( 2 )
been an increase.
The Superintendent explains that this is due to the
fact that in one dispensary last year each visit of an out-patient was
reckoned as that of a new patient, and the error has now been corrected.
Of the dispensaries established during the previous year, the Dinajpur
Dispensary has had no in-patients owing to the difficulty in acquiring land for
the necessary buildings, but it has done good work amongst out-patients.
The Noakhali Dispensary had unfortunately to be closed owing to the
impossibility of securing the services of a qualified Veterinary Assistant ; and in
Purnea, owing to the fact that its dispensary was placed on a bad site, which
will be changed, little or nothing was done. The difficulty experienced at
Noakhali the Lieutenant-Governor hopes to overcome by the scheme which is
now under contemplation for the complete reorganization of the Veterinary
Department including the creation of a graded service. The scheme cannot be
brought into force at once ; but with the rapid extension of the Bengal Veteri-
nary College, and with the improved prospects which will be opened out to
officers of the Department, His Honour is confident that in future there will
not be the present difficulty in meeting the demands of the various districts for
Veterinary Assistants, and that ultimately every subdivision in Bengal will have
its own itinerant as well as stationary Veterinary Assistant. The difficulties
encountered at Dinajpur and Purnea foreshadow others that may be met
with in the development of the Department. To cope with them, His Honour
looks to the District Boards and Municipalities for their loyal support in the
matter of the improvement, construction, and extension of Dispensary buildings.
Sir Andrew Fraser has noted with pleasure the action taken in this respect
by the Gaya and Ranchi District Boards. The thanks of Government are
due to the Committees who have supervised the management of the different
dispensaries during the year.
6. Bengal Veterinary Hospital (Belgachia).—The
infirmary continues to do
excellent work : 2,982 cases were treated and 759 operations performed against
2,819 and 723, respectively, of the previous year. The number of cruelty
cases in which animals cruelly treated were sent by Magistrates for treatment
dropped from 278 in 1903-04 to 83. A qualified Veterinary Assistant has
now been appointed to watch these cases in Court and to advise the Magistrates
as to whether the animal should be sent to the infirmary for treatment or not.
The development of the infirmary forms a portion of the larger scheme for
the development of the Bengal Veterinary College.
7. Breeding Operations.—It is too early as yet to express any opinion
on the result of the cattle-breeding farms at Pusa and Sripur. It has
been decided to drop the proposal to establish bull-acclimatization dep6ts.
For the present, it is proposed to send a few bulls from the above farms to
Belgachia and to one or two other farms and, if after the period of accli-
matization is over, it is found that they are more useful than young bulls
imported direct from Pusa and Sripur, the question of establishing depôts
may be again revived. Several purchases were made during the year for
Pusa out of the grant of this Government amounting to Rs. 50,000 for
bull-breeding.
8. Fairs and Shows.—There
were 10 fairs and shows during the year
against 7 of the preceding year. New fairs were opened at Sripur,
Midnapore and Comilla. It is to be regretted that, owing to the poor speci-
mens of indigenous breeds of cattle exhibited, it was not possible to distribute
the whole prize fund. The Lieutenant-Governor trusts, however, that with
a fuller advertisement of the fairs and of the policy of Government in regard to
improvement of the best local breeds by the grant of prizes these fairs
will attract exhibits by the bond fide cultivator, as well as by the richer
classes, and encourage the breed of better cattle by selection from the best
specimens of the best local types.
9. The Lieutenant-Governor has much pleasure in acknowledging the
zeal and ability with which Major Raymond during the first half of the
year and Captain Trydell during the latter half have managed the Depart-
ment, and considers that they deserve great credit for the progress which has
been made in its development.
By order of the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal,
R. W. CARLYLE,
Offg. Chief Secretary to the Govt. of Bengal.
B. S. Press-21525—750-16-9-1905—W. M. D'O.