31084
No. 2.
GOVERNOR SIR C. BRUCE to MR. CHAMBERLAIN.
..
(Received July 29, 1902.)
[Answered August 8, 1902, by No. 191, 31084; not printed.]
(No. 238.)
SIR,
Government House, Mauritius, June 28, 1902. REFERRING to my despatch, No. 192, of the 27th May last,* reporting that a fatal disease had broken out among cattle, mules, horses and other animals in this Colony, I have the honour to transmit herewith a copy of a report by the Director of the Medical and Health Department, containing information regarding the disease, and defining the measures taken by him to secure the effective carrying out of the provisions of the Cattle Plague Ordinance, No. 39, of 1881.
2. The extension of the disease and the great mortality, especially among horses and mules, made it evident that the Government had to consider two things:-
(1) The treatment of the disease; and
(2) The measures to be adopted to secure the carrying of the sugar crop, estates' provisions and merchandise generally in substitution of cart traffic by animal draught.
3. As regards the treatment of the disease, I have been in correspondence with the Governor of the Cape Colony, and have received from him some valuable papers relative to the tsetse fly disease, which, like the surrah, is due to trypanosoma. I annex a copy of my correspondence with the Government of Bombay, and copies of private telegraphic correspondence supplied to me by Mr. Amédée Hugnin, the Manager in Mauritius of the Credit Foncier Company. I understand that the slaughter of diseased animals is being largely carried out on estates.
4. The question of compulsory slaughter was discussed at a meeting of the Chamber of Agriculture, and a motion in favour of the measure was opposed by a large majority.
5. I submitted the question to my Executive Council, who pointed out the extreme difficulty of carrying out such a measure in view of the fact that vehicular traffic in the Colony is to a large extent in the hands of many hundreds of Indian carters and "carriole" drivers, whom it would require an army of inspectors to control. The "carriole" is the cheap two-wheeled cab of the Colony, drawn by a small pony.
6. After the most anxious consideration it was decided to obtain, if possible, the services of Dr. A. Edington, Director of the Bacteriological Institute of Cape Colony, to diagnose the disease, about which the local veterinary surgeons are not unanimous, and to advise as to remedies and measures necessary to combat the disease, whatever it way be proved to be.
7. In reply to a telegram I addressed to the Governor of the Cape Colony, Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson has informed me that his Government are willing to place the services of Dr. Edington at my disposal, and that he will let me know by telegram when he can start.
8. As regards the question of securing means of transport in substitution of animal draught, increased railway facilities and road transport by mechanical draught seemed an obvious, and indeed the only, expedient.
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9. I annex copies of three resolutions intended to provide such means of transport, adopted in the Council of Government at a meeting held on the 17th instant, which I submit for your approval. What I have said will, I hope, suffice, without further explanation, to justify the measures adopted.
10. In the meantime orders for locomobiles have been sent to Europe by estates proprietors, and with a view to obtain as speedily as possible means of transport for the large population of small planters, I telegraphed to the High Commissioner, Pretoria, enquiring whether the Military Authorities could sell us second-hand
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automobile wagons in good working order, suitable for carrying canes and sugar. In reply, Lord Milner informed me that he would make enquiries, and hoped to be able to send a further telegram in a few days.
11. There can be no doubt that this new source of difficulty threatens to be one of the most serious with which the Colony has had to contend, and I can scarcely doubt that you will approve the measures adopted to meet it. It is possible that the substitution of mechanical for animal draught may, in the long run, prove of substantial benefit and economy to the Colony.
12. I annex a copy of the last report I have received from Dr. Lorans on his appointment as chairman of the committee in place of Dr. Bolton, absent on sick leave, in reply to my enquiries for precise information as to the diagnosis, origin and distribution of the disease; the rate of mortality and possible remedial or prophylactic With reference to the last paragraph of the report, I have added to the committee the members of the Chamber of Agriculture referred to. I await their further report.
I have, &c.,
measures.
Enclosure 1 in No. 2.
CATTLE DISEASE.
NOTES ON OUTBREAK.
CHAS. BRUCE,
Governor.
रे
1. The first notification of a disease among bullocks was received on Wednesday,
5th March, 1902. The disease broke out on "Constance" (D.) Estate at Flacq, and was described by the notifying veterinary surgeon as anthrax."
2. The infected herd was at once isolated on its own grazing ground and the area proclaimed infected under Ordinance 39 of 1881.
3. The disinfection of the infected enclosure, litter, manure, &c., was carried out on 7th March, 1902.
4. Part of the infected herd were preventively inoculated with anti-anthrax virus, but this prophylactic not being available in sufficient quantity, this Department was asked to undertake to requisition for some. This was accordingly done as per letter No. C/828 to Honourable Acting Colonial Secretary, dated March 11, 1902.
5. On 15th March, 1902, i.e., ten days after the imposition of quarantine, one of the herd in quarantine died. A third death occurred on the 17th. This last animal was autopsied by Veterinary Surgeon Galdemar, who concluded that death was due to cachexia.
6.
Microscopical slide preparations were made by the Veterinary and examined by one of the Medical Officers of this Department. No anthrax bacilli were met with.
The organs of four other animals that died among the infected and non- infected herds were similarly examined, but no signs of anthrax were found.
7. The disease made its appearance on
Belle Vue" Estate, in the same district (Flacq) on the 26th March, 1902, where two animals were reported to have died.
Microscopical examinations for anthrax bacilli proved negative.
8. The mortality began to increase by the 27th March, on which date ten animals (bullocks) were reported to have died on Constance and La Gaiété" Estate. There were also reports of deaths having occurred on other estates in an adjoining district (Rivière du Rempart). From inquiries made, no anthrax was found.
9. We found ourselves in presence of an unusual mortality among bullocks on several estates in the northern districts, Flacq especially, but all veterinary surgeons who had come across the cases were unable to put a label on the disease. They seemed to think that it was of the nature of a gastro-enteritis, due to food.
10. With a view to ascertaining whether the distemper was of a contagious or infectious nature, we decided to have a Committee of Veterinary Surgeons appointed to inquire into the matter. (Report to Colonial Secretary No. C/1044 of 2nd April, and letter C/1080 of 4th April, also Report No. 1200 on M.P. 2868.)
11. The three northern districts, Pamplemousses, Rivière du Rempart and Flacq. were thereupon declared to be infected areas, and all movements of horned cattle therein prohibited. (Govt. Gazette No. 34 of 1902.)
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