of Champaran and in Muzaffarpur, but the figures for
these districts do not show that a severe epidemic had broken out and was
responsible for high mortality. Though an improvement has been noticed in
some districts in regard to the manner in which diseases are reported, much
still remains to be done before it can be called satisfactory.
11. The Inspector-General of Police has been good enough to allow a
register of diseases to be kept in each thana. It is now one of the recognized
police forms.
12. The notice of district officials and members of the Planters' and
Agricultural Associations has been drawn frequently to the necessity of report-
ing outbreaks, but very little attention has been given to the subject. I regret
to have to call attention again to the fact that members of the Agricultural
Associations take so little interest in reporting disease. The reason for this
state of affairs appears to be that the membership in most instances is composed
of pleaders or other persons whose duties rarely take them outside the civil
stations.
EQUINE.
13. Glanders.—One hundred and thirty deaths were reported from
six districts against 160 from eight districts in 1909-10. Diagnosis has
in all cases (except in clinical cases which died before the arrival of the Inspec-
tors) been confirmed by the mallein test. The most severe outbreak was in
Jessore in which 13 ponies were destroyed out of 27 tested. Of this number
two were retested and both of them reacted. They were all gharry ponies
which had been in contact with two diseased ponies brought up from Calcutta
12 months before and which died in the stables. They could not at that time
be seized as the Glanders and Farcy Act was not extended to the districts.
14. In Burdwan district a large number of the stables were inspected and
four clinical cases of the disease were met with in Baddyapur and Memari, and
destroyed, while two incontact ponies reacted on test. At Kalimpong three mules
were found glandered. They were tested by the Remount Officer who destroyed
them. An outbreak reported from Rajpur Municipality in the 24-Parganas
proved to be a false alarm, although four ponies were tested.
Rupees 449-8 were paid as compensation against Rs. 69 of the previous
year.
15. Anthrax.—Five deaths only were reported during the year.
16. Surra.—One outbreak of surra affecting two horses was reported from
Gaya in November 1910. Blood smears were sent to college by the veteri-
nary assistant for examination. The causal Trypanosome was found in them.
The presence of the disease was further con armed by inoculation of virulent
blood into dogs which became affected and subsequently died. Two goats
similarly inoculated were unaffected. Compensation amounting to Rs. 75 was
paid to the owner as he agreed to the destruction of the ponies. Experiment
with the treatment suggested by the Imperial Bacteriologist, Major Holmes,
would have been carried out, but for the animals being too old and emaciated.
17. Other diseases.—The number of deaths from " other diseases" is 426
against 220 of the previous year.
BOVINES.
18. Rinderpest.—The mortality from this disease was 11,687 against 8,869
of the previous year. Gaya, Nadia, Murshidabad, Bhagalpur, Purnea and
Manbhum appeared to be the most seriously affected districts. In Nadia and
Murshidabad no inoculations were performed, nor does it appear that the
veterinary assistant received any information from the police-stations.
In Gaya outbreaks were reported but no inoculations could be performed even
though the attention of the District Magistrate was drawn to the fact. En-
quiries are at present being made into the methods of reporting in the
Presidency Division.
19. Rinderpest was undoubtedly more prevalent this year than has been
the case since 1906, the larger number of deaths representing a much wider
distribution and greater virulence. It is apparently a recrudescence following
on the favourable conditions arising from the heavy rainall of the past year in