NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
8
No. 1403, DEVELOPMENT, 25TH SEPTEMBER 1926
of the Presidency. Since the close of the year sanction
has been accorded to the opening of six new dispensaries at
Māyavarara, Venkatagiri, Proddatūr, Tiruchengode, Chica-
cole and Koilkuntla. The total number of patients treated
in all institutions increased from 96,337 to 104,059.
4. Six additions were made to the itinerating staff of the
department during the year. The number of cases of con
tagious disease treated fell from 31,616 to 16,951, non
contagious cases from 38,206 to 36,594 and castrations from
8,005 to 6,430, but there was a big rise under inoculations
from 29,269 to 174,430. The fall under the above three
heads was mainly due to the touring staff being engaged in
inoculation work consequent on a severe outbreak of rinder
pest which seriously interfered with the normal activities
of the department. A. new kind of castrator, called the
Burdizzo's castrator, was brought into use during the year
and the Government are glad to note that it is popular with
cattle owners. Some more of these instruments have been
indented for and will be brought into use soon.
5. During the year the policy of the department under
went a change At present hospitals are located at conve
nient places and touring veterinary assistant surgeons are
appointed to look after outbreaks. It was considered that
the veterinary assistants in charge of dispensaries can also
look after outbreaks of cattle disease in the taluk in which
the dispensary is situated even though this may necessitate
the closing of the dispensary for a few days now and then.
It was also thought that the propaganda work which was
being carried on by the touring staff is no longer necessary.
The Government have accordingly decided to abolish the
touring posts and redistribute them between large institu
tions and taluks without any institution. This change will
be given effect to gradually, starting with the Kistna district.
6. The figures of cattle mortality rose considerably
owing to the outbreak of rinderpest in the districts of
Kurnool, Bellary, South Kanara, Ganjām, Kistna and Guntūr.
This disease alone claimed 23,724 victims against 9,681 in
the previous year, the Kurnool district contributing 11,393.
Compulsory inoculation was enforced in the districts of
Kurnool, Bellary, Cuddapah, South Kanara and Rāmnād and
the fee of Rs. 2 levied for inoculations with serum simul
taneous method with Muktesar virus abolished with a view to
popularize this method. The total number of inoculations
performed rose from 29,269 to 174,430. The itinerating
No. 1403, DEVELOPMENT, 25TH SEPTEMBER 1926
9
staff treated 16,951 cases against 31,626. In this connexion
the Government regret to observe that a number of village
officers still fail to realize the importance of promptitude in
reporting outbreaks of disease. Now that the systematic
touring by Veterinary Assistant Surgeons has been abolished,
the responsibility for scrutinizing the work of the village
officers in this respect rests entirely on the shoulders of
revenue officials, and Government trust that they will fully
realize their responsibility in this matter and bring about an
appreciable improvement. Orders were issued during the
year that village headmen should send copies of monthly
returns of cattle mortality to village panchayats. If these
bodies take a real interest in the correct maintenance of
cattle mortality registers and the prompt reporting of out-
breaks of contagious diseases they will do a great deal of
good to the ryots.
The Government are glad to note that 45 municipalities
have so far adopted by-laws for the maintenance of cattle
mortality registers which will facilitate the work of the
department and it is hoped that others will follow.
7. The number of convictions under the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals Act, 1890, was 5,562 against 4,704 in the
previous year. The number of animals sent to veterinary
infirmaries for treatment was 697 against 930 in previous
year. As usual more than 50 per cent of the convictions
under the Act come from Trichinopoly. A tendency on the
part of the people of Trichinopoly to employ cheap and
worn out animals to draw heavy loads, and the activity of
the local branch of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals are reported to have contributed to the increase.
The Government are glad to note that all the district
boards except Salem and all the municipalities have
exempted unladen animals taken to veterinary institutions
for treatment from payment of tolls. The Government
hope that the Salem District Board also will soon follow the
example of the other local bodies.
8. At the end of the year 23 municipalities were utilizing
the services of veterinary assistant surgeons for meat
inspection. It is highly desirable that this important work
which affects the food of the people should be under expert
control. The Government, therefore, earnestly hope that the
other municipalities will not hesitate to spend a small
amount towards fees for the veterinary assistants.
