( 4 )
They are all equipped with instruments and medicines from District funds,
and when on tour they can take a certain amount in saddle-bags with which
they have been provided.
They visited 877 villages, treated 2,970 animals, and castrated 31.
A very great increase in the work done over last year is to be noted in
the Peshawar District, where, however, an extra man was employed.
On the other hand the work done on tour in the Dera Ismail Khan
District has much decreased. The Veterinary Assistant employed there in the
previous year was transferred to the charge of the Veterinary Hospital and
the itinerating man's head-quarters removed to Tank. This may account some-
what for the figures, and it will be noted later that the numbers treated at the
hospital have largely increased. As a matter of fact the itinerating Veterinary
Assistant does not seem to have been popular, and he has since resigned.
Veterinary Hospitals—Table V.
22. As will be seen from Table V there are 4 Veterinary Hospitals
in the Province. 5,513 animals were
treated in these institutions during the
year under report against 3,499 last year. These figures speak for themselves,
and point to the growing popularity of Veterinary Hospitals in the Province.
The figures at Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan have more than doubled those of
last year. A qualified man has been placed in charge of the latter place.
The number of patients treated at Peshawar has somewhat decreased. The man
who was in charge during the year has since been transferred.
I venture to say that all the Veterinary Hospitals are now fairly equip-
ped and run on systematic lines.
The districts in the North-West Frontier Province have in most cases
loyally supported me and placed sufficient funds at my disposal. I was able
to inspect all the hospitals once, and those at Peshawar and Dera Ismail
Khan more than once, during the year.
Hospital buildings.
23. None of the hospital buildings are entirely satisfactory. Kohat
is the best, I think, and it has been
considerably improved since I inspected
it, I understand. Peshawar is not sufficiently good for the capital of the Pro-
vince, and I am pressing for a new one altogether. Improvements are being
made at Dera Ismail Khan, and when they are finished the hospital should be
a good one. The present hospital at Bannu is in a sarai, and it is not suitable.
A new hospital is to be built next year, it is understood, a site, about which
there was some difficulty, having now been obtained.
Standard plans for Veterinary Hospitals.
24. Standard plans for a model Veterinary Hospital have been circulat-
ed to districts, and in the event of new
hospitals being constructed or improve-
ments to existing ones being made, they will no doubt prove useful.
Veterinary Dispensaries—Table V.
25. During the year branch dispensaries, being the head-quarters
of itinerating men, were established at
Charsadda, Teri, Tank, Lakki, Haripur
and Mansehra. One already existed at Mardan.
These were open, as a rule, 10 days in every month, and 3,173 patients
were treated at them. Thus a larger number of patients were treated at head-
quarters by itinerating men than on tour, although only a third of their time
was spent by the men at their dispensaries.
Dispensary buildings.
26. With the exception of Charsadda and Mardan, where satisfactory
accommodation was provided, the other
dispensaries were only makeshift.
Arrangements were made, however, late in the year to provide suitable pre-
mises at Haripur and Manschra.