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PART I.-IMPERIAL REPORT.
B.—REVENUE SECTION.
V.—BACTERIOLOGICAL LABORATORY.
Bacteriological
Laboratory.
404. During the year under review important changes have taken
place in the administration of the Laboratory.
405. Dr. Lingard, whose tenure of office terminated on 31st August last,
was offered an extension for five years on an increased pay of Rs. 1,400 per
mensem, and at the same time this Department was informed that the control of
the laboratory which had remained with the Inspector General, Civil Veteri-
nary Department, from 1st April 1893, was to be transferred to the Director
General, Indian Medical Service. At the same time, it was stated that no
change would be made in the special objects for which the office of Imperial
Bacteriologist and the laboratory at Muktesar have been constituted, and
that Dr. Lingard would continue to direct his investigations to diseases affecting
animals and especially to Rinderpest. Shortly after the extension being granted,
Dr. Lingard fell ill and was granted one year's furlough to England on medi-
cal certificate. Captain L. Rogers, I.M.S., was appointed to officiate. The
change occurred during my absence on leave.
406. As required by the orders of the Government of India, I give the
most important extracts from the report by the Imperial Bacteriologist with-
out comment, and do not express any opinion with regard to the conclusions
drawn or statements made therein.
Buildings.
407. The Imperial Bacteriologist enters fully into the question of the
buildings which have been completed during the year. They are:—
The whole of the Cattle sheds.
Sterilising house.
Small animals' house.
Store-house for grain, etc.
Snow well.
Post-mortem room and Incinerator.
Cold room.
The requirements of the laboratory are now few.
408. The Imperial Bacteriologist reports as follows:—
Experimental Sta-
tion in the Plains.
"A small depot, as an offshot of the laboratory to be placed at Bareilly, has been sanctioned, in order to
allow of any important experiments being repeated, when necessary, in the plains, under different conditions
to those which obtain at Muktesar and for other purposes, and it is hoped that necessary money will be allotted
in time for the buildings to be completed before the cold weather, as the land has already been taken over with
the sanction of His Honor the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces, who kindly granted me
an interview on the subject at Bareilly in January last. The site which has been selected is situated four
miles out of Bareilly on the Badaun road, and is about twelve acres in extent. One laboratory room with a
quarter for a Veterinary Assistant and a godown will be constructed, together with sheds which will suffice
forcattle for rinderpest experiments if it is found necessary to repeat these on plain cattle there in the cold
weather, or for horses or other animals if required. The officers of the laboratory will either live in Bareilly
or camp on the ground when working at this branch station."
The Imperial Bacteriologist reports as follows:—
Cultivation.
"In order to overcome the difficulty of obtaining fodder for the cattle at Muktesar, at the suggestion of
the Inspector-General, Civil Veterinary Department, some of the land belonging to the laboratory was placed
under cultivation. This could only be done to a very limited extent on account of want of labour, but as
no rinderpest experiments were going on during the latter part of 1898, some of the coolies who had been
sanctioned as cattle attendants were available for employment of cultivation. During the present year the
labour difficulty has been greater owing to the cattle attendants being fully employed in the sheds, and permis-
sion has been asked to spend a portion of the sum allotted under the head of 'Feed and keep of cattle' on the
employment of coolies for cultivation, as this will result in some saving. In spite of these disadvantages, some
progress has been made with the cultivation. Some jawar seed was ordered in April 1898, but as it was not
received till July, it did not have a fair chance and was a failure at Muktesar, but did somewhat better at
Ritani, which is several hundred feet lower down. In September, bill barley was sown both at Muktesar and
at Ritani, and good crops have resulted, although some damage was done by hailstorms in April. During the
last winter, more land was cleared at Ritani and 39 maunds of jowar seed from Babugarh has been obtained
and put in partly at Ritani and partly at Muktesar, and is coming up well. The ploughing is done by the
experimental cattle, while the Jemadar supervises all the cultivation under the guidance of the Assistant Bacterio-
logist, to whom great credit is due for his work in developing the cultivation. A small quantity of several bill
crops are being tried as an experiment on some of the laboratory land, so that any which are successful and
suitable for fodder in place of grass, which is only obtainable with great difficulty, will be planted more exten-
sively next year."
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