B
10
No. 1403, DEVELOPMENT, 25TH SEPTEMBER 1926
9. The working of the Veterinary College and the
hospital attached to it continued to be satisfactory. The
number of students in the college in all the three classes on
31st March 1926 was 60 against 74 in the previous year.
The decrease is probably due to want of prospects of
Government employment for those who pass out of the
college and to the number of stipends in a year being
restricted to 15. The Committee for the selection of candi-
dates for admission to the college was reconstituted during
the year. Appointment of veterinary graduates to the
department has also since been entrusted to the Staff
Selection Board.
10. The receipts and expenditure of the department as
reported by the Accountant-General are as follow:—
Receipts.
College receipts ... ...
Rents of buildings ...
Other receipts
...
...
Contributions from local
bodies ... ... ...
Refunds
...
...
...
RS.
11,363
675
7,576
390
20,005
212
19,793
A.
13
5
9
0
12
0
12
P.
4
9
8
0
9
0
9
Expenditure.
Superintendence ...
Circle officers ... ...
Veterinary instruction ...
Touring expenses
Hospitals and dispen-
saries ... ... ...
RS.
32,519
50,679
1,05,603
2,88,630
1,84,564
6,61,997
A.
2
15
1
15
8
10
P.
2
0
7
4
7
8
The corresponding figures for the previous year were
Rs. 22,785-14-2 and Rs. 5,59,369-10-6, respectively. The
expenditure incurred during the year by the Public Works
Department on account of veterinary buildings amounted to
Rs. 33,513-15-1 against lis. 34,280-5-5 in 1924-25.
Though there was increase in the number of patients treated
at the College Hospital, the receipts fell from Rs. 13,958 to
lis. 12,533. The Veterinary Adviser is requested to report
the reasons for this fall.
11. The Government note with pleasure that three cattle
insurance societies were formed in Chingleput district. It
is hoped that more societies will he formed as they ought to
prove a means of improving the conditions of cattle in this
province. The Government learn with pleasure that the
Revenue officials, particularly Mr. Wells, Collector, South
Kanara, rendered valuable help to the staff of the department
in combating contagious diseases, especially rinderpest.
12. In spite of several changes during the year in the
incumbency of the posts of head of the department and the
Principal, owing to the grant of leave to some officers and
No. 1403, DEVELOPMENT, 25TH SEPTEMBER 1926
11
the deputation of Mr. Ware to Muktesar, the administration
of the department and the college continued to be satis-
factory.
(By order of the Government, Ministry of Development)
V. P. Row,
Secretary to Government.
To the Veterinary Adviser.
„ Local Self-Government Department.
„ Public Department.
„ Accountant General.
„ Board of Revenue (Land Revenue and Settlement).
„ Revenue Department.
„ Government of India, Department of Education,
Health and Lands (with C.L.).
Editors' Table.
AGENTS FOR THE SALE OF MADRAS GOVERNMENT
PUBLICATIONS.
IN INDIA.
THE BURMA BOOK CLUB (LTD.), 240-A, Merchant Street, Bongoon, Burma.
BUTTERWORTH & Co. (LTD.), 6, Hastings Street, Calcutta.
R. CAMBRAN & Co., Calcutta.
The Superintendent, DIOCESAN PRESS, Vepery, Madras.
E. M. GOPALAKRISHNA KONE, Pudumantapam, Madura.
HIGGINBOTHAMS (LTD.), Mount Road, Madras.
V. KALYANARAMA IYER & Co., Vellala Street, Vepery, Madras.
M. C. KOTHARI, Bookseller, Publisher and Newspaper Agent, Raopur Road, Baroda.
THE LAW BOOK DEPOT (LTD.), 15 and 16, Francis Joseph Street, Madras.
G. C. LOGANADHAM BROTHERS, Madras.
MADRAS Y.M.C.A. BOOKSTALL, Y.M.C.A., Esplanade, Madras, E.
THE-MODERN STORES, Salem.
S. MURTHY & Co., Madras.
G. A. NATESAN & CO., Madras.
The Superintendent, NAZAIR KANUN HIND PRESS, Allahabad.
NIVASARKAR, Manager, "Hitawada," Nagpur.
P. B. RAMA IYER & Co., Madras.
RAMAKRISHNA & SONS, Lahore.
THE SRIVILLIPUTTUR CO-OPERATIVE TRADING UNION (LTD.), Srivilliputrur.
