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PART II.-PROVINCIAL REPORT.
V.—VETERINARY INSTRUCTION.
726. In my last year's report I said that I would deem it advisable to defer
any conference of Principals and teachers in order to endeavour to lay down a
fixed curriculum, until the scheme for the Subordinate Veterinary Establish-
ment had been decided on. As, however, this has not yet been settled upon, I
certainly think that the time has now arrived when some definite system of
teaching should be laid down.
727. The various systems are so diversified that it leads to quite a differ-
ent class of men being turned out from each school or College. For example,
Bombay has an enormously long syllabus that if carried through must
mean that it is done at the cost of more practical work. There is also no system
of marking laid down; at some colleges 33 per cent. being sufficient
to ensure a pass whereas at others 50 per cent. is necessary. All this points to
the necessity of some system being introduced, and therefore I trust to be
in a position to recommend that a Conference should be held during the
current year.
Bengal Veterinary
College.
728. During the year under review this school has been raised to the status
of a college and a three years' course has been instituted. This will lead to
most excellent men being obtained at least whilst the college remains under
the direction of Veterinary Major Raymond, to whom the greatest credit is due
for his exertions in bringing this college to the state of usefulness which it has
now reached.
729. The examinations were held on 16th, 17th, and 18th March 1899.
The Board consisted of:—
Veterinary Captain Gunn, Assistant to the Inspector General, Civil
Veterinary Department.
Veterinary Lieutenant Martin, Army Veterinary Department.
Class A examination [first year's students) are examined by the teaching
staff, and owing to the change above alluded to, there were no students to be
examined for the third or final examination.
Fifteen students presented themselves for the B examination and all
satisfied the examiners.
Veterinary Captain Gunn in presenting his report, says : —
" As I attend the Board of Examination at all the teaching institutions, I can conscientiously say that the
applied tests were by no means lenient, and would point out that the same officers have examined the students of
this college during the past three years."
730. I am glad to see that the practice of this valuable institution is
increasing yearly. In 1896-97 it stood at 727, last year it rose to 1,039 and
this year, as will be seen by the following extract, it reached 1,530.
731. One of the most noticeable features with the practice is the number
of cases of contagious disease which it affords. On this question the Superin-
tendent, Civil Veterinary Department, Bengal, states :—
" The total number of cases treated in 1898-99 was 1,530, or an increase of 491 cases over the previous year.
Of these, 850 were treated as in-patients and 680 as out-patients, as against 714 and 325, respectively, in
1897-98.
" The daily average number of cases was 69, of which 42 were in-patients and 27 out-patients, as opposed to
60 in 1897-98.
" The number of deaths is somewhat smaller than that of last year, being 7.25 per cent. against 8 per cent.
in the previous year.
" There were 10 cases of glanders, 84 of rinderpest, 20 of eczema contagiosa, 2 of tuberculosis, and 4 of
rabies (inclusive of 1 in a bull) which afforded opportunities to the students of making themselves familiar with
the contagious diseases which they will be called upon to diagnose.
" At the request of the Director of Land Records and Agriculture, Bengal, the Commissioner of Police has
sent one horse for treatment, and I hope he will send more, and through the courtesy of the Chairman of the
Calcutta Corporation and also on Mr. Lyon's recommendation, 11 municipal bullocks suffering from rinderpest
have recently been treated in the College Hospital. Although 8 of these bullocks died within a few hours of
their admission into the hospital, owing to the cases being far advanced when sent, yet they afforded the
students some further opportunities for clinical study of the disease, and as I hope arrangements will be possible
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