( 3 )
The Laboratory was built originally for the cool storage of serum and
to assist by up-to-date methods the diagnosis of obscure cases admitted in the
ordinary way to the college hospital. But the sphere of work has extended
in various directions. Thus, besides the routine cases from the hospital,
material comes in connected with the Glanders and Farcy Act: the recent
severe outbreak of rabies amongst the dogs in Calcutta gave us an oppor-
tunity of making ourselves useful to the public by diagnosing these cases
quickly: at the request of the Agricultural Inspector of the New Zealand
Government, which is much interested in the bone-meal trade of Calcutta,
I have undertaken to make bacteriological examinations of the samples which
he collects from the mills and have also visited the mills engaged in the trade:
a difficult subject connected with the flaying of live goats has been under
consideration of Government, and it is hoped that a note on the subject with
photographs submitted from this laboratory may help to settle the question:
an investigation into the cause of a disease amongst certain cattle in Calcutta
has been in progress since July (this disease has not hitherto been observed
in India): some preliminary work has been done in regard to surra amongst
animals in Calcutta, with the object of obtaining a remedy of practical value.
We have endeavoured also to assist other investigators when called on; for
instance, we have undertaken to cultivate and forward to the Imperial Bacterio-
logist fresh supplies of the bacillus of glanders, which is so necessary for the
preparation of efficient mallein, and we shall always be glad to hold ourselves at
his disposal in this and other matters: an assistant whom the Imperial Entomo-
logist had sent to this laboratory to work has been welcomed and he has been
able to secure good specimens of the biting flies which are such important agents
in the spread of disease. It may be added that collecting boxes were distributed
to the Veterinary Assistants in the districts, and a number of them filled with
flies have been sent to Pusa. It must, however, be confessed that our men have
not yet reached perfection in mounting these objects: from the Zoological
Gardens we have received for report the bodies of various animals that died
during the year of obscure disease. I beg to thank the Committee for sending
them.
My old pupil, Babu Satyendra Nath Mitter, the present lecturer on Patho-
logy, has rendered zealous assistance in the laboratory, and also Babu Sachindra
Kishore Das has done good work in preparing specimens. They are both keen
workers.
His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor has been pleased to order that my
name shall be connected with the Research Laboratory. I would beg to express
my earnest thanks for his kindness.
12. The Glanders and Farcy Department.—In October the arrival of a
motor car gave me the means of controlling personally this branch of the
department. The work was started systematically in the middle of November.
The area under the Notifications Nos. 3681T.—R. and 3582T.—R., dated 29th
September 1905, is divided into six districts; each district is in charge of a
Veterinary Inspector, who has a constable of the Veterinary Preventive Force
to accompany him. The Chief Inspector supervises the work of the Inspectors.
The stables of the big horse dealers and shippers are inspected by myself. No
animal is seized under the Act until it is inspected by the Chief Inspector or by
me, and no animal has been destroyed until I certified after personal examina-
tion that it was diseased.
The Act, however, has not been applied as strictly as it will be later,
because the people should be gradually accustomed to its provisions. So far,
the methods which have been adopted have not given rise to any trouble.
I submitted a note advocating the grant of compensation to the owners
of horses slaughtered under the Act, showing that the principle of making such
compensation is recognized practically in every civilised country, and repre-
senting that many cases of hardship would happen to people of limited means
whose horses were killed. Mr. Gourlay, the Director of Agriculture, was able
to obtain for me from Government a grant to meet such cases, as an experi-
ment; the money has been used with care and has done much to help poor
horse owners. Government has also permitted me to pay fees for information
leading to the detection of disease. A total of Rs. 434-10-8 was given in 20
cases as compensation.