B. SUNDER PANDURANG, Kalbadevi Road, Bombay.
D. B. TARAPOREVALA SONS & Co., Bombay.
THACKER & CO. (LTD.), Bombay.
THACKER, SPINK & Co., 3, Esplanade East, Calcutta.
THE UNIVERSAL PUBLISHING CO., Bezwada.
THE UPPER INDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE (LTD.), Lucknow.
S. VAS & Co., Madras.
IN STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
THE FEDERAL RUBBER STAMP CO., Penang.
NOTICE.
Official publications hitherto obtained from agents in the
United Kingdom and on the Continent will in future be
obtainable either direct from the office of the High Com-
missioner for India, 42, Grosvenor Gardens, London, S. W. 1.
or through any bookseller.
ANNUAL
ADMINISTRATION REPORT
OF THE
MADRAS CIVIL VETERINARY
DEPARTMENT
FOR THE YEAR
1926-27
MADRAS
PRINTED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT, GOVERNMENT PRESS
PRICE, 12 annas.]
1927
ANNUAL ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE CIVIL
VETERINARY DEPARTMENT, MADRAS PRESI-
DENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1926-27.
I.—ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF.
(a) Officers of the Indian Veterinary Service.
Throughout the year I held charge of the department as
Veterinary Adviser to Government. I spent 136 days in camp
and inspected the office of the Principal, Madras Veterinary
College, all the Circle offices, 42 veterinary institutions and
23 Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeons. In the course of
my tours I inspected the sites suggested for constructing
veterinary hospital buildings at Masulipatam, Gudivada,
Parvatipur, Polavaram, Bhadrachalam, Nandyal, Cuddapah,
Kurnool and Negapatam, also the site and buildings offered
by the Raja of Bobbili for opening a veterinary hospital
there. I re-tested 13 animals for tuberculosis and Johne's
disease at the Hosur Cattle Farm by the intradermopalpabral
method with the avian concentrated and ordinary concentra-
ted tuberculin, visited the Government Buffalo Farm at
Guntur, attended the Cattle and Pony Show held at Tiruppur
and served as the President of the Board of Examiners of
the Bombay Veterinary College.
I also gave evidence before the Royal Commission on
Agriculture at its sitting in Madras.
2. Mr. T. J. Hurley was relieved as acting Professor of
Surgery at the Madras Veterinary College on the reversion of
Mr. F. Ware as Principal of the College on the 26th Novem-
ber 1926 and held charge of the IV Circle, Madras, until the
end of the year.
(b) Officers of the Madras Veterinary Service.
3. A new VI Circle comprising the districts of Trichino-
poly, Madura, Ramnad and Tinnevelly with headquarters at
Madura was sanctioned during the year and the new office
was opened on 20th July 1926. In this vacancy M.R.Ry.
M. R. V. Panikkar Avargal was confirmed in the Madras
Veterinary Service.
2
4. The following officers were in charge of the six circles
as indicated below:—
I Circle ..
II Circle ..
III Circle ..
IV Circle ..
V Circle ..
VI Circle ..
Vizagapatam ..
Bezwada ..
Bellary ..
Madras ..
Coimbatore ..
Madura ..
M.R.Ry. M. B. V. Panikkar Avar-
gal, from 1st April 1926 to 7th
November 1926.
M.R.Ry. C. Suryanarayanamurthi,
from 8th November 1926 to the
end of the year.
M.R.Ry. B. Narasinga Rao Avar-
gal.
M.R.Ry. H. C. Sampath Ayyangar
Avargal.
Mr. A. J. Wilson, from 1st April
1926 to 17th December 1926.
Mr. T. J. Hurley, I.V.S., from 18th
December 1926 to the end of the
year.
M.R.Ry. K. Kailasam Ayyar Avar-
gal.
M.R.Ry. A. Ramachandra Ayyar
Avargal, from 20th July 1926 to
the end of the year.
II.—MADRAS VETERINARY COLLEGE.
G. Mr. F. Ware, the permanent Principal, returned from
Muktesar where he had been officiating as Director of the
Imperial Institute of Veterinary Research and assumed charge
of the college on 26th November 1926. During his absence
the post of Principal was held by Mr. P. T. Saunders from
1st April 1926 to 29th June 1926 and again from 10th Novem-
ber 1926 to 25th November 1926 and by Mr. T. J. Hurley
from 30th June 1926 to 9th November. 1926.
