ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
CIVIL VETERINARY DEPARTMENT, BENGAL,
For the year 1903-1904.
♦
1. THE work of the Department continued to make progress during the
year although handicapped by dearth of veterinary graduates to fill vacancies ;
I have addressed Government on this subject. The following new appoint
ments have been made, viz.:—A graduate has been posted to the Bengal
Veterinary College: the Calcutta Slaughter-house Committee has appointed
a Muhammadan Veterinary graduate to supervise the cattle: two new dispen
saries were opened (at Noakhali and Dinajpore) with a Veterinary Assistant
in charge of each. Another at Purnea, though reported to be ready, could not
be opened for want of a suitable Veterinary Assistant. Itinerant Veterinary
Assistants were appointed in Bhagalpur and Angul; but in consequence of
the death of the Veterinary Assistant sent to Bhagalpur and the dismissal of
the Angul man, these two appointments fell vacant and could not bo filled
owing to dearth of men. Veterinary Assistants were also required at Khurda
and Comilla, but could not be supplied for the same reason. Table XXIV
shows that the strength of the Subordinate Veterinary Staff employed during
the year was 46 against 43 during last year.
2. The number of in-patients treated in the dispensaries was 1,031 as
compared with 903 last year. Forty-six thousand eight hundred and seventy
(46,870) cases were treated as out-patients against 24,914 in 1902-1903. The
number of cases treated by the itinerating Veterinary Assistants in the villages
was 60,151 in 1903-1904 against 21,439 in 1902-1903.
VETERINARY DISPENSARIES.
3. Table XIX shows details regarding each dispensary. The Provincial
Veterinary Dispensaries were inspected and reported on more than once by the
Inspectors of this Department. I was unable to visit all owing to other
important work.
4. The following information is extracted from the reports submitted by
the Chairmen of the various Dispensary Committees.
5. Sitamarhi.—Veterinary Assistant J. N. Mitter continued to hold charge.
There has been a slight decrease in the number of in-patients treated at the
dispensary which is said to be due to the closing of indigo factories and retire
ment of the Europeans from the Subdivision. Good work has been done.
6. Chittagong.—The dispensary is said to be useful, but not as popular as
it should be. The total number of animals shown as treated during the year is
considerably less than that of the last year, due chiefly to a re-arrangement in
the system of reporting cases, which excludes old ones. The considerable
increase of funds which is noticeable this year is due to receipt of the municipal
contribution which has been in arrears for three years. Veterinary Assistant
A. T. Biswas continues to work well.
7
Cooch Behar.—The dispensary is in the third year of its existence.
Veterinary Assistant R. S. Kumar, who was maintained by the State during
his college career at Belgachia, returned to Cooch Behar and took over charge
of the dispensary in April 1903.
8. Patna. —The dispensary remained in charge of Veterinary Assistant
F. N. Chatterjee. The large increase in the number of out-patients treated during
the year as shown in the statement, is a fair sign of the popularity of the
dispensary; and appears to indicate that a serious warning, which 1 had to give
the Veterinary Assistant for slackness, had some effect. The failure of the