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The establishment of a Botanical Garden will, I hope, assume a practical form
in the coming year. Some botanical expeditions to the Victoria Gardens for
practical study have been made by the class. The Forge has, since Mr. Stanley
joined, been fully used for Hospital and educational purposes. The Dead Stock of
the College has been added to by the purchase of laboratory furniture, anatomical
room fittings, and a few fresh diagrams. Three years of College work have passed,
and the Anatomical Lecturer has not mounted illustrative skeletons of the horse
and ox, a work which is now being done under my personal supervision. The
Museum room built over the College porch was completed in the past year and is
excellently adapted to the purpose required of it ; I am arranging for the display
of our specimens in it. Quarters for six resident students are almost completed
(Government Resolution, Financial Department, No. 201-C.W.—613, dated 27th
March 1888 ; estimated cost Rs. 2,754), and I trust hereafter to show that
they have proved extremely useful in securing important practical acquaintance
with animal management and more careful nursing by such students as are
specially appointed dressers. The Library has received a few additions during
the past year (vide Appendix G.). Specially noteworthy is the presentation of
works which used to belong to Inspecting Veterinary Surgeon Lamb, of the
Indian Veterinary Department, Bombay Establishment. This officer, among
the other important services rendered by him to the Bombay Presidency in his
military capacity and at his civil duties in connection with horse-breeding
operations and cattle-disease repression, took an active interest and part in the
early movements for veterinary education which culminated in the establishment
of this College. It is, therefore, with special satisfaction that we are able to
have a shelf in our library named after this distinguished officer.
18. Cattle-disease repression duties.—The detailed report on the results of
the experimental deputation of students to Sholápur and the usual summary of
remarks on cattle-disease from this office to the Director of Land Records and
Agriculture, some rules drawn up by the Principal to regulate testing of reputed
cattle-disease remedies, and reports on the cattle disease at Porbandar and
Dhárwár represent the work under this heading performed at the College during
the past year. This office has undertaken the responsibility of supervising the
landing and transfer of stud cattle for the Supreme or Local Governments of
India. The rules under the Glanders Act (Judicial Department Resolution
dated 11th June 1888) have proved most important, and numbers of cases of
glanders have been detected in the stables and streets of Bombay, and dealt
with as the law directs. Further importation of this loathsome disease from
the Persian Gulf has again been proved, and this confirmation of the experience
of last year tends to establish conclusively my position as to the urgent neces-
sity for portal inspection of all animals landed or shipped at Bombay. I trust
one of our first batch of graduates will be told off to this most important duty ;
until we check fresh introduction of the disease from without we shall not be
able to free Bombay from glanders, a serious matter when we consider the
wide distribution of military and police remounts and private horses from the well-
known Arab stables of this city. Serious losses in the Bombay Tramway
Company and in the stables resulted from the formidable horse plague " Surra",
and the students had an opportunity of investigating some cases of it in the
Hospital. Government Resolution No. 1457, Revenue Department, dated 21st
February 1889, in reference to the establishing of Local Veterinary Hospitals
promises to serve the double purpose of inducing graduates to practise in the
mofussil and at the same time of securing the diffusion of scientific knowledge of
cattle-diseases while rendering available locally for cattle-disease repression
and other veterinary duties a number of specially trained men. No outcome
seems yet to have been announced of the deliberations of last year's (1888)
Delhi Conference concerning a Civil Veterinary Department, and pending such
announcement all provincial higher organization for cattle-disease repression
must unfortunately remain in abeyance.
19. Appendix H shows the list of prizes, prize-takers, and donors. It will
be observed that our students are in this respect well encouraged. The thanks of
the Committee of Management have been conveyed to the several donors ; but
the liberality of Sir D. M. Petit, Kt., and the Honourable Mr. Justice Bayley,
and Inspecting Veterinary Surgeon J. H. B. Hallen is especially noteworthy.