Proceedings of the Hon'ble the Chief Commissioner and Agent to the Governor-General, North-West Frontier
Province, No. 1341 G., dated 7th August 1903.
READ—
The Report on the working of the Provincial Civil Veterinary Department for the year ending 31st March 1903.
REMARKS—
This report has been prepared by Veterinary Captain Trydell, Superin-
tendent, Civil Veterinary Department, North Punjab who is also Veterinary
Officer of this Province, and held charge from 23rd April 1902 to the end of
the year. It deals only with the working of District Board pony and donkey
stallions and the treatment of cattle disease. To exhibit this working no less
than 17 statements are appended to the report, and the Chief Commissioner
considers that the action taken by the Government of India to curtail statistics
in other Departments might well be extended to this.
2. There is little to notice in the report. The number of pony stallions
at work has risen from 7 to 8 but the number of mares covered fell from 387 to
359, an average of 45 per stallion. The number of foals dropped as the result
of the previous years' coverings was only 85 against 98 last year, this would
show that only 22 per cent of the coverings were successful, but as in Table
IV, the results are shown as "not known" in 146 cases or 37 per cent. of the
whole, no safe conclusions can be deduced from the figures. In future years
efforts should be made to obtain more complete results. The Bannu District
Board has apparently yet taken no action to maintain pony stallions, though
the remarks of Veterinary Capatain Trydell in the Imperial Section of the
report show that conditions in that district are peculiarly suited for that stamp
of animal. The Chief Commissioner hopes that a beginning will be made this
year and that if the Board is not in a position to purchase a pony stallion the
Civil Veterinary Department will be able to lend one as in Hazara. The
average cost of maintenance during the year was only Rs. 228 as against 260
in the previous year, but in Hazara Rs. 284 and Kohat 288, the cost was nearly
double that of Dera Ismail Khan Rs. 156.
3. The number of donkey stallions was increased from three to five by
the loan of two animals to District Boards by the Civil Veterinary Department.
Two were employed on mule breeding and covered 61 mares against 38 covered
in the previous year; while three were employed in donkey breeding and
covered 60 animals against 26 in the previous year. Nine mules and thirteen
donkey foals were dropped and the results though small are an improvement
on those noticed in last year's report. The Hazara and Bannu District Boards
maintain no donkey stallions, possibly, because the Government stallions are
sufficient. In future reports the Superintendent should state the number of
Government horse, pony and donkey stallions maintained in each district, as
without this information it is impossible to tell whether the District Boards
are doing their duty in encouraging horse and mule breeding.
The average cost of maintenance rose from Rs. 113 to Rs. 153 per head
and in view of the decrease in the cost of keep, &c of pony stallions the
increase requires explanation.
4. For the reasons given in para 56 of the report, the Superintendent
was unable to devote personal attention to epidemics of cattle disease. Action
is however being taken as suggested in the review of last year's report to open
Veterinary Hospitals in Peshawar, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan, and it is
hoped that during the year work will begin. It is satisfactory to note that
four out of the eight Veterinary Assistants have been traind during the year in
rinder-pest inoculation at Muktesar, and that they are being equipped with the
necessary inoculation outfit. The transfer of horse-breeding operations in
several districts to the Remount Department will it is hoped leave the Superin-
tendent and his subordinates more leisure for work in connection with cattle.
The remarks in para 63 of the report are commended to the notice of Deputy