6. Mr. P. T. Saunders, the permanent Professor of
Surgery, was on leave from 30th June 1926 to 9th November
1926 and during this period Mr. G. T. D'Silva, Assistant
Professor and Personal Assistant to the Principal, did the
duties of Professor of Surgery and M.R.Ry. M. Ananta Nara-
yan Rao, the Senior Lecturer, the duties of Assistant Professor.
7. The number of students in the college in all the three
classes at the end of the year was 73, against 00 in the previous
year. At the annual examinations of the college, 24 students
out of 34 passed in class A, 16 out of 19 passed in class B
and 11 out of 17 passed in class C.
8. From the above it will be seen that only 11 men have
graduated from the college during the year. For the present
the sanctioned rate of development of the department allows
3
for the opening of 12 veterinary dispensaries yearly. Casual-
ties from various causes in the department during a year
now average 5, so that even at the present slow rate of
development, 6 men short of the number which will be
required for the year 1927—28 have passed from the college.
There can be no room for doubt on the cause of this, viz.,
the reduction of the number of stipends from 40 to 15 in
each class from the year 1923 in accordance with the recom-
mendations of the Retrenchment Committee. I have already
made strong recommendations to Government on this matter
with a view to again obtaining a grant of 40 stipends instead
of 15 and I am sure that it will only be when the larger
number of stipends are available, that we will get a sufficiency
of graduates from the college to meet the wants of the depart-
ment.
9. The number of pathological and bacteriological speci-
mens examined at the Madras Veterinary College has increased
from 1,878 in 1925--26 to 3,010 in the year under report.
The other items of work done by the laboratory staff are
detailed in the report of the Principal. Owing to enormous
increase in the routine work of the laboratory the present
staff is overworked and unless the staff is adequately
strengthened it will not be possible to take up work of a
research nature on material we have already at hand.
Owing to the inadequacy of the leave reserve staff it was
possible to depute only 4 Veterinary Assistant Surgeons of this
department to attend the Post-Graduate course. In addition
to those the class was attended by two officers from the
Veterinary Department of Bihar and Orissa. All the six
students presented themselves for examination at the comple-
tion of the course and passed.
III.—EXECUTIVE STAFF.
10. On the 31st March 1927 the subordinate staff consisted
of 209 Veterinary Assistant Surgeons against 200 in the
previous year and Table VII shows how the staff was distri-
buted. During the year 14 new graduates were appointed,
two Veterinary Assistant Surgeons, viz., P. K. Achuta Menon
and V. Duraiswami Ayyah died, two resigned and one was
discharged.
(a) Hospitals and Dispensaries.
11. Six new dispensaries were opened at Chicacole,
Proddatur, Koilkuntla, Venkatagiri, Tiruchengode and
Mayavaram and these brought the number of Government
veterinary institutions at the close of the year up to 82,
4
12. The total number of in and out-patients treated at
institutions throughout the Presidency was 112,349 against
104,059 cases during the previous year. In addition, 3,424
animals were castrated. 1,404 of these were done by the
Burdizzo method; the total figures show an improvement over
the previous year by 321 and those done by the Burdizzo
method by 768. The number of cases which were supplied
with medicine without the patients being brought to hospital
fell from 5,998 in 1925-26 to 4,923 in 1926-27. It is hoped
that this method of treatment will gradually disappear
altogether.
13. The system of closing dispensaries in order that the
Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in charge may attend outbreaks
of contagious disease has worked detrimentally on the number
of patients treated in 14 institutions.
14. The dispensaries at Srivilliputtur and Yellamanchili
which wore opened in 1915 and 1923 respectively were not
able to show satisfactory work and they were transferred
during the year to Rajapalaiyam and Anakapalle.
In both
cases, the move of the institutions promises well.
In Hospet the dispensary was located in a building
belonging to the Forest Department and which was too much
at one end of the town. At the suggestion of the late Minister
of Development, the dispensary was moved to a rented build-
ing in a more central position. I doubt, however, the likeli-
hood of the dispensary doing satisfactory work in Hospet and
I anticipate its removal elsewhere.
At Adoni the dispensary was moved into newly con-
structed buildings and it has now become a hospital with
accommodation for in-patients.
