292 
Supplenieni to the “ Tropical Agriculturist. 
[Oct. 1, 1897. 
Tn some outbreaks, especially in the Western 
Province, when careful measures have been taken 
by headmen, disease has not spread further than 
the village in which it broke out. 
The owners in most cases, especially in the 
Northern and North-Central Provinces, are poor 
and ignorant, and, what is worse, superstitious. 
A great many believe that disease is due to the 
displeasure of supernatural beings, and if they 
arrest the disease they will_ fall sick themselves. 
Others prefer to commit their cattle to the care of 
the gods sooner than carry out any sanitary or 
suppressive measures they do not know about or 
understand. Again, a large number of animals 
are semi-vfild, and it is next to impossible to 
administer medicines or to do anything with thern. 
These are a few of the difficulties encountered in 
dealing with outbreaks of disease. 
It is very troublesome and expensive work in 
Europe to stamp out contagious and infectious 
diseases, where fences exist, the country is open, 
with a large police forces and thoroughly organized 
Veterinary and Agricultural Departments and other 
things in favour of the w'ork. In Ceylon, from 
the wooded nature of the country (hiding wild and 
domesticated animals dead of disease), seasons, 
impure water and scanty food, want of shelter, 
religious and superstitious beliefs, and indifference, 
the work is rendered extremely difficult. The 
headmen and people must first be made to under- 
stand the why and wherefore of such strict 
measures necessarily enforced, and that it is to 
their own advantage to try and prevent disease 
amongst their cattle ; then 1 think Miey will take 
every precaution against disease. The Assistant 
Veterinary Surgeon’s work must therefore at the 
outset be 'largely coupled with instruction upon 
management and hygienic and sanitary points. 
A "reat deal rests with the headman of each 
village. If he would take precautions whenever 
a case of disease occurred, a large number of 
deaths might be prevented. As soon as a case 
comes under his notice of suspected cattle plague, 
he should at once remove it from all others and 
prevent any communication with it except by the 
person wh'o is looking after it, or even kill it 
and bury it, — the deeper the better, — or burn it. 
1 have no doubt many cases are reported as 
murrain that are not murrain at all. In many 
cases ipported the disease appears to be confined 
to" buffrloe.p black cattle escaping to a great 
extent. 
True murrain does not pick and choose its 
victims, but siireads amongst all in contact. The 
buffaloes lay about in tanks and ])ass both dung 
and urii e freely into the water. During the dry 
season, when the water becomes low, it is highly 
charged with these impurities, and from tins alone 
there are many deaths from severe diarrhoea. 
Usually in dry seasons there is also great scarciiy 
of food. The animals become weak and emaciated. 
Then when the rain comes and the young grass 
appears a great many are not able to stand the 
change, and die. It would be a good thing if some 
of the m-a.ss, &c., was diied in the sun and made 
into hay during the time when it is in plenty, and 
saved up for the cattle to eat during the dry 
season. ... . r i 
When cattle are sick they require very careful 
nursing. They lose appetite and will not eat 
unless coaxed to do so by giving small quantities 
often of different foods. They also require gruel 
or conjee of some kind until they regain their 
appetite. If they are nor, well attended to, the 
chances of recovery are minimized, and they have 
no strength left to sup)port them during conva- 
lescence. It is w’ith the greatest difficulty that 
owners can be persuaded to do this. They say 
they cannot afford it, and it is quite true. In 
some places I visited they were hardly able to get 
conjee themselves. I am quite sure that if the 
cattle vvere w’ell looked after, and given good food 
and water, there would be a great deal less disease 
reported. 
In my report for last year I suggested that 
animals imported into the Island should be pro- 
perly inspected before being allowed to land, in 
order to prevent as far as possible the introduction 
of any diseased animal or animals that have been 
• in contact with diseased ones. 
The number imported is con 
siderable. 
as the 
following figures will indicate:— 
189-5. 
1896. 
f Cattle 
11,276 .. 
. 8,983 
1 1 Horses 
I Sheep and Goats 
[Deer 
— 
832 
, 68,201 
2 
T. r ( Cattle ... 
'vn \ oUt 1 8heep and Goats 
Vankalai[^^^4 
4,764 .'. 
2,317 .. 
72 .. 
. 4,934 
. 3,684 
77 
(Cattle 
801 . 
. 1,358 
Pesalai 8heep and Goats 
8,613 . 
. 4,096 
(Horses 
18 .. 
26 
1 am now making arrangements to inspect the 
cattle daily. 
The “tick jilague,” so prevalent in Australia, has 
been noticed in horses imported into India. Most 
of the imported cattle come from India, where, as 
is well known, there are frequent outbreaks of 
“rinderpest.” The South African experience 
should be a warning to countries into which cattle 
are imported. It has been reported the outbreak 
of rinderpest tliere was due to importation of 
cattle from Aden. 
Several cases of rabies have been reported by 
the Police. On March 28th a ra bid dog bit another 
dog and a goat on the ear. The dogs were des- 
troyed. The policeman cut off the goat’s ear at 
once and it apparently suffered no ill-effects from 
the bite. On April 7th another case was reported 
from Bambalapifiya, and a woman was bitten and 
placed under native treatment. On May 25tli 
a’lother case occurred, and the ownier of the dog 
and two more dogs were bitten. Tlje dogs were 
all destroyed. Probably there are many more 
cases than are reported. I saw two horses during 
the year that had been bitten on the nose by dogs 
suffering from rabies. One died showing well- 
marked symptoms of rabies, the other suffered no 
ill-effects. 
A great many more of the unfortunate dogs seen 
about the towm should be seized and destroyed. 
In nearly every street dogs are seen lying about 
covered with mange, wdiose life must be far from 
happy. Each valuable dog should be provided 
with a small collar, wdth a number upon it corres- 
ponding to the ow'iier’s name and address regis- 
tered at the police station ; the remainder should 
te fseized and, if not soon claimed, destroyed, 
