4

                                            (ii) Itinerating.

19. There were 43 permanent touring assistants' billets in existence during the
year, but that of the Touring Veterinary Assistant, Nugur, was vacant after the
death of the assistant in charge on 18th November 1918. The following table shows
a comparison between the main work performed by the whole touring staff of this
department for the year under report and the year previous to it:—

The details for each district will be found in Tables III and IV.

20.  The following touring assistants did a good year's work:—K. S.
Bhuvarahachari, M. T. Krishnaswami Ayyangar, P. A. Vydyanatha Ayyar,
P. Venkatagovindan, M. Venkatasubbarayudu, K. A. Ramaswami Ayyar, V.
Venkataraman, C. N. Subbaraman, G. Avoodanayagam, S. Krishnamurthi,
A. S. Mahadeva Ayyar, S. Ramanathan, L. Adinarayanasarma, T. S.Venkatesa Ayyar,
T. A. Viswanatha Ayyar, M. R Subramanya Sastri, J. E. D. Sigamony, D. Kamiah
and K. S. Veerabahu.

                        III.—CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.

21.   From Table XV it will be observed that there was a considerable decrease
in the number of deaths reported by village officers from anthrax, haemorrhagic
septicaemia and black quarter amongst cattle during the past year, but the continued
increase in the number of deaths from rinderpest more than compensated for this,
with the result that the total mortality, viz., 76,114, exceeds that of the previous
year by over six thousand.

22.  The details for each district, both for horses and cattle, are given in
Table II. It will be observed that eighteen deaths among horses from surra are
reported but little reliance can be placed on these returns of mortality amongst
horses, as they usually relate to municipalities and other large towns. As Collectors
on the whole supported the proposal, Government have been asked to make munici-
palities responsible for reporting to this department the occurrence of a contagious
disease within their borders, by adding a by-law to the Municipalities' Act under
which it will be incumbent on owners to report cases of certain scheduled diseases to
the municipal authority concerned. Several of the larger municipalities in this
Presidency now employ a whole-time veterinary graduate as meat inspector and it
would be a natural step to extend this officer's duties to include those connected with
cases of contagious disease occurring amongst animals in the municipality, and the
disposal of their carcases. If this were done it would be a great advance on the
present system, under which the village munsif concerned is required to discover and
report the deaths which occur from a contagious disease. This is difficult enough
for him in a large village: it is almost impossible in a municipality.

23.   Rinderpest.—The reported mortality from this disease rose to 44,164 animals
compared with 30,733 in the previous year. The disease continued to be severe in
much the same part of the Presidency as in the previous year, i.e., the districts most
affected were North and South Arcot, Chingleput, Tanjore, Madura, Tinnevelly and
Anantapur.

During the year, 1,904 reports of this disease were received and of these 1,564
were attended by the staff. Inoculation was undertaken in 834 of the outbreaks
attended and 1,26,087 animals were protected in this way, against 97,516 in the
previous year.

24.  The majority of the unattended reports occurred in South Arcot, which was
by far the most heavily infected district during the year. It reported 13,924 deaths
from rinderpest and for some time three veterinary assistants were employed against
this disease in this district alone, but even they could not do all that was required
of them.

25.   Additional veterinary assistants were also posted on rinderpest inoculation
duty to the following districts :—North Arcot, Tinnevelly, The Nilgiris, South
Kanara, Anantapur Chingleput, Tanjore and Madura. The disease was imported