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V.—VETERINARY INSTITUTIONS.
Veterinary Dispensaries.
58. This year I am in a position to say that with reference to Veterinary
Dispensaries the result of my remarks
under this heading in my report for
1901-02 and of the correspondence noted under the same heading in my report
for 1902-03 must be looked upon as very good.
A Veterinary Dispensary and Hospital has been opened at Peshawar (in
August), Bannu (in September) and Dera Ismail Khan (in February), whilst
at the close of the year the Deputy Commissioner, Kohat (Captain Waterfield),
found money to equip a dispensary in his district, and he proposed to start
building all the necessary premises (for both dispensary and stables) at a very
early date.
As I soon saw the Peshawar Hospital was doing well (better than I had
anticipated), I obtained a couple of hundred rupees from the Deputy Commis-
sioner, with which to purchase drugs, &c., to try how a branch dispensary
on a small scale would work at Mardan; as all these dispensaries will have the
necessary material for the treatment of equine and bovine disease (including
inoculation outfits) it should only be a matter of time when good results will
accrue from them, which should compare well with the working of any other
Veterinary Dispensary outside this Province, provided I have good men to
work them, which unfortunately in one or two instances is my chief difficulty
at present.
With regard to the work done during these few months a total of just
under 1,000 animals have been treated by Hospital Veterinary Assistants
(in charge of the Peshawar, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan dispensaries).
Peshawar is responsible for 703 out of this number, and owing to the increase
of in-patients which came for treatment here I had to ask the Deputy
Commissioner to have the stabling accommodation increased and obtain the
services of a Compounder. I am particularly indebted to Mr. Roe, the
Municipal and District Board Secretary, who, having selected the site for the
dispensary (for my approval) has seen to all the work of the buildings, altera-
tions, &c., &c., and to the improvements to them from time to time; he also
accompanied me out to the hospital on each of my several visits to it.
Veterinary Assistant Ishar Dass, in charge, soon got into the way of working
matters, and although I usually made unexpected visits I found the drugs
properly labelled, the instruments clean, &c. I think he is deserving of a
certain amount of credit. Bannu is doing as well as can be expected, but as
it is in a more or less out of the way place, one should not hope for too much
at present.
Dera Ismail Khan has very suitable buildings, but it has only been opened
three months, and unfortunately I have been obliged to place the Municipal
Salutri (an old pensioner, who is rather behind the times) in charge as there is
no one else available at present.
Work done by subordinate Veterinary Assistants.
59. The great difficulty I have to contend with is the insufficient number
of Veterinary Assistants amongst whom
there are a couple who I do not
think will shine in inducing people to allow them to treat their animals,
accept their advice, and so on, although they could do the work of collecting
information concerning foaling and produce results, castrate, &c.
For the five districts in the Province there are but 8 men including the
Salutri in charge of the Veterinary Dispensary at Dera Ismail Khan. In
the event of any one (or more) of them falling ill or otherwise becoming
incapacitated through unforeseen circumstances, his particular duties would
have to be neglected. Take as an example the Peshawar Hospital. Should the
Veterinary Assistant in charge fall ill, either the place would have to be closed,
or the man from Mardan (who is young and inexperienced) would have to
be sent for, leaving Mardan vacant, vice versâ, and the district work would
suffer. They are practically speaking unable to get any leave. There is