13
Chairman, District Board, in which a proportion of the cost is borne
by the union boards. Steps have since been taken at the instance of
the chairman to move Government to provide funds for these new
posts in the budget of this department for the current financial year.
71. Babu R. N. Maitra, Itinerant Veterinary Assistant Surgeon
of Asansol in the district of Burdwan, died in July 1932 and Govern-
ment were pleased to sanction the grant of a compassionate gratuity
of Rs. 8 per month to his widow Srimati Tarubala Debya for a period
of three years with, effect from the date of issue of their order.
Babu A. T. Roy, Itinerant Veterinary Assistant Surgeon of Perojpore
in the district of Bakarganj, was placed on deputation on foreign
service for a period of three years with effect from the 15th September
1932 for employment as Veterinary Assistant Surgeon under the
Bhawal Estate under the Court of Wards. Moulvi S. M. Muhammadul
Haque, Itinerant Veterinary Assistant Surgeon of Faridpur, was pro-
moted to act as Inspector in the vacancy arising from the death of
Babu Shibdas Bhaduri, Glanders Inspector, Bengal Veterinary College.
General Remarks.
72. Rinderpest.—The periodic rise in the incidence of this disease
appears to have set in and its continuance for another year or more
may be anticipated. If it follows the course run previously it will
rise still further before it again begins to subside. I attach a chart
showing the numbers of deaths reported and inoculations performed,
1912-1933. From 1912 to- 1917 the incidence was low, it began to
rise in 1918, reached its peak in 1924, declined slightly in 1925,
increased again in 1926 and 1927 to its maximum and declined in
1928. It continued low for 3 years. The new rise commenced in
1931 and continued to rise in 1932, and from the reports received up
to the end of June 1933 it is still rising.
The Disease Investigation Officer, supplied to Bengal in December
1932 by the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research, is engaged
in working out the best method of applying the serum simultaneous
method of immunisation and its modification for application under
field conditions in Bengal. I propose applying the most satisfactory
method as early as possible.
The usual serum simultaneous method is absolutely satisfactory
and confers a life long immunity but it is too costly to apply whole-
sale to the millions of cattle in the province.
In the current year considerable assistance has been rendered by
the Imperial Institute of Veterinary Research at Muktesar by the
reduction of the cost of serum by 50 per cent., but under conditions
at present existing, this will not mean a corresponding reduction in
the provincial serum bill. Ordinary serum alone inoculation must
continue our main stay for the present, and the incidental cost of
investigation work by the Disease Investigation Officer has to be met
from this grant also. Now the trained Disease Investigation Officer
is available, every effort is being made to reduce the per capita cost
of protection against rinderpest.
73. Central virus station in the province.—As this anti-rinderpest
investigation work proceeds it will be essential to establish a head-
quarters station for the production of goat virus for issue to the