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introduction of the " serum simultaneous " method. The Financial
Commissioner thinks that the Pinjrapole Society deserves the thanks
of Government and the gratitude of the public for this beneficent service.
The problem of reducing the expense of this method has not been
solved. It should be observed that over 1,000 cattle died of rinder-
pest in the Akyab District after being inoculated against rinderpest by
the serum alone method which has been in use in Burma hitherto. It
is satisfactory however that, notwithstanding the brief duration (6 to 12
days) of the immunity given by the serum alone method, and the deaths
that have occurred after inoculation by that method, inoculation is
nevertheless reported to be not unpopular among cattle owners
generally in Burma.

5. The Financial Commissioner thinks that more attention should
be given to improving the reporting of contagious diseases, as well as
to improving the methods for controlling them. As was pointed out in
the Financial Commissioner's review of the report for 1926-27, where
Mr. Blake's comments were quoted, the inaccuracy of the cattle
mortality returns in Burma is remarkable. The Department during the
year has made some attempt to reduce the delay in the compilation of
the returns of cattle deaths recorded by village headmen. The
compilation is not done by the Veterinary Department, except the com-
pilation of Provincial totals, which is done in the office of the Head of
the Department. The Township and District figure are compiled
by Township Officers and Deputy Commissioners, and hitherto
the local veterinary officers have not seen the statistics, until they
are published with the annual report after the end of the year. The
Circle Officers of the Veterinary Department have only one clerk
each and are therefore unable at present to compile the cattle-
death statistics in their own offices. By the arrangement which
has now been made copies of the returns for each month should reach
the Veterinary Circle Officers about three months after the month to
which they relate. It was suggested in last year's review that
though the statistics of mortality are highly inaccurate the statistics
of death from contagious disease may be somewhat better than
the aggregate figures, and graphs of rinderpest mortality by districts
were prepared in the Financial Commissioner's office. Though no
satisfactory conclusions could be drawn from the graphs, Mr. Dunn is
still of opinion that the departmental officers should study the statistics
and endeavour to secure their improvement as a means indispensable
for any methodical measures to control the epizootic diseases. The
monthly district returns show incredibly large variations in the number
of deaths from snake bite. Careful examination of the statistics, if it
does not yield satisfactory information about the routes by which
infection travels and the local conditions favouring contagious diseases,
may bring to notice failures in the reporting of these diseases and the