Bombay Veterinary College: Annual report of the —for
1887-88.
No. 4292.
REVENUE DEPARTMENT.
Bombay Castle, 29th June 1888.
Letter from the Superintendent, Bombay Veterinary College, No. 337, dated 25th May 1888
—Submitting the second annual report of the College; and appending a copy of his
report of the Bái Sákarbái Dinsha Petit Hospital for Animals for the year 1887.
RESOLUTION.-In
submitting his annual report upon the working of the
Bombay Veterinary College for the year ending on the 31st of March last (to
which is appended a copy of report made to the Secretary of the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals concerning the operations conducted in the
Bái Sákarbái Dinsha Petit Hospital for Animals for. the calendar year 1887)
Mr. Steel, the Superintendent, deals with a large number of questions, several
of which are under the separate consideration of Government, and do not there-
fore call for special remark in the present review, which will be confined to an
examination of the results of the legitimate work of the College during the year.
2. Last year's report dealt with a period of eight months only during
which the institution had been open. The present therefore is the first report
actually embracing the facts and figures of a full year. At its commencement
the number of students attending the classes was 64, while at its close it
had risen to 80. The first examination was held in April 1887 at which
43 candidates appeared for their first professional examination, of whom
34 were successful. No students were as yet qualified for appearance for
the second or higher standard. A supplementary examination was however, with
the approval of Government, held in September, at which 2 Hospital Assistants
from Central India were permitted as a special case to appear for the second
examination without having gone through the usual curriculum, whilst
17 candidates presented themselves for the first examination.
The 2
Hospital Assistants passed, as also did 8 of the latter. There were there-
fore at the close of the year undergoing instruction 2 seniors who had passed
the second examination; 40 intermediates who had passed only the first
examination; and 38 juniors who had as yet appeared for none except that
required on entrance. The practice of having supplementary examinations
is open to serious objections as pointed out by the Superintendent and should
only be resorted to in cases of peculiar necessity, which are unlikely often to
occur. The question of the appointment of a permanent Board of Examiners
is under the separate consideration of Government and orders thereupon will
shortly be issued.
3. It is gratifying to learn that the progress made by the free Govern-
ment and Municipal students as a rule fully justifies their selection. Of these
there are apparently 15 as shown in Appendix B to the report, a figure which
does not however tally with the details in Appendix A in which 16 such students
are entered. The tendency of the Native States of the Presidency to avail
themselves of the education given at the College is worthy of notice. There
are in the institution 21 students sent from foreign territory, the Chiefs of
Sángli, Bhávnagar and Gondál having to be added this year to the list of those
who have taken action in the matter. Appendix A shows one student as
"Private free," a classification which is not understood, unless it refers to
holder of the "Steel Free Studentship" mentioned in paragraph 20 of the
report.
4. Mr. Steel suggests in paragraph 8 of his report that an instalment of
the first half-year's fees might be required from each candidate for the entrance