Volume 1

Report on horse surra / by Alfred Lingard.

  • Lingard, Alfred.
Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on horse surra / by Alfred Lingard. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    28/892 (page 8)
    To sum up the number of horses kept at Parel is less than one-third of that kept at Coldba ; the interior sanitary arrangements at the former are superior to those at the latter ; the record of fever cases at the former has up to November last compared most favourably with that at the latter ; the tempera- ture at the former averages 2° lower than at the latter. Notwithstanding all these facts to the credit of Parel, 10 horses have been attacked there during the recent outbreak of Surra against 4 horses attacked at Coldba stables. Feed and water■‘Supply.—(a) Feed.—The Company’s horses get from 12 lbs. to 15 lbs. grain per day according to size. The majority of the horses attacked with Surra fever were horses receiving 15 lbs. grain feed. The feed in question was composed of a mixture of 8 parts, viz., 3 parts gram, 3 parts barley, 1 part kulti (boiled), and 1 part Indian-corn. Their hay feed was 12 lbs. per diem. The hay is grown on black soil in Gujarat. Like all Indian hay it is jungle hay, not raised on drained land. The grasses we prefer and chiefly employ for hay are Mosi, Daroia, and Zinjva (known in the Deccan as “ Sheera”). From August to middle of October, in accordance with our custom for many years past, the horses received from 2 lbs. to 4 lbs. green grass daily, grown in the neighbourhood of Bombay. They also receive daily 1 lb. bran and 1^ oz. salt. (b) Water.—The water used in the stables and everywhere on our lines is all from the Municipal reservoirs at Vehar and Tulsi; Colaba stable is sup- plied with Tulsi Water, and Parel stable with Vekdr water. We had the water used at the latter stable, and at the watering stations on the line near there, analysed by the Government Analyst, Dr. Lyon. The following is his report upon it:— Statement showing the results obtained on examination of four samples of water forwarded December 18th, 1888, by the Superintendent, Parel Stables, Pom- bay Tramway Company. “ Samples labelled : — No, 1 Parel Terminus, No. 2 Parel Stable. No. 3 Byculla Bridge, N. side. No. 4 Byculla Bridge, S. side. 1 2 3 4 Grains per gallon. Total solids 7-70 8-40 6-30 4-20 Chlorine •91 •91 •84 •84 Parts per million. Free ammonia ... •04 •02 •02 •02 Albumenoid ammonia ... •19 •18 •21 •17 “ Sediments.—In all scanty, chiefly vegetable debris. A few paramonia in No, 1. “ From these results all four appear to be samples of water very similar in quality to the ordinary Vehar supply of Bombay. The Albumenoid Ammonia results are perhaps very slightly higher, indicating slightly more organic contamination. Were the case one of an outbreak of fever among human beings, I should say that it was very improbable that any connection existed between the outbreak and the water-supply.” Climatic conditions last year (1888).—The monsoon last year was an unusually light one, the aggregate rainfall being 59 inches, against an average of 75 inches. In September scarcely any rain fell, the total fall registered that month amount- ing to 3| inches only. There was no rain in October, and the temperature, which throughout the month was unusually high, touched a maximum of 93° in the shade. Early in October portions of the city were visited with a mosquito