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if properly trained, could hold charge of the dispensaries whilst the Veterinary
Assistants went into the districts.
(b) I was informed that it was proposed to have a Veterinary Assistant
in each district and to equip small dispensaries, but as a know-
ledge of Mahratti is essential to all Veterinary Assistants
employed in Hyderabad Assigned Districts, I pointed out that
local men would have to be sent for training to one of our Schools
or Colleges.
(c) At the request of the Director, I furnished him with forms for the
registration of cattle diseases, which are used in other Provinces,
and I trust soon to see some form adopted in Berar which will
lead to reliable statistics being obtained under this heading.
(d) Amongst other subjects discussed, were:—
(i) Books required by Veterinary Assistants to enable them to
keep up their professional knowledge.
(ii) Cattle breeding.
(iii) Inspection of Dâk lines.
(iv) Working of the Glanders and Farcy Act, Act XX of 1879.
(v) Attendance of Veterinary Assistants at cattle fairs, especially at
Wun, which is the largest fair held in the Province.
A most interesting report was received from Major Garrett, Officiating
Director of Land Records and Agriculture, Berar, but as it arrived three
weeks after this report was sent to Press, it has been found impossible to
incorporate the various points brought forward, under their different headings.
I have therefore deemed it advisable to add the work done in Berar as Appen-
dix R., which will be found on page cxviii.
North Punjab.
738. The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, North Punjab,
states:—
"During the past year I have taken no personal part in investigating any outbreak of cattle disease, owing
to my time being fully taken up in the work connected with horse-breeding. Besides, so slow are the people
in realizing that they have an outbreak of disease in their midst that, before the report has filtered through the
various channels of information to my office, the outbreak has died out. Such being frequently the case, on the
Veterinary Assistant attached to my office being sent to a seat of outbreak, the disease has almost invariably
been found to have worked itself out."
He further goes on to say "that there were no serious outbreaks in any
one district; but Rinderpest, from which disease 5,317 animals died, was nearly
always present in the Gujranwala, Shahpur, Jhang, and Bannu Districts."
Anthrax.—In its various forms this disease was present in 11 out of the
13 districts in the Northern Circle, Kohat and Gujrat being the only free
districts. The disease only attacked a few animals in isolated places.
Under the heading of other diseases, 2,231 animals are reported to have
died. The Superintendent says:—
"These figures I think must be quite wrong, for many more cattle than this total must have died from
starvation alone, that is, if the information given me by local officials while on tour can be taken for anything."
With regard to cattle-breeding the Superintendent states:—
"Cattle-breeding is carried on in the North Punjab Circle in a very perfunctory manner. Bulls having
been purchased by District Boards, or given by the Provincial Government, are generally allowed to run free,
and are kept at different villages, their keep being defrayed from district funds. In this manner, the number
of cows covered and the results are impossible to obtain, and no attempts appear to have been made to do so.
In some districts, for instance Lahore, Rawalpindi and Dera Ismail Khan, the Hissar bull appears to be preferred,
but at others, such as Gujrat and Sialkot, prefer their own in digenous breeds. There appears to be no system
of breeding recognised, and it is left to chance."
Baluchistan.
739. Veterinary Captain Maxwell reports:—
"No Veterinary Assistants have yet been employed in the Agency paid from district funds to enquire into
cattle diseases, hence no returns referring to investigation and prevention of cattle diseases are prepared."
Cattle are very limited in the Agency, but those in the Nari tract of
Baluchistan are very good indeed. These are exported to all parts of India
and are famous for their quality, action, and working capabilities.
No special cattle-breeding is going on in Baluchistan nor are there any
separate cattle fairs held in the Agency.
The zemindars, as a rule, are not anxious to sell their cattle, but reserve
them for dairy and agricultural purposes.
North-Western
Provinces.
740. According to reports submitted by district authorities during the
year it would appear that there were 75,017 cattle affected with disease in
these provinces. Of these 23,941 are reported to have died. Last year the
numbers were 31,404 and 16,142, respectively, giving the precentage of deaths
31.9 against 51.4 for last year.