8
been rendering yeomen services to the dumb cattle population. In Assam there
is a separate Section of livestock under the Agriculture Department for the
welfare of the cattle, their breeding and feeding. The Veterinary Department
has to look after the health and treatment of the animals. Though I have a
contemplation for submission of a scheme for combining the Veterinary Depart-
ment and Livestock Section into one Department under Veterinary control for
some reasons, such as shortage of technical staff, etc. I have to keep it postponed
for a deferred date. However I would expect that in near future these two
will be combined into one Department and be able to render invaluable service to
the cattle population of the Ryots.
55. The Rinderpest disease is the most fatal disease in Assam which is a
cause for the loss of thousand of cattle every year. The Goat Tissue Vaccine
which is the most preventive medicine for this disease is essentially required for
combating it. But this Department has got no Vaccine Depot of its own so that
it may produce Goat Tissue Vaccine here. This Department has to indent for
Goat Tissue Vaccine from outside the Province such as from Bengal. But on some
occasions that Province also could not supply the quantity required by us after
meeting their own demands. The Rinderpest Serum which also may be used as
a substitute for Goat Tissue Vaccine and which is indented for from Indian
Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, could not be procured according to the
need owing to dislocation of traffic at times Thus when other medicines were
not available at all the staff of this Department were supplied with M & B 693
(Veterinary) to deal with Rinderpest epidemic as this drug being powerful anti-
septic and has got action upon secondary invaders but has got no curative value
in Rinderpest. But this medicine is a costly one and only to save the emergent
situation this was used with some good result. There is no law regulating the
movement of cattle in and from disease—affected areas in Assam. The ignorant
mass of people do not co-operate much with the veterinary staff even at the time
of epidemic, as they should do for the interest of their own livestock. Though
the Veterinary aid had been subject to a great handicap the Civil Veterinary
Department, Assam, became sucessful in surmounting the difficulties and render-
ing great service to the people of the Province.
56. The mass people of the Province are understanding day by day the uti-
lity of veterinary aid which is evident from their reports demanding Veterinary
service as well as from the requisition for Veterinary Dispensaries and Hospitals
from even the remotest corner of the Province. As already mentioned, though
owing to the shortage of Veterinary staff the full aid in this respect could not
possibly be given, the Department is trying to fulfil their demands by getting more
men trained from the Veterinary Colleges throughout India, However to meet
the urgent need a batch of one hundred candidates were recruited and after giving
their training for six months in the course of Veterinary Field Assistants, viz.,
training in inoculation, vaccination, etc., they were posted throughout the
Province which would help the Department to a great extent in giving first aid to
the dumb animals of the Province.
57. Due to shortage of Veterinary graduates no new Dispensary could be
opened in the year under report. However as I have mentioned above this
Department has contemplated to send at least 25 (twenty five) students every year
for training in the Veterinary Colleges outside the Province. As soon as qualified
persons will be available it is hoped to meet the demand for veterinary aid by
establishing at least one Veterinary Hospital in every district and Subdivisional
Headquarters and many Veterinary Dispensaries in rural area.
58. The Veterinary Investigation Officer.—Rao Sahib V. R. Gopalakrishnan,
continued to investigate into the cases of Bovine Contagious Pleuro-Pneumonia in
the Province. I found from the reports and from my personal knowledge that
there is a tendency of the disease to spread from one locality to another. This is