Proceedings of the Hon'ble the Chief Commissioner and Agent to the Governor General, North-West Frontier
Province.-No. 2062-Ag., dated 23rd August 1920.
READ—
Report on the working of the Civil Veterinary Department for the year ending 31st March 1920.
1. REMARKS.—Mr. Quirke held charge of the Department from 1st
April to 26th May 1919, when he proceeded on leave, making over charge to
Mr. Garewal. Mr. Garewal toured for 94 days and inspected nearly all the
hospitals and tonga lines in the Province. He also attended the Horse and
Cattle Fairs held during the year and acted as a member of the judging
committee.
2. The Veterinary Assistants who were deputed to military duty
during the Great European War returned to their civil duties during the
year under report, and the strength of the Department is now complete except
for one Veterinary Assistant. The two vacancies in the cadre of Veterinary
Inspectors which remained unfilled owing to the absence of men on military
duty were also filled at the close of the year. The pay of all subordinates of
the Civil Veterinary Department has recently been raised in connection with
the general revision of establishment, and it is hoped that the pay is now
high enough to make them contented and will lead to their taking a greater
interest in the various activities of the Department.
3. Contagious diseases accounted for 3,087 deaths out of 30,090 cases
reported as against 7,224 deaths out of 31,293 cases in the preceding year. The
various outbreaks seem to have been far less virulent than in the preceding
year, though the number of cases is still very high. The numbers of both cases
and deaths are the highest for any year except last since 1912-13. Possibly
this is due to improved reporting, particularly in trans-border Agencies, but in
any case the figures are not encouraging. About 95 per cent of the mortality
from equine diseases was attributed to surra, which was prevalent in the Kurram
and Malakand Agencies, especially in the former. Surra has now been notified
as a disease to which the Glanders and Farcy Act applies, but it has not been
considered advisable to extend the Act to the Kurram Agency. Such measures
as are possible, however, are taken with the consent of the people to combat
the disease. Amongst bovines 23,642 cases were reported, of which 2,680
proved fatal, as compared with 4,920 out of 20,751 in the previous year.
Rinderpest was rife throughout the Province, and alone accounted for 2,409
deaths out of the total number of 2,680 deaths during the year. The mortality
from rinderpest and hæmorrhagic septicæmia remains high, though lower than
last year, in spite of a vigorous inoculation and vaccination campaign and of
the greater readiness now displayed by villagers in allowing their animals to be
subjected to preventive treatment. The inoculations for rinderpest and
hæmorrhagic septicæmia numbered 20,370, and 11,515 respectively out of the
total number of 32,085. The Superintendent again complains that Patwaris
are slack in reporting outbreaks of disease. The Chief Commissioner trusts
that District Officers will give this matter their special attention and deal
severely with any slackness.
4. There were 20 Veterinary hospitals in the year under report as
against 17 last year. The number of animals treated, however, was 44,140
only as compared with 42,111 cases last year. In addition 5,849 cases, which
were not brought to hospitals, were supplied with medicines against 2,370 cases
in the preceding year. Veterinary Assistants on tour visited 1,682 villages
and treated 25,703 animals as compared with 22,423 animals last year.
Considering the increase to the staff during the year and the continued pre-
valence of epidemic diseases a larger increase might have been expected. The
number of castrations performed during the year declined from 4,407 in the
previous year to only 2,283. No explanation of this decrease is offered by the
Superintendent. The most urgent requirements in buildings have now been
met, but a number of minor improvements remain to be carried out, and a few
new hospitals are still to be built. A sum of Rs. 10,000 has been allotted to
Local Bodies for this purpose during the current year.