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report the Government of the United Provinces proposed to the local Govern-
ment that Bihar and Orissa should join with the Western Province in founding
a new College to be situated at Allahabad or Cawnpur. This proposal has been
accepted by the local Government and it is intended that a minimum of six
candidates shall be sent yearly from Bihar and Orissa from the Hindi-speaking
tracts of the Province. Oriya and Bengali students would continue to be
trained as before at the Bengal Veterinary College at Belgachia. It is under-
stood that instruction at the new College will be imparted in the vernacular
and this will, so far as Bihar proper and Chota Nagpur are concerned, open the
way for the recruitment of students from the ranks of agriculturists rather
than from the classes from which clerical or ministerial officers are obtained.
In the resolution on last year's report Government indicated that much
importance was attached to the development of the Department in this direc-
tion and it is hoped that the United Provinces' scheme will be carried into
effect at an early date. At present, although District Boards show a commend-
able desire to increase expenditure on veterinary aid the Department is unable
to supply the number of qualified veterinary assistants that are demanded.
A further regrettable feature of the present dearth of candidates is the fact
that Biharis and Oriyas, to say nothing of the natives of the Chota Nagpur
districts, are being passed over through the recruitment of men from outside
provinces, Bengal, the Punjab and Madras. This in the circumstances has
proved unavoidable, but is to be deprecated since it is unlikely that we can
obtain graduates of the first quality for service outside their own provinces. It is
hoped that on the opening of a College in the United Provinces with a
course of instruction in the vernacular candidates will be sent forward in suffi-
cient numbers to prevent the department being swamped by outsiders.
4. Considerable improvement has taken place in the reporting of cattle
disease. Veterinary Inspectors and Assistants visited the thanas and checked
in the villages the figures recorded in the thana registers. It is gratifying to
be able to report that the district officers and Superintendents of Police have
taken much interest in the matter and given valuable help from time to time.
The missionaries in Chota Nagpur have also largely assisted in supplying
more accurate figures for the area under their charge and the thanks of
Government are due to them for their help. The new Registers have simplified
the keeping of these statistics. Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia and Rinderpest
have been very prevalent especially in Chota Nagpur, where they caused a
large mortality.
5. The experiment initiated last year to combat Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia
in the Chota Nagpur Division through the agency of locally-trained inoculators
was carried out during the year with the co-operation of the missionaries.
The degree of success obtained and the policy to be adopted for the future
conduct of the scheme will form the subject of a special report to Government.
6. The number of deaths from contagious diseases amongst bovines rose
considerably from 7,591 of the previous year to 18,227, rinderpest alone being
responsible for more than half the number. The increase, though mainly
attributable to the prevalence of the diseases, Rinderpest and Hæmorrhagic
Septicæmia, in Chota Nagpur, is to some extent due to better reporting. Out
of 1,525 outbreaks of rinderpest no more than 369 could be attended for want
of an adequate staff. These figures emphasise the necessity for taking such
steps as will popularise the veterinary service and create a flow of aspirants for
the veterinary qualification.
7. The total number of inoculations performed during the year (excluding
the figures for Ranchi) rose to 53,109 against 22,124 in 1912-13. With the
Ranchi figures added 121,020 cattle were inoculated during the year which is
an extremely satisfactory record of progress. A greater advance might have
been recorded but for the break-down in the supply of serum from the Mukteswar
laboratory during the period from July 1913 to March 1914. It is gratify-
ing to observe that the percentage of deaths subsequent to inoculation is
remarkably low. Itinerant Veterinary Assistants visited 11,548 villages against
11,508 villages visited the year previous. Mr. Quinlan and his subordinates
have done much to combat the prejudice which still exists among the people
against inoculation. The meeting with the Pundits at Puri referred to in last