Sessional_Paper_1908 — Page 584

496

Annexe N.

REPORT OF THE COLONIAL VETERINARY SURGEON,

GENERAL STATISTICS.

There is a general increase in the numbers of animals passing through the Depôts and Slaughter Houses.

The total number of cattle admitted to Kennedy Town was 55,819 against 52,594 in 1906. The number rejected as unfit for slaughter was 180 against 23 in 1905. At the Hung Hom Depôt 4,180 cattle were admitted in the Dpôr a rainst 5,952 in the previous year. The rejections amounted to 8 against 21 the previous year.

DISEASES IN DEPÔTS AND SLAUGHTER Houses.

Nothing very noteworthy occurred. The principal diseases met with were :--

Anthraz. -seven cases were met with. There was one case in July, two in August, one in September, two in October and one in November. In each case the premises to lead were thoroughly cleansed and disinfected. So far as could be ascertained there was nothing to the supposition that one case had carried on the infection to the uext.

Trypanosomiasis.--One case of this was found in a Chinese bullock.

Piroplasmosis.—This was found as the cause of death in a native bullock.

Hæmorrhagic Septicemia.-This disease appeared in the Depôts at Kennedy Town in the last third of the year and occasional cases have occurred since then. It occasione l a good deal of extra work and some loss to some of the dealers. At the present time the disease has ceased.

Foot and Mouth Disease.-During the spring there were some cases at Kennedy Town and a few fresh cases appeared occasionally during the summer. In the latter part of the year the disease entirely disappeare 1. As mentioned in for ner reports this disease is always of a very mild type in native cattle.

Rabies. In March one case of this disease was found in a dog. The dog was an imported one and had been sent to me by the owner to treat. I suspected it to be a case of Rabies and place the dog under observation. He diel showing marked symptoms of the paralytic form of the disease. The diagnosis was confirmed by experiment at the Bacterio- logical Institute. Two dogs with which the sick dog had been in contact were destroyed and there were no more cases.

BUILDINGS.

Owing to the Hung Hom Slaughter House being in the way of the Canton-Kowloon Railway alterations have become necessary. The oll Slaughter House and the Depôt are to be pulled down and to take the place of these a new Depôt and Slaughter House is being erected at Ma Tau Kok and will shortly be completed.

A new Dogs' Quarantine Station has been erected at Kennedy Town to replace the old one at Hung Hon taken over by the Canton-Kowloon Railway.

CATTLE CREMATORIUM.

The work done by the Crematorium for the year was :—

Carcases :-

Catile,

Calves,

Sheep and Goats,..

Swine,

Miscellaneous :—

Condemned Meat (less rat bait),

Tinned Preserves,

Hams,

Coal used,.....

The average cost for fuel on the same basis as last

118

22

170

272

5,740 lbs.

32 cases. 25 ...330,624 lbs.

27

year

is 38.09 cents

per

head.