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become competent to examine blood, &c., in specific disorders. There is no
apparatus at present for hardening the tissues, cutting sections and mounting
them, but the apparatus for the Patho-Bacteriological Laboratory which is
shortly expected will remove these drawbacks.
In Medicine and Surgery, several lectures were delivered on the management
and diseases of other domesticated animals besides the horse and ox, and
especially dog, sheep, camel and birds. Except in the case of the camel, the hospital
affords ample opportunity for clinical instruction. It is found essential to impart
an elementary knowledge about these animals, as several graduates are employed
in districts where they have to deal with them.
The Library has had an increase of books during the year (vide Appendix I).
There are many useful books still wanting in the library. The deficiency will, it
is hoped, be supplied during the current year. The Bombay Veterinary Associa-
tion, of which most of the students are members, affords great facilities to the
students for the perusal of veterinary periodicals. It has also been arranged to
buy complete sets of periodicals from the Association at certain reduced rates
and preserve them in the College library.
The improvement in the Musuem, alluded to in the last report, has been
carried out to a great extent this year. The valuable specimens which were
lying on the floor and were being mostly spoiled by rats have been arranged in
glass cases under different classes, such as comparative, lameness, fracture,
ageing, special, &c. There is thus a good and systematic collection at present of
bony and dried specimens ; there are very few specimens of organs, however, and
those few presented by the Bombay Veterinary Association. Much useful
material in the post-mortem room has been wasted and not utilized from want of
time and funds.
The Forge has been used to its full extent, the students, who cared to work
practically, getting ample practice.
Operative Surgery was practised on a fair scale. Besides the practice on
dead bodies, each student of the senior class had turns in casting the animals, in
performing castration, neurotomy, removal of tumours, &c. A special grant of
Rs. 300 for the purchase of locally manufactured surgical instruments, sanctioned
by Government in Resolution, Revenue Department, No. 6106, dated 20th
August 1889, on the reccommendation of the Managing Committee, has supplied
a long felt want of ordinary instruments.
Nothing has been done as to the Physical training of students through want
of a plot of ground either for gymnasium or lawn tennis, except the annual sports
on the anniversary of the opening of the College. As in the previous years, so
during the year under report, there were no facilities for riding, and very few
of the graduates know how to ride a horse. This drawback will, however, now be
removed through the generosity of His Excellency Lord Harris, the Governor of
Bombay, who was pleased to announce, in his address at the gathering on the 21st
March 1891, his intention of sparing a few of the Body Guard horses by turns to
teach riding to the students, after consultation with the Commandant of His
Excellency's Body Guard. The members of the staff and students of the College
are highly thankful to His Excellency for this valuable concession, which is a
mark of the great personal interest in the welfare of the College and the students
which His Excellency has hitherto shown. Riding is one of the qualifications
required for final examination, but had hitherto to be dispensed with from want
of means of teaching it.
16. The sanitary condition of the hospital grounds, which has attracted
great public attention during the year, is far from satisfactory, and is day by day
getting worse, so that if proper means are not speedily taken, this extensive
estate will be quite uninhabitable. The subject being of such vital importance
to the welfare of the College, inasmuch as it concerns the health of the officers
and students, requires more than a passing notice.
The whole district of Parel is malarial towards the latter part of the rainy
season and for about a couple of months after the rains, i.e., in August, Septem-
ber and October. The chief causes of this prevalence of malaria are :—