THE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



41 



Veterinary Departmental Report for 

 January, 1901m 



ABSTRACTS FROM DISTRICT REPORTS. 



Minister op Agriculture— 



I FORWARD herewith at your request 

 a rejjort on the working of the 

 Veterinary Department for the month of 

 January. 



An intimate knowledge of the work as 

 carried on by each individual Officer of 

 the Department can only be adequately 

 attained by giving a great part of one's 

 time to the supervision of the detailed 

 duties as performed by each District 

 Veterinary Surgeon and Stock Inspector. 



I append the reports as received from 

 the various Officers of the Department. 



D.V.S. Hutchinson's report is worthy 

 of notice. I fully endorse his statement 

 that the "large numbers of animals re- 

 covering from lungsickness will be a 

 great source of trouble to the Colony in 

 the near future." 



While " large numbers of cattle con- 

 tinue to be brought into the Colony from 

 the Transvaal and Orange River Colony, 

 every troop being more of less affected 

 with the disease," there can be no im- 

 mediate prospect of ridding the Northern 

 Districts of the Colony from the disease. 

 With the advent of cooler weathei- and 

 the recurrencH of more normal conditions, 

 I shall hope to report a decrease of this 

 disease in the Colony north of the 

 Tugela. 



D.V.S. Verney reports a case of the 

 disease reappearing in a herd just as the 

 term of quarantine of six weeks was ex- 

 piring. Such cases emphasise the need 

 so often expressed of imposing a longer 

 period of quaraniine upon infected herds. 



Glanders is reported from Durban, 

 Hilton Road, and Port Shepstone. Action 

 in each case has been taken, resulting in 

 the condemnation and destruction of the 

 infected animals. 



D.V.S. Cordy reports his District as 

 free from scab this month, but the flocks 

 brought into the Colony by the Military 

 Authorities are reported as all being 

 affected with the disease. Prompt action, 

 however, is taken in such cases in dipping 

 and redipping, and so endeavouring to 

 hold the disease in check. 



The numbers of cases of red water 

 occurring in animals driven from the 

 Transvaal and Orange River Colony are 

 interesting as shewing the Districts from 

 whence these cattle were drawn as still 

 free from invasion from the infectious 

 tick. 



Isolated cases of horsesickness have oc- 

 curred throughout the month, but the 

 Colony as a whole has enjoyed a remark- 

 able freedom from the disease, consider- 

 ing its ravages in the Transvaal and else- 

 where. An investigation into this disease 

 is now in progress. 



During the month, besides the many 

 routine duties of the Laboratory, a 

 bacteriological analysis and report has 

 been furnished on the water supplied to 

 the town of Newcastle. The Laboratory 

 has issued during the month 925 doses of 

 quarter-evil vaccine, 151 tubes of locust 

 fungus, 5 bottles of snake serum, 28 doses 

 mallein, ,'5 doses of tuberculin. — I have, 

 etc., 



H. Watkins-Pitchpord, 



P.V. Surgeon. 



6th March, 1901. 



NEWCASTLE— D.V.S. HUTCHINSON. 



Lungsickness. — I am sorry to have to 

 inform you that this disease still remains 

 very prevalent throughout my District 

 (with the exception of the Umsinga 

 Division), and will, I fear, continue to be 

 so, until the introduction of large herds 

 of diseased stock into the Colony is dis- 

 continued. Large numbers of cattle con- 

 tinue to be brought into the Colony from 

 the Transvaal and Orange River Colony, 

 every troop being more or less affected 

 with the disease ; then again, large 

 numbers of these animals are traded by 

 the Military in exchange for horses, thus 

 forming fresh centres of infection through- 

 out the country north of the Tugela 

 River. Private herds are gradually being 

 brought into a more healthy condition, 

 but several outbreaks are proving very 

 obstinate. This being the case in several 

 instances where the inoculations have 

 taken very severely, and yet failed to 



