REVENUE
DEPARTMENT.
♦
AGRICULTURE.
♦------
CALCUTTA, THE 8TH AUGUST, 1903.
RESOLUTION—No. 2625.
READ—
The Annual Report of the Civil Veterinary Department, Bengal, and of the Bengal
Veterinary College, for the year 1902-1903.
Read also—
Letter No. 1496A., dated the 3rd July, 1903, from the Director of the Department of
Land Records and Agriculture, Bengal, submitting the above report with
his remarks.
The Annual Report of the Civil Veterinary Department, Bengal, and of
the Bengal Veterinary College accords, in length and form, with the instruc
tions which have been given on the subject.
2. Veterinary Dispensaries and Veterinary Assistants.—During
the year
under review, the work of the Department was extended to the Chota Nagpur
Division, where two new dispensaries were opened, viz., one at Ranchi and the
other at Daltonganj, the total number of dispensaries in Bengal open at the close
of the year being 20. The Lieutenant-Governor has read with pleasure the
good accounts given generally of these dispensaries. His Honour also
observes with satisfaction the very large increase which has occurred in the
number of animals treated at these institutions, the number of in-patients
received having been 903, as against 737 in the previous year, and that of out
patients 24,911, as against 8,892 in the same year. Not less remarkable
is the increase in the number of cases treated in the villages by itinerating
Veterinary Assistants, the large total of 21,439 having been reached during the
year, as against 7,346 in the year 1901-1902. Seven additional itinerant
Veterinary Assistants were appointed during the year under review, but the
demand for qualified men exceeded the supply, and the requisitions of several
districts could not be complied with. Although it is disappointing that a
sufficient number of Assistants were not available for pressing needs during the
year, it must be remembered that the Department is young, while the fact
that more Assistants are required than can be supplied is no small testimony
to the thoroughness of the training imparted at the Veterinary College.
3. Epidemic Diseases.—During
the year 57 animals were admitted into
the Belgachia Contagious Diseases Hospital, as against 33 in the year 1901-
1902 ; of these, 51, which were found to be suffering from glanders, either were
destroyed or died of the disease. Besides these cases, the Superintendent of the
Veterinary Department reports that no less than 319 animals were found to
be suffering from this malady at the Sodepore Pinjrapole, which receives
nearly all its inmates from Calcutta. As mentioned in last year's report, the
introduction of the danders and Farcy Act, XIII of 1899, into Calcutta,
owing to the heavy increase of expenditure involved, has had to be deferred
pending the revision of the Provincial contract. The figures quoted above
show that glanders is rife in Calcutta, and indicate that the introduction of the
Act is a contingency which must be provided for in the near future.
4. The number of cases of cattle-disease reported in the districts shows a
slight decrease in comparison with the figures of the previous year, but there
were severe outbreaks of rinderpest in Khulna, Backergunge and Palamau,
in each of which districts the number of cattle attacked exceeded 4,000.
Owing to the inadequacy of the staff, mention of which has been made in
paragraph 2 of the Resolution, the number of cattle immunised during the year
was smaller than in the preceding year, the total number operated upon
having been 11,472, as against 12,829 in the year 1901-1902. The Lieu
tenant-Governor again observes with satisfaction the absence of all friction