(5)
38. Dissecting room.—The present dissecting room cannot comfortably
accommodate more than a portion of one class at a time.
39. Isolation boxes.- With regard to the isolation boxes, I am very anxious
to have a special department for contagious disease which shall be so com-
pletely isolated in every way that no possibility of contact shall exist. In
this matter we are not in the same position as private practitioners; for they
get rid of any animal with contagious disease (such as glanders) at once;
whereas we have to keep the patients, so that the students may watch the pro-
gress of the malady; hence there is always a chance of contagion, unless
exceptional measures are taken.
40. These boxes would also be available for producing immune serum
by Koch's method if it be decided to carry out this preventive treatment in
Calcutta.
41. Play-ground for the students.—Wherever young people congregate, it is
necessary to make provision for healthy recreation; if this bo not attended
to, they will certainly get into mischief in many ways, and in any case their
health will suffer. I have therefore suggested that a piece of land opposite
the Hostel, which is now available, be acquired as a play-ground. If this pro-
posal be sanctioned, I hope that foot-ball and other games will tend to
promote manliness and to counteract influences which students away from
home are very apt to fall under.
42. Repairs and improvements.—My predecessor applied in a separate
letter for certain repairs and additions to be made to the institution at a cost of
Rs. 1,500, but owing to the famine, the necessary funds were not available.
43. Owing to the great rise in the price of grain during the year, which
could not have been anticipated, a special grant of Rs. 2,000 was made out of
savings from the Scientific and Minor Departments budget, to meet the extra
cost under head of Feed and Keep.
44. Later, the price of grain went down, and out of the savings under this
grant, I was permitted to spend Rs. 350 on very urgently needed repairs,
without which the stables were dangerous, and on a few other items.
45. At the last moment Rs. 600 became available for the purchase of one
of the two ambulances which had been applied for. The use of these vehicles
will relieve animals of the misery entailed by being walked along the roads in
an unfit state or of the alternative of being tied into ordinary country carts.
One ambulance will be kept at the disposal of the police, and whenever requisi-
tioned, a Veterinary Assistant will be sent with it so that the patient may be
properly looked after. The other ambulance will be used solely for contagious
disease. At present such cases of (glanders, farcy, anthrax and foot-and-mouth
disease), all of which are communicable to man, under certain circumstances, as
well as to animals, have to be sent to the Institution along the public roads.
46. As regards rinderpest, the same thing happens, but it is believed that
the Municipality will provide us with means of combating this disease in a
systematic manner.
APPOINTMENT OF VETERINARY ASSISTANTS.
Dispensaries.
47. *Darjeeling.—This dispensary is under the management of the local
Municipality. This body has been furnished with
the necessary forms for report, but no reply has
reached this office.
48. The Veterinary Assistant (from Lahore) was appointed through this
office at Rs. 45 per mensem.
49. Sitamarhi.—I inspected this dispensary on the 6th February. The
former Veterinary Assistant was a failure, owing to want of practical knowledge,
and resigned. I sent another man, Ram Lal Bhuttacharjee, and I am glad to
say he is doing better.
50. Appendix XIII shows that the dispensary is maintained by a local
grant of Rs. 200 and an income from other sources (amongst others,
subscriptions from planters, &c.,) of Rs. 1,027-13-0. No grant is made by
Government. The total expenditure of Rs 1,227-13-6 is balanced by the
total income. The total number of cases treated by the Veterinary Assistant
* A visit to Darjeeling has disclosed that there is no Veterinary Dispensary. A Veterinary Assistant
is entertained.