41
No. G.-290 OF 1915.
GENERAL DEPARTMENT:
Office of the Commissioner in Sind,
Government House, Karáchi, 1st July 1915.
MEMORANDUM.
The Commissioner in Sind has the honour to submit the annual report of
the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, Sind, Baluchistan and
Rájputána, on the work of the Veterinary Department in Sind during the
year 1914-15.
2. Mr. Cattell, the Superintendent, was on leave for a part of the year
during which period his office was held by Mr. Farbrother who remained as an
attached officer for the rest of the year. Khan Sahib S, G. Haji held the post
of the Deputy Superintendent throughout the year. He is a gazetted Assistant
of the Superintendent and in future reports his work should be referred to along
with that of other gazetted officers instead of under the head 'subordinate
establishment.' It is satisfactory to note that a considerably larger amount of
road touring was done by the Superintendent and his Assistants. In view of
the remarks on this point, in last year's review of the work of the department,
instructions were issued that all Veterinary Assistants should do a certain
amount of touring every month apart from visits to villages for attendance on
cases. The Commissioner is confident that the best results will ensue from
these periodical visits if properly utilised.
3. The measures taken last year to overcome the difficulty of obtaining
suitable candidates from Sind for the Bombay Veterinary College have been
successful and the full complement of six Sindhi scholars, three of whom are
Mahomedans, are now entered at the College. The acceptance of the proposals
contained in the Commissioner's memorandum No. G.-386, dated 24th July
1914, for the improvement of the pay and prospects of the subordinate staff
should overcome the difficulty experienced since the constitution of the depart-
ment in inducing suitable Veterinary Assistants to serve in the province and in
ensuring an adequate supply of Sindhi scholars of the proper stamp for the
Bombay Veterinary College.
4. The mortality returns from contagious diseases show a remarkable
advance over those of last year, the total figures being 2,560 and 1,062 respecti-
vely. The disease which caused the greatest mortality was Hæmorrhagic
Septicaemia among cattle, the reported figures being 1,407 as compared with
341 for the previous year. The Superintendent, however, states that too much
reliance cannot be placed on the mortality statistics. Perhaps an explanation
of the marked rise in the figures is to be found in the orders referred to in last
year's report for the prompt intimation by the Revenue Department to Veteri-
nary Assistants and superior Veterinary officers of the outbreak of cattle
disease. The number of inoculations rose from 856 to 2984 there being only
four fatalities after inoculation. The fact that several cattle owners who have
had previous experience of inoculation came voluntarily forward to secure
protection for their healthy cattle by this measure testifies to the growing
confidence of the public in the work of the department.
5. The total number of in and out-patients treated at the various dispen-
saries dropped from 16,013 to 15,706 although there were 11 dispensaries
treating in-patients and 12 treating out-patients during the year as compared
with eight and twelve respectively during 1913-14. The decrease in the figures
is chiefly noticeable in the out-patients section at the dispensaries of Karáchi,
Hyderabad, Shikárpur and Naushahro Feroze. The number of animals treated
by Veterinary Assistants on tour also fell from. 2,918 to 2,554 although the num-
-er of villages visited rose from 381 to 938. No explanation has been offered for
the diminution in attendance in a year when epidemic diseases were prevalent in
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