2
admitted, however, in all fairness to local bodies, that the increasing
calls which are made upon limited financial resources particularly on
the side of medical and public health work make it inevitable that
they should cut down expenditure somewhere and veterinary interests
are not the only ones that have suffered.
A noticeable exception, however, is the Nadia District Board who
were enterprising enough to organise a travelling exhibition in which
the Veterinary as well as the Public Health and Agriculture Depart-
ments took part.
The scheme for thana veterinary dispensaries under the adminis-
tration of Union Boards, to which reference was made in last year's
review, has not yet materialised, as the amendment to the Village Self-
Government Act, which was necessary in order to make it possible,
had to be dropped after being introduced in the present session of the
Legislative Council. The future of the Bill is still, however, under
consideration.
3. The year was a mild one so far as epidemic diseases were
concerned, but, as Mr. Davis points out, these things go in cycles,
and diminution of outbreaks in a particular year is no indication
that such diseases are dying out.
The total number of deaths from epidemic diseases was 15,459 as
against 35,719 in the previous year. The deaths from rinderpest,
which accounted for 76 per cent. of the total, fell from 33,405 to
11,790. Hæmorrhagic septicæmia, on the other hand, showed a
slight increase from 1,492 to 1,899. Tippera heads the rinderpest
list with 1,611 deaths, closely followed by Chittagong with 1,521,
and Mymensingh with 935. The casualties in Khulna and Bakarganj
fell from over 4,400 each to 473 and 688, respectively. The deaths
in Sodepur Pinjrapole fell from 189 to 142.
During the year 113,757 inoculations were performed as against.
206,616 in the previous year, but this was in respect of a number of
outbreaks which was less by more than half than that of the
previous year. The death rate among inoculated animals was negli-
gible. It is satisfactory to observe that there is very little opposition
to inoculation. There was again an increase of patients treated by
Veterinary Assistant Surgeons on tour, viz., 169,385 as against
126,661, an increase of over 33 per cent., while the number of cases
treated at dispensaries and hospitals rose from 56,184 to 71,159, or by
over 26 per cent. (the rate of increase last year was 10 per cent.).
These figures indicate that the animal-owner at any rate is appreciat-
ing more and more the value of veterinary attendance, and show that
there is a need for more dispensaries and a bigger staff. Yet no new
hospital or dispensary was opened during the year and there was no
increase of staff.
The Hon'ble Minister is glad to note, however, that the Mymen-
singh District Board have undertaken the construction of a serum
cellar at their Sadar Dispensary; that the Pabna District Board have
allotted Rs. 12,000 for the construction of a Veterinary Hospital
and quarters for the Veterinary Assistant Surgeon at Pabna; and
that the Rajshahi District Board have constructed a serum cellar at
the headquarters veterinary hospital.
The Department participated once more in the Eastern Bengal
Railway Demonstration Train.