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Raymond Research Laboratory.
Babu K. K. Banerjee, Laboratory Assistant, held charge of the
laboratory and the serum cellar of the college under my direct control.
He was appointed to act as Lecturer during the absence on leave of Khan
Sahib S. S. Ahmed, Vice-Principal, from 1st November 1933 to 28th
February 1934 during which period Babu G. S. Banerjee officiated in his
place.
2. Training.—With the inauguration of the new curriculum, Patho-
logy, Bacteriology and Parasitology classes were held in the laboratory.
The students were also given every facility for acquiring practical know-
ledge of the methods pertaining to laboratory methods and technique in
general. Lantern slides of pathological interest were as usual shown to
the students. The necessity of an epidiascope is greatly felt and
Government sanction to purchase one is awaited.
3. Research.—Preliminary experiments regarding the viability and
antigenic value of goat-adapted spleen tissue were taken up here by
Mr. Menon (Veterinary Investigation Officer) during the end of the year
and it was demonstrated that such tissues when aseptically obtained,
ampouled and kept in the cold store, retained their antegenic value for
about three weeks, and could be safely employed as a vaccine without
giving a simultaneous dose of anti-serum as was the practice in vogue,
for the indigenous breeds of cattle. In order to avoid infection spread-
ing to the Government cattle and patients remaining in the vicinity of
the laboratory, mass production of such vaccine had to be transferred to
Barrackpore. The results of work on other diseases undertaken will be
reported in due course.
4. The new graduates of this college were given every facility to
work in the laboratory so long as they remained unemployed, and were
willing to utilise their leisure to such advantage.
5. Post-Graduate course.—I should like to point out again for the
consideration of Government the imperative necessity of our graduates
in Government employ attending some sort of refresher course in this
college, as is in vogue in other provincial departments and veterinary
colleges. The shortcomings of these field workers and the inevitable
process of decline in their knowledge of veterinary science are only too
patent to those who experience almost daily evidence of the misunder-
standings in the work, especially of a laboratory nature. A refresher
course of some kind is necesasry to get them at par with the recent know-
ledge and advances in veterinary science. The scheme is under the
consideration of Government but it appears difficulties exist in regard
to replacing the men sent here for study. Such also obtain in all pro-
vinces but are overcome by the various Governments' granting a more
generous system of reserves than is sanctioned in Bengal and in view of
the necessity of this project, Government should be approached to revise
the number and scheme of reserve workers for the department at once.
6. Rabbies.—During the year under review, 89 brains of dogs and
other animals (suspected and clinically confirmed cases of rabies) re-
ceived from the college hospital, District Veterinary Assistant Sur-
geons, Zoological Garden, Police and private individuals were prepared
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