Proceedings of the Hon'ble the Chief Commissioner and Agent to the Governor-General, North-West
Frontier Province, No. 823-Ag., dated 31st August 1915.
READ—
Report on the working of the Veterinary Department for the year ending 31st March 1915,
REMARKS :—The Chief Commissioner must commence these remarks
with an expression of his sincere regret at the untimely death of the permanent
Superintendent Mr. V. de V. H. Woodley, a short time before this officer's
expected return in November 1914. Much headway was made in the develop-
ment of the Veterinary Department during Mr. Woodley's tenure of the
appointment and by his early decease the Government have lost a very valu-
able officer.
Mr. Meadows was in charge of the Department throughout the year.
The onerous nature of the dual charge of the North Punjab and this Province
has long been recognized and in view of the difficulties of the position, the
Chief Commissioner considers it creditable that in addition to the other work
recorded in his report he was able to devote three and a half months to touring
in the Province and to inspect all the Veterinary hospitals and the offices of
the Itinerating Assistants though his visits must necessarily have been hurried.
2. Only one student deputed from the Hazara District is now studying
at the Punjab Veterinary College. The absence of more candidates is not due
to any reluctance of the District Boards to provide funds for the necessary
scholarships or to a lack of candidates but mainly to the small number of
vacancies in the Veterinary Department Cadre, which makes it necessary to
restrict the number of students in order to avoid an unemployed surplus of
qualified men. In pursuance of this intention it has been decided that in
future only one student will be sent in each year to the Veterinary College by
rotation from the districts of this Province, It may be noted here that during
the year the course of training at the Lahore Veterinary College was extended
from 3 to 4 years which, though it will somewhat increase the cost of
scholarships payable by the local bodies of this Province, should be acceptable
to them on the ground that it will materially improve the qualifications of
future employés of the department.
3. During the year under report some minor changes occurred in the
subordinate staff. The cadre was increased by one Veterinary Assistant, but
as two Veterinary Assitants were detailed for Military duty owing to the
war, the Department at the close of the year was actually short of strength.
Defects have been brought to notice in the present organization of the staff,
which are chiefly connected with the unpopularity of the itinerating system
and the inability of Veterinary Inspectors to manage their charges owing to
the extent of the latter. The opinions of District Officers have been invited
on certain proposals regarding the re-arrangement of the Circles of Inspectors
and an increase in the number of Inspectorships, which, if funds are forthcom-
ing for the re-organization, will it is hoped add to the efficiency of the
Department.
4. The Chief Commissioner notes that while there has been a remark-
able fall in contagious diseases the increase in mortality (from 1,700 to 1,970
deaths) is regrettable. The outbreaks of Glanders in Peshawar and the
prevalence of Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia have called for the adoption of
special measures to stimulate the co-operation of the people in reporting cases
of disease and to check the spread of infection and these measures will shortly
be introduced. If it be a fact, as the Chief Commissioner understands it is, that
the disease of Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia prevails in the neighbourhood of
stagnant water and on flooded grazing grounds the people may to their
advantage be helped with advice by officers of the department regarding the
necessity of keeping their cattle away from such areas until the surface is dry.
It is satisfactory that over 5,000 animals were inoculated against this fatal
disease, whereas no inoculations were performed last year. But the success
of the inoculations must largely depend on their performance at the commence-
ment of an outbreak and statistics without this information are inconclusive.
5. A substantial increase occurred in the number of animals treated
at the 19 hospitals of the Province and this may be taken as proof of the
growing popularity of these institutions. On the other hand It is not