24                REPORT ON THE VETERINARY DEPARTMENT, BURMA,

difficulties which are encountered in carrying out these duties and the
lack of power which is vested in the officers stationed at the frontier
post the work, judging by results, was carried out very efficiently.

The existing Cattle Disease Rules which were mainly devised tor
the control of Rinderpest require to be extended in order to cover all
the epidemic diseases which are present in Burma, but it is recognised
that Cattle Disease Rules without the machinery for applying them
would not bring about an increased measure of success in the control
or prevention of contagious disease. The introduction of cattle disease
from India which was reported during the year indicates the necessity
which exists for examination of all animals which arrive at the ports
by a Government Veterinary Officer.

At present the only restrictions which are capable of being applied
are contained in Agricultural Department Notification No. 3, dated the
10th February 1922, and refer only to ruminants and swine. Other
animals from any port (with the exception of British ports) are
allowed to land and to be delivered to the consignee without
Veterinary examination or quarantine. In this respect Burma occupies
an exceptional position among the countries of the world but which
from a State Veterinary point of view is fraught with grave risk.

The "Diseases of Animals Act" referred to in last year's report
which was contemplated for Burma to replace or augment the existing
rules will, it is understood, be considered by a Veterinary Committee
to be appointed this year by the Imperial Research Council for the
purpose of drafting an All India Act for the control of animal diseases.

Deputy Commissioners and Veterinary Officers refer on many
occasions on the difficulty in securing an available site for a segregation
area in many villages and to the scarcity in Lower Burma of available
ground near the villages for cattle grazing. The despatch of cattle to
common grazing grounds at some distance under the supervision of
inefficient herds is an important factor in the spread of contagious
disease and it is proposed to investigate this problem of village grazing
grounds when a sufficient staff is available.

                  SECTION V.—NON-CONTAGIOUS DISEASES-
                       WORK OF THE SUBORDINATE STAFF.

(a) Treatment of Animals.—The total number of non-contagious
diseases treated during the year by Veterinary Inspectors amounted to
92 and by Veterinary Assistants to 80,491--an average of 3 cases per
Veterinary Inspector and 414 per Veterinary Assistant. The principal
duty of the subordinate staff is to visit villages, to make enquiries from
the headmen and cattle owners regarding the presence of disease in the
village, to advise them as to the precautionary measures to be taken in
case of outbreaks, to treat ordinary ailments of cattle, and to verify the
entries in the cattle death registers maintained by the village headmen.