Proceedings of the Hon'ble the Chief Commissioner and Agent to the Governor-General, North-West Frontier
Province, No. 3346, dated 19th August 1905.
READ—
The Report on the working of the Provincial Civil Veterinary Department for the year
ending 31st March 1905.
REMARKS.—The Report has been compiled by Captain Walker, who,
however, only assumed charge of the Civil Veterinary administration of this
Province on February 11th, 1905. The office of Superintendent, Civil Veteri-
nary Department, North Punjab, was abolished in the early part of 1905, and
Captain Walker now holds the appointment of Superintendent, Civil Veterinary
Department, Punjab and North-West Frontier Province. The need for a
separate Superintendent for the North-West Frontier Province is already
coming into prominence, and the veterinary developments which are now
under contemplation will further emphasize this necessity.
2. Hazara and Peshawar each despatched a student to the Lahore
Veterinary College during the year to hold the scholarships which the District
Boards of those districts endowed in the previous year.
3. The decrease in mortality from contagious disease during the
year is satisfactory, but as pointed out by the Superintendent information
in this respect has hitherto not been complete nor accurate. The increase in
the number of Veterinary Assistants which has already been sanctioned, and a
still further increase which is under consideration in connection with the
substantial grant of Rs. 35,000 made by the Imperial Government towards
agricultural and veterinary development, will probably provide one Assistant
for each tahsil in the Province: this provision, coupled with certain special
instructions which have been circulated to District Officers, should ensure more
timely and complete information of all outbreaks of disease in future.
In addition to the outbreak of anthrax in Hazara, one case of glanders
was reported from Nowshera in December 1904: it occurred in the 23rd
Cavalry Lines, and the horse was destroyed. No case of rinderpest was reported
throughout the year, and no deaths occurred from foot-and-mouth disease. The
year was thus unusually healthy.
4. The number of Veterinary Assistants employed remained the same as
in the previous year, namely eight. Under the scheme which is now being
worked out it is hoped that the Veterinary staff will eventually comprise 2
Inspectors—who have already been appointed—and 19 Assistants, but it is not
expected that the additional number of trained men will be immediately forth-
coming and some time must necessarily elapse before the staff can be brought up
to full strength. The work performed by the itinerating Assistants during the
past year is satisfactory, but it is obvious that their number is quite inadequate
for the needs of the Province. The Chief Commissioner is pleased to observe
that the better equipment of these Assistants and their instruction in practical
working is engaging the attention of the Superintendent. The enhancement in
the rates of pay recently sanctioned and the introduction of two posts of
Inspector should remove the difficulty in attracting efficient candidates.
5. The increasing success and popularity of the Veterinary dispensaries
is perhaps the most pleasing feature of the year's administration. A new dis-
pensary was opened at Kohat during the year, and is already doing good work.
The Chief Commissioner thoroughly concurs in the opinion of the Superintendent
that the establishment of a small Veterinary dispensary at the head-quarters
of each Assistant is a step in the right direction, and it should be possible with
the funds now at the disposal of the Province to open and equip several such
institutions during the current year: the success of the Mardan Branch Dis-
pensary has already demonstrated the great advantage of Veterinary Assistants