Government have accepted the very generous offer of the
Raja of Bobbili to supply the requisite buildings for a
veterinary hospital to be opened at Bobbili and an annual
contribution of Rs. 660 towards its maintenance.
15. The acquisition of the rented dispensary buildings at
Puttur and Pollachi and the construction of permanent hospi-
tal buildings for the dispensaries at Nandyal, Kumbakonam
and Parvatipur have been sanctioned.
(b) Itinerating.
16. The number of touring posts were increased from 82
to 88 during the year by the creation of six new posts with
headquarters at Amalapuram, Dhone, Mangalore, Calicut,
Tanjore and Ramnad.
5
17. As the result of a change of policy in the work of
the touring staff, 34 Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeons
have been attached to the veterinary institutions at their
headquarters. Each of these Touring Veterinary Assistant
Surgeons is responsible for attending outbreaks of contagious
diseases in specified taluks and in the absence of outbreak
reports to assist the Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in charge
of the dispensary or hospital to which they are attached.
The remaining 54 Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeons are
required to run camp dispensaries in important centres of
specified taluks for periods of about ten days at each place.
18. A comparative statement of the work done by the
touring staff in the last two years is given below :—
Year.
1926-26
..
..
..
1926-27.. .. ..
Inocula-
tions.
174,430
229,924
Contagious
cases
treated.
16,951
11,920
Non-conta-
gious cases
treated.
36,094
27,121
Castrations.
6,430
4,866
The fall under all the heads except under inoculations
was mainly due to the abolition of systematic touring and to
the fact that 34 Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeons are
required to attend only outbreaks of contagious diseases.
The severity of rinderpest, hæmorrhagic septicæmia and
black-quarter and the insufficiency of the leave reserve staff
may be said to supply the other reasons for the decrease of
work performed in certain directions.
19. I would like to take this opportunity however to bring
to the notice of Government the understaffed condition of this
department in its compliment of inspection officers.
There are 209 subordinate officers distributed over the
Presidency and in charge of 82 veterinary institutions. For the
supervision of the work of this staff and the institutions there
are only six Circle officers and the Veterinary Adviser to
Government. Touring for nearly the whole of the month it
is impossible for a Circle officer to see and inspect his
Veterinary Assistant Surgeons even twice in a year, and once
a Veterinary Assistant Surgeon sees the back of a Circle
officer he knows that he will not be disturbed again for at the
very least six months. It is therefore only the very best and
most conscientious of the men who can resist the opportunity
of a " go as you please " method of working until the time
begins to approach months hence, when there will be a possi-
bility of the Circle officer again coming on his round of
6
inspection. For the last two years the ordinary work of the
department has been increased by a very severe and wide-
spread outbreak of rinderpest. With the total abolition of
the Inspectors in the department, the work of combating
this outbreak in many places has had to be largely in the
hands of the ordinary Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeon
with no senior inspecting officer to guide or help him in the
currying out of his work.
Government have been addressed on the necessity of
a personal assistant to each of the Circle officers, but I am
not satisfied that that addition will supply the proper super-
vision required in the department, and I am quite prepared
to predict that Government will find it necessary to again
create the appointment of Inspectors in the department or as
an alternative to considerably increase the number of circles.
IV.—CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.
20. The Government have accepted my proposal to
include in Table II the statistics of cattle mortality relating to
zamindari villages except those in the Agency tracts where
the Manual of Village Accounts has not been introduced.
Two mortality statements are appended, one in which the
mortality relating to zamindari villages is included and the
other in which it is excluded. The latter statement is taken
into account for purposes of comparison with the previous
years' figures as these do not comprise the statistics of
zamindari tracts.
21. There has been a small increase in the mortality of
cattle from contagious diseases during the year, the total
number of deaths reported being 40,371 against 45,147 in
the previous year. The mortality from black-quarter was
unusually high.
22. A statement showing the number of outbreak reports
received and attended to in the last two years is subjoined:—
Disease.
Rinderpest .. .. .. ..
Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia .. ..
Anthrax .. .. .. ..
Black-quarter .. .. .. ..
Foot-and-mouth disease .. ..
Total ..
1925-26.
Received.
1,097
679
394
221
731
3,142
Attended.
989
618
318
158
631
2,714
1926-27.
Received.
1,289
597
353
1,135
339
3,713
Attended.
1.169
54,0
291
739
287
3,031