5
with 41,116 in 1914-15. The work done by the majority of these men has been
infinitesimal and the scheme does not, in my opinion, justify its existence
longer than the end of the present year unless very considerable improvement
takes place in the number of cattle immunized. As in the previous years, the
Gumla Circle shows more work accomplished than the Khunti Circle, the reason
given last year regarding the backwardness of the people being, in my opinion,
responsible for this. All Missionaries record great opposition to inoculation as
the majority of the people are too ignorant to value its benefits. The number
of animals temporarily protected against rinderpest is the most satisfactory
portion of the year's work. Sixty-three thousand two hundred doses of Hæmor-
rhagic Septicæmia Vaccine and 29,050 doses of Anti-rinderpest serum were
supplied to the Missionaries from the Depôt at Ranchi. The cost of the scheme
for the year under report is shown in Table XIV (b).
SUPPLY OF SERUM AND VACCINE.
During the year 1915-16 altogether 124,000 doses of Anti-rinderpest serum
to the value of Rs. 15,500, 65,600 doses of Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia Vaccine,
12,500 doses of Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia Serum, 6,000 doses of Anti-Anthrax
serum and 200 doses of Black-leg pillules were obtained from the Muktesar
Laboratory for the use of the Departmental staff. A sum of Rs. 12,120 on
account of the cost of Anti-rinderpest serum was recovered from the various
local bodies throughout the province, and credited to Government.
An audit of the office and of the serum accounts for the years 1912 to
March 1915 was carried out by the Accountant-General, Bihar and Orissa, at
the request of the Director of Agriculture; as a result new rules and new forms
were introduced while a number of suggestions were made for the keeping of
the accounts which have since been put into effect. The keeping of the serum
registers as well as those connected with the supply of instruments, etc., for the
kit boxes has necessitated one clerk being put on to this work alone.
Two Dep6ts for serum and vaccine were opened, one at Cuttack for the
Orissa Division, and the other at Muzaffarpur. The former has proved very
useful during the outbreaks in Balasore, Cuttack, Puri and Angul.
TABLE IV.
Table IV shows the number of animals treated by Veterinary Assistants on
tour. On the 1st of April 1915 there were 49 Itinerant Veterinary Assistants
and since that date five new posts, i.e., Sitamarhi, Supaul, Jamalpur, Kendrapara
and Bhadrak were filled bringing the total number of touring officers up to
fifty-four. This includes the four posts at Ranchi, Palamau, Manbhum and Ha-
zaribagh which are held by Itinerant Veterinary Assistants and the two Reserve
Veterinary Assistants who are acting as Inspectors of Inoculators in Ranchi
district. Veterinary Assistant K. B. Lal who was dismissed in the previous year
was reinstated on appeal to the Director of Agriculture and sent to Belgachia
for a course of training for 6 months. On return he was appointed to Bihar
Sub-division. Another Veterinary Assistant, Babu M. Agnihotri, was sent to
Allahabad Military Dairy Farm for training in modern Dairy methods and was
posted to Gaya to look after the Co-operative Dairy for a short period. Sub-
sequently he reverted to the Department.
The following Itinerating Veterinary Assistants did good work during the
year :—
Babus B. L. Maitra, Jamalpur ; P. Lall, Jamui ; R. N. Pundit,
Begusarai; B. Prashad, Sasaram ; T. Singh, Bettiah; D. N. Mukharji,
Hazaribagh ; I. B. Ghose, Dhanbad ; K. C. Chattarji. Bhadrak ;
B. B. Chauduri, Cuttack ; Maulavi E. H. Khan, Gaya ; and Maulavi
Md. Qasim, Madhubani.
The work of the Veterinary Assistants of Jahanabad, Nawadah, Palamau,
Kishanganj and Madhipura, which was unfavourably reported on last year,
has improved. The Veterinary Assistants of Buxar and Supaul still continue
to give trouble over their touring and general work.