6
Total number of new eases treated by Itinerant Veterinary Assistants
amount to 54,904 as against 53,613 of the previous year ; the increase of 1,291
being satisfactory.
TABLE V.
At the beginning of the year, 20 hospitals were open for the accommodation
of in-patients, this number at the close of the year being increased to 23 by
the sanctioning of the posts of Veterinary Assistants at Dumraon and Hajipur,
and the opening of the hospital at Begusarai, under the care of the Itinerant
Veterinary Assistant. It is hoped to be able to supply a Veterinary Assistant
for the Dumraon Hospital next year ; owing to funds not being available
the Hajipur hospital buildings have not yet been started. The extensions to
the Bankipur Veterinary Hospital, which are badly needed have not yet been
undertaken, but the boundary walls have been completed. The new hospital
at Muzaffarpur has not been put in hand for want of funds, it is very urgently
required, as the present buildings are very insanitary. An operation shed
has been added to the Veterinary Hospital at Cuttack, while a ward for out-
patients and dog kennels have been constructed at the Bettiah Estate Hospital.
The operation shed at Monghyr was completed, and opened during the year,
but the other works proposed could not be carried out. The hospital at Supaul
is under construction and will be opened early next year.
Veterinary Assistants' quarters and dispensary buildings are badly needed
at Dhanbad, Giridih, Nawadah, Jahanabad, Kishanganj, Katihar, Sasaram,
Buxar, Gopalganj, Madhubani, Kendrapara and a few other subdivisions, but
will have to stand over owing to shortage of funds.
The following Veterinary Assistants in charge of hospitals have done good
work during the year under report :—
Babus C. L. Ganguli, Bankipur ; J. L. Bose, Bhagalpur ; N. N. Ghose.
Muzaffarpur ; N. Chattarji, Ranchