154
Berar.
678. The two dispensaries which were open last year still continue to do
good work.
679. Akola Dispensary. —Afforded relief to 797 animals, showing an
increase of 71 when compared with last year. All were out-patients. Of these,
171 were horses and 820 were cattle. The mortality was very small, amounting
as it did to only 2 per cent. This should inspire confidence in the dispensaries
of Berar.
680. Amraoti Dispensary.—One thousand one hundred and one cases were
treated at this dispensary; of these, 237 were horses and 596 were cattle; sheep,
goats, dogs, etc., account for the balance. This number represents a reduction
of 484 when compared with last year. No explanation is offered by the Veteri-
nary Assistant in charge, but the Director of Land Records and Agriculture
attributes it to the non-prevalence of contagious disease in Amraoti; but in
addition to this cause, the dispensary was closed for 15 days during the absence
of the Veterinary Assistant in the districts.
681. For the above information, as well as for all other referring to
Berar, I am indebted to Mr. Francis, the Director of Land Records and Agri-
culture, who was in charge of the Department throughout the year. This
officer, when remarking on the dispensaries, states:—
"The details of the work of dispensaries show that out of the total number of animals treated 91.36 per
cent. were either cured or relieved and only 2.21 per cent. of the cases ended fatally. These figures agree with
those of the previous year and tend to show a large measure of success.
"In addition to this, the Veterinary Inspector and the two Assistants treated 375 cattle when on duty in
the districts, making a grand total of 227 cases."
North-Western
Provinces.
682. Feeling that something should be done in this direction, I addressed
the Director of Land Records and Agriculture, as far back as November 1897,
pointing out the value of these institutions, and also drawing his attention to
the fact that whilst the Punjab had 22, Bombay 16, Bengal 3, Central Provinces
and Berar 2 each, the North-Western Provinces had none. At his request,
I framed estimates showing the initial expenditure at about Rs. 200, provided a
suitable building could be found, the annual expenditure amounting to Rs. 700,
including the pay of a Veterinary Assistant solely for the dispensary. Diffi-
culties were raised on this latter point, or, to put them in the words of one of the
District Officers, they were as follows:—
"The dispensary will not be much good unless the Veterinary Assistant is always to be found there, as
people will not take an animal there on the chance of finding him. If, on the other hand, he is continually
there, the work he does will be confined to a comparatively small area."
683. With the first portion of this statement, I fully agree. No dis-
pensary should be started unless the District Board is in a position to employ
a Veterinary Assistant solely for this duty. No Veterinary Assistant employed
at a dispensary should be allowed to leave it. But, although the work done
by a Veterinary Assistant thus employed is confined to a comparatively small
area, I was able to show the Director of Land Records and Agriculture the
good work done by some of the dispensaries in the Punjab, where over 3,000
cases are treated annually. What, I would ask, is the annual expenditure of
Rs. 700 when compared with the alleviation of suffering, and the reduction of
mortality which is brought about by the proper treatment of this large number
of animals. In addition to this, this Department has still to gain the con-
fidence of the people, who are wedded to their empirical methods of treatment,
and I know of no surer manner of gaining this end than by starting dispen-
saries; by doing so we are paving the way for future good work in the districts.
684. The Director of Land Records and Agriculture has now drafted
out a Circular to those District Boards in which Veterinary Assistants are
employed, but from it I gather that next to no expenditure is to be incurred;
for example, he states:—
"If, as I believe is the case, the Assistant has already been supplied with a set of instruments, nothing
further will be needed under this head."
Again he says:—
"If there is room in the enclosure, a few temporary sheds should be provided for the shelter of the
animals brought for treatment, but the cost of these would be trifling."
Again:—
"As regards the recurring expenditure, it does not seem probable that for the present at least the existing
provision for medicines, country and European, would require to be increased by any considerable sum. The
annual cost should not be much over one hundred rupees, exclusive of the sum required for the rent."