( 3 )
most districts of the province. The number of outbreaks reported to the
veterinary assistants in which inoculations were performed amounted to 282
against 141 of the previous year.
20. Foot and mouth disease.—This disease has been reported from 24
districts but does not appear to have caused so high a mortality as in previous
years.
Hæmorrhagic septicæmia.—This malady appears to cause more deaths
than any of the other more rapidly fatal contagious diseases if one is to judge
from the reports one hears while on tour. It was specially virulent in the
districts of Nadia, Murshidabad, Khulna, Patna and Cuttack. Six thousand
deaths occurred against 3,130 deaths in the previous year.
21. Black quarter.—This is a very widespread disease and is responsible
for a much higher mortality than the returns submitted by the districts would
indicate; it has been reported (and confirned by microscopic examination)
from the districts of Hooghly, Champaran, Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga.
Owing to the similarity of some of its most prominent symptoms, it is liable to
be confounded with hæmorrhagic septicæmia and anthrax.
22. The total number of deaths is 1,517 against 737 of the previous year.
An Inspector is now making enquiries into its prevalence in the Presidency
Division.
23. Anthrax.—Anthrax was responsible for 470 deaths in 11 districts;
but of this number only 20 cases from eight districts have been confirmed by
microscopical examination. As previously stated, this disease is often confused
with Black quarter and hæmorrhagic septicæmia.
24. Other diseases.—Other contagious diseases—2,796 deaths were reported
against 1,723 in previous year. No information has accompanied the figures.
TABLE III.
25. Preventive inoculations.—Table III shows the record of preventive
inoculations for the year. Two hundred and eighty-two outbreaks were
reported from 23 districts and were attended by the veterinary assistants,
while 25,782 inoculations were performed excluding 2,276 inoculated by the staff
of the Bengal Veterinary College against 12,746 of the previous year. There
is thus an increase of 13,046 inoculations. This represents the most satisfac-
tory part of the assistants' work during the year, but it does not however
nearly represent what might be done in preventive treatment, if the co-opera-
tion of the more enlightened among the people was secured and the raiyats
were more willing to accept this method of prevention.
26. Rinderpest.—Twenty thousand eight hundred and fifty-six cattle
were immunized by the "serum alone" method in 146 outbreaks. Two
thousand two hundred and nineteen deaths occurred before inoculation while
only 61 after inoculation, or .29 per cent. Inspectors were deputed to make
the post-inoculation enquiries in a number of instances. These reports show
that the serum is a very active agent in the suppressionof outbreaks.
27. Anthrax—Sixty-nine
animals were inoculated against anthrax at
Daltongunge Jail. In this disease and Black quarter no inoculations are
performed unless the diagnosis has been first confirmed by microscopical
examination.
28. Hæmorrhagic septicæmia.—Two thousand one hundred and sixty-five
animals were inoculated against nil of the previous year. It is responsible
for a large number of deaths and special efforts will be made next year to
increase inoculations in the areas in which it appears to be most virulent.
29. As in the previous year, I regret to have to announce that in some
districts cattle-owners are still very much opposed to this method of treat-
ment. In North Bhagalpur, Gaya, Hooghly, Burdwan, Sonthal Parganas,
Muzaffarpur and Champaran the assistants met with great opposition. The
attention of the District Magistrates was drawn to the fact in each instance.
TABLE IV.
30. Table IV shows the work of the veterinary assistants in the mufas-
sal. There were at the end of the year 47 itinerant and 24 stationary assis-
tants (excluding those at Hazaribagh and Sodepur Pinjrapoles) who tour in