4

20. A comparison of the work done in the last two years by the touring staff is-
shown below:—

21.  The fall in the number of inoculations performed is mainly due to the intro-
duction of fees for the 'serum alone' method of inoculation against Rinderpest. The
drop in the number of contagious cases treated is attributed to the Presidency being
comparatively free during the year from Foot-and-mouth disease which ordinarily
provides the greatest number of cases for treatment.

22.  The names of 17 Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeons have been noted for
good work done.

                            III.—CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.

23.  The casualties reported from contagious diseases among cattle dropped from
28,178 in the year 1922-23 to 23,134, but an increase of casualties is noticed under
the heads Anthrax. Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia and Black-quarter. However on the
whole there has been a continued reduction in the number of deaths during the
past six years.

24 Rinderpest.—The number of deaths recorded under this head was 3,434
against 4,279 the previous year. The districts largely affected were, as in previous
years, Ganjām and Kistna which returned 1,829 and 650 deaths respectively.
According to table II deaths are reported in all the districts of the Presidency, but
in the III Circle which comprises Chittoor and the Ceded districts only two reports
of outbreak of this disease were received, while from all the southern districts com-
prising the IV Circle only three reports were received. All these reports were found
to be of a mild nature resulting in few deaths, and in all probability were cases of
mistaken diagnosis of Rinderpest by the village officers and recording of deaths under
a wrong head.

25.  The number of outbreak reports received was 172, of which 165 were
attended, the rest were not attended as the disease had subsided. Three thousand
two hundred and seventy-three cattle were inoculated by the serum alone method
in 35 outbreaks. The figures for the previous year were 333 reports received, 291
attended and 21,159 inoculated in 130 outbreaks.

26.  Under the serum simultaneous method, 285 head of cattle were success-
fully inoculated without a casualty. Of this number 133 animals belonged to private
individuals and the remainder to the Agricultural Department. Sixteen young
animals were used as controls for the production of the virus and for the testing of
its virulence ; of those control animals seven died. Veterinary Assistant Surgeons
C. Suryanarayanamurti and A. Castelino were placed on special duty in connexion
with these inoculations. The virus was originally obtained from Bareilly and
was conveyed by a clerk of this office.

27.   Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia.—Altogether 3,612 deaths were reported against
3,164 in the previous year. The highest mortality, viz., 638 deaths was recorded in
Ganjām district. Out of 275 reports received 233 were attended and in 80 of them
12,505 cattle were inoculated. In the preceding year 249 reports were received, 186
attended and 6,998 cattle inoculated.

28.  Anthrax.—The reported deaths were 2,890 against 2,775 in the past year.
Kistna district shows the largest number of deaths, viz., 366. The number of reports
received was 275, of which 187 were attended and 1,997 animals inoculated in the
course of 15 outbreaks as compared with 231 reports received in the previous year of
which 139 were attended and 946 inoculations done.

29.  Black-quarter.—A large number of deaths is recorded under this disease
than any other, the mortality being 4,642 against 4,343 in 1922-23. Guntur district
alone returned 815 deaths and Kurnool comes next with 787. The number of reports
received was 530 of which 401 were attended, compared with 458 reports received
and 266 attended in the preceding year. Three hundred and twenty-six calves
belonging to the Pattagar of Palayakottai were protected against this disease by