3
at Kuppam on 2nd February 1919. This latter is being visited by the inspecting
officers of this department, at the Zamindar's request, so it is included in Table V,
which now contains 42 institutions compared with 39 of the previous year. The
question of a site for the Ootacamund hospital has at last been decided and Govern
ment have ordered the buildings to be constructed at an early date. After much
delay in the matter of obtaining buildings and furniture, the dispensaries at Cuddapah
and Bezwada have recently been opened. It is reported that buildings for a Veteri
nary hospital to be opened at Veerakeralampudur in Uttumalai estate will soon be
ready, but the Zamindar of South Vallur says he is not willing to open such an
institution on his estate.
13. It is difficult to compare, at a glance, the figures of work done at a hospital
during the past year with those of previous years because Table V has been prepared
in this report in a new form, according to the instructions contained in the Circular
of the Government of India No. 1061-36, dated 21st September 1917.
It will be observed that Calicut now goes to the top of the tree, although
Berhampur continued to do the most work if castrations be included.
The other institutions which show a considerable increase, if the complete figures
are taken into account, are Nellore, Trichinopoly, Saidapet, Adōni, Bhadrachalam,
Amalapur, Parlākimedi, Madanapalle, and Mangalore.
14. The names of the following Assistants are brought to the notice of Govern
ment for having done a good year's work while in charge of a hospital or dispensary:
A. Castelino, M. Ponnayya, P. Srinivasa Rao, K. Ramiengar, P. K. Devanayagam,
K. Sukumara Rao, N. Muniyappa, K. Raghavendra Rao, K. R. Krishna Ayyar,
H. Viswanath, M, Abdul Gaffur, P. A. Parthasaradhi Nayudu, N. Soundararajan,
S. S. Theetharappa Mudaliyar, R. Swaminathan, M. P. Kannaya Nayudu, P. S. Kuppu-
swami and P. I. Chakko.
15. A considerable number of the institutions show a fall in their figures
compared with the previous year, it being most marked at Rajahmundry, Velio re,
Tanjore, Sivaganga, Sivagiri, Bellary, Tinnevelly and Nandyal.
The reason given for this general decrease is that the year being one of pestilence
and famine, both in men and animals, owners were unable to take the same care of
their animals as previously, and in many cases in towns had to sell them off owing to
the scarcity of fodder.
16. In the case of Vellore and Sivaganga it is reported that the destruction of
horses, which had been patients of the institution and were found to be suffering
from a contagious disease scheduled under the Glanders and Farcy Act, kept many
cases away. The figures of Sivagiri for 1917-18 were swelled by a severe outbreak
of foot-and-mouth disease which occurred in the town but this hospital will never
do any good while the Zamindari takes so little interest in it. It has been suggested
that it be taken over by one of the local bodies and correspondence is still taking
place on this question.
Tanjore, Bellary and Tinnevelly suffered from several changes amongst the
assistants in charge. In the case of Tanjore the assistant got into trouble and
consequently applied for a transfer to the military department, while at the two last
mentioned places the permanent assistants died. To show how this may sometimes
affect the popularity of an institution it may be mentioned that Bellary, where the
same assistant had been working for a considerable number of years under the
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, was ninth on the list in 1916-17 but
has dropped to twenty-ninth in the year under review.
The introduction of fees caused a drop in the figures at Rajahmundry, so the
second veterinary assistant sanctioned by Government for this hospital has not yet
been appointed. This invariably happens at these hospitals but as it is mostly the
canine and other small patients which stay away it cannot be said to matter very much.
17. The total number of castrations performed at veterinary institutions during
the year was 1,990 as compared with 1,439 in the previous year.
The Veterinary Assistant in charge of the Berhampur hospital did 940 in the
hospital and 102 outside. There were 110 performed at Parlākimedi hospital and 92
at the Bhadrachalam dispensary.
18. The practice of supplying owners with medicine for animals not brought to
the hospital is discouraged as much as possible but 2,824 cases were so treated during
the year.