FOR THE YEAR ENDED THE 31ST MARCH 1927.                      11

for this and last year, viz. 5.6, was exceeded in 1905-06, 1910-11, 1911-12
and 1919-20, the highest figure for the twenty years being that for
1905-06 which was 23'8 per thousand and the lowest being that recorded
for 1915-16, viz. 1.2 per thousand. Going back still further it is
recorded that in 1895-96 in the Akyab District alone 42,309 cattle died
from Rinderpest, this figure being nearly as high as the present year's
figure for the whole province.

17. Supply of Serum.—I regret to report that on several occasions short-
age of serum was again reported. It is becoming yearly more clear that
necessity of obtaining serum from such a distant source as Muktesar often
places this province in an awkward position when outbreaks of disease
occur. The Agricultural Committee of 1925 reported against the estab-
lishment of a special serum institute for Burma. The Committee, how-
ever, did not give in its report any very convincing reason why this pro-
position was turned down. I consider that it should be reopened now
and I have taken the preliminary step of making informal enquiries from
the authorities in India as to the probable cost of an institute to supply
the local demand. The necessary information has not yet been supplied,
but when it is obtained it will be possible to form an idea as to whether
the creation of a serum institute for Burma is within the bounds of possi-
bility or not. The existence of such an institution would certainly be of
the greatest value, as it is not possible to store large quantities of serum
at any one time and in any case the supply from Muktesar is not
unlimited.

18. Cattle Disease Rules.—Besides inoculation the other weapon which
is at hand for the combating of this scourge consists of the segregation
rules of the Burma Village Act. It is satisfactory to record that generally
speaking the reports of Deputy Commissioners are optimistic and state
that inoculation is becoming more and more popular, that the segrega-
tion rules are understood and the instructions properly carried out and
that the people as a whole are coming to see the benefits being derived
from these measures. Here and there, however, a jarring note is struck.
Thus the Deputy Commissioner, Myitkyina, states that there are large
unfenced grazing grounds where segregation is difficult to enforce and
that it seldom stops the outbreaks of the disease. The Deputy Commis-
sioner, Katha, reports that the segregation rules although understood are
not invariably carried out by cattle owners and that he has issued strict
orders to enforce the rules. The Deputy Commissioner, Henzada, states
that villagers are more or less still ignorant of the benefits of inoculation.
The Deputy Commissioner, Myaungmya, while reporting that the cattle
disease rules are followed in his district mentions a difficulty in the case
of villages where land is scarce and segregation camps cannot be built at
the time of infection. He also mentions that Veterinary Assistants are
not allowed to perform inoculation without the help of the Veterinary