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them at the final examination, still no Veterinary Assistant, whose name does
not appear on the register, will be recommended by the Principal for employ-
ment.
790. The largest employers of Veterinary Assistants are naturally this
Department, and District and Local Boards and Municipalities in the Punjab.
A Circular has been issued by the Director of Land Records and Agriculture of
this Province to all Deputy Commissioners, stating that as cases have arisen in
which Veterinary Assistants dismissed from the Civil Veterinary Department
for incompetency or dishonesty have succeeded in obtaining employment under
local bodies, His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor considers it advisable that
all local bodies should, in future, employ only men recommended by the
Principal, and as all dismissals will be reported to him, this measure will lead
to none but trustworthy men being employed, and will, I feel convinced, tend
to their performing better work than they have hitherto done, as they now know
that their career in the Subordinate Veterinary staff will be carefully watched.
Bengal Veterin-
ary Institution.
791. Twenty five students attended lectures in Class A. Of these, 21
were new men, and four were failures from the previous year.
Twenty two students attended lectures in Class B (the senior Class).
Of the above 22, 14 presented themselves at the final examination, of
whom nine passed and five failed to satisfy the Board of Examiners, who, as
usual, were:—
The Assistant to the Inspector-General, Civil Veterinary Department.
The Veterinary Officer, Army Veterinary Department, Barrackpore.
The remaining eight students of B Class were not permitted to attend the
examination on account of their irregular attendance at lectures. I am
pleased to find that the Principal has made a firm stand in this direction.
792. Veterinary Captain Raymond assumed charge of the office of Princi-
pal on 12th October 1896, and pays a high tribute to the state of efficiency of
the institution:—
"I was greatly surprised to find that the Bengal Veterinary Institution was established in such a fine
building, the grounds so well laid out, and the whole establishment in such good order. To start a new thing
and to bring it to an advanced degree of organization is not an easy task. I beg therefore to offer my con-
gratulations to my predecessor, Veterinary Captain Gunn, and those who worked with him for the good work
done in this direction."
He further proceeds to state:—
"I was favourably impressed with the intelligence of the students; the percentage of stupid men was very
small. Their knowledge of English was good, and they took notes of the lectures in that language, as I ascer-
tained by frequent inspection of their books. The junior students were well drilled in bandaging and securing
animals. The senior men were made to dress all the cases and to do all the work connected with the treatment
of patients, besides assisting at operations. Moreover, they performed all the ordinary operations on the dead
subject, and also to a large extent (according to capacity) on the living. I may say they showed promise in
Surgery.
"In the rudiments of Anatomy and Materia Medica, they were well up. These were subjects in which we
were able to give them plenty of practical demonstrations. In the points of the horse they have done well for
the same reason. In Elementary Physiology they have also done well, as it consists chiefly of committing to
memory certain data. I examined them myself occasionally to see how they were progressing, and they appeared
to understand what they were taught. But Physiology is too difficult a science to go into to any great
extent; moreover the time at our disposal is insufficient.
"In some respects I was not satisfied with the students. Firstly, they were not as manly as they might be;
secondly, owing to their previous ignorance of animals in health and disease, they were exceedingly awkward in
handling them; thirdly, in clinical diagnosis, they were weak; fourthly, in diagnosing lameness they were bad;
and fifthly, some of them have been lazy. I shall try to remedy these defects.
"The strong points of the students at Belgatchia, namely, their knowledge of English, intelligence, good
caste, ability to write reports, are those that would qualify them for employment as senior Veterinary Assistants;
but as they are weak in practical matters, I consider that an extra year of study is essential to fit them to gain
the confidence of the people upon which such stress is very rightly said in Government of India Resolution
No. 1436 / 19-6, 1895. This view is shared by the Board of Examiners which sat at Belgatchia recently, and these
gentlemen have recommended that the curriculum be extended by another year to meet the especial weakness of
Bengali students. In considering this matter we should not forget that a two years' course does not mean two
years devoted to training, owing to the fact that about 230 days of the two years are taken up by vacations and
holidays.
" Having gained a reasonable knowledge of practical matters during the extra year's training, they will be
as well prepared to occupy senior veterinary appointments in Bengal as the graduates of any other school.
But I am most strongly of opinion that it would be a serious mistake to put inexperienced men, however high
their qualifications, into senior appointments before they have learned the work of the junior grade and shown
their value ; for it does not follow that all men with high scholastic attainments are competent to supervise
other men. I suggest, therefore, that all our graduates should start from the bottom, and be promoted on their
merits."