14
on Police cases were also made. Two animals only were castrated during the
year. The Veterinary Graduate visited Ahmedabad and Thásra 5 times and
selected 747 bullocks out of about 1,500 for purchase by Government from
charitable funds. Plague was very prevalent during the last three months of
the year, otherwise the number of cases would have shown an increase. The
daily attendance, however, increased from 35.8 to 37.0 and it may be noted that
35 per cent. of the total number of cases came from surrounding villages in the
district. No rinderpest or other epizootic disease occurred. Veterinary Gradu-
ate Maniar's report is satisfactory.
Kaira Itinerant.
40. Veterinary Graduate V. D. Patel.—Inspected on the 3rd February
1903. The total number of cases treated was 940 as
against 726 in the preceding year. Of these 131
were horses, 471 bullocks, 14 cows, 199 buffaloes, 59 calves, 38 goats, 17 dogs,
2 camels, and the remainder other animals. Twenty-nine villages were visited in
such parts that each táluka was toured in turn with the dispensary. Many other
villages were visited in connection with the collection of horse-breeding statistics,
the Veterinary Graduate being also the Inspector for the district. His work
was much hindered by the existence of plague in many villages. He paid 80
visits to owners' houses, gave opinion and advice in 45 cases not requiring treat-
ment, and acted for the Veterinary Graduate at Nadiád during his absence on
ten days' leave. No epizootic occurred except 13 cases of foot and mouth disease.
The report is satisfactory.
Surat.
41. Veterinary Graduate M. I. Vakharia.—Inspected on the 4th Febru-
ary 1903 and found in good order. The total number
of cases treated was 1,303 as against 1,163 last year.
Of these, 1,266 were new admissions, the others being left over from last
year. Of these new admissions, 350 were horses, 577 bullocks, 37 cows,
41 calves, 45 buffaloes, 123 sheep and goats, 72 dogs, 13 parrots and hens,
1 deer, 1 cat, 2 rabbits and 2 monkeys. Bubonic plague was again prevalent and
hampered the work of the institution, which, however, seems to have been freely
taken advantage of by people from villages in the district. The Veterinary
Graduate treated several cases at the houses of poor owners which could not be
taken to the dispensary, and made 28 visits to the houses of well-to-do people.
He paid 4 visits to the Government Agricultural Farm near Athwa village, and
visited occasionally the Mounted Police Stables and the Pinjarápol. The con-
dition of this institution he reports as unsatisfactory. He was Chairman of the
Vigilance Committee for supervising the plague operations in Ward No. I, Surat,
during the year. Advised in four cruelty cases. Gave evidence in three cases
as a Veterinary expert, and performed a post mortem examination on a dog and
a horse in Police cases of suspected poisoning. He also attended the local
weekly fairs. Five horses were castrated during the year. A mild outbreak of
foot and mouth disease occurred in the district. No other epizootic outbreaks
were noted. The report is satisfactory.
Summary.
42. There were 16 dispensaries open at the end of the year, 12 stationary
and 4 itinerant. The 36 Veterinary Graduates in con-
nection with these have treated 22,958 animals as
against 21,486 animals treated by fifteen Veterinary Graduates last year. There
has been an increase in the number of animals treated in all dispensaries except
three and the decrease is satisfactorily explained in these cases ; viz., in the case
of Dhárwár, there was an extensive outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the
previous year which ran up the number of cases ; in Dhulia plague dispersed
the people and for a time the dispensary was practically doing nothing ; and in
Belgaum the introduction of fees and certain rules reduced the number of
animals brought for treatment.
The Veterinary dispensaries of the Presidency are doing good work, the full
benefit of which to the country is not to be calculated merely by the number of
cases treated. They are slowly but surely overcoming the innate prejudices and
superstitions of the people and diffusing rational ideas regarding the treatment
of animals in health and disease.
In the whole of the Presidency proper there are only 17 Veterinary Gra-
duates employed by Government. In the Sátára, Sholápur, Bijápur and Kánara
Districts there are no trained Veterinarians at all. From time immemorial
" kismat " has ruled that a varying number of animals shall die of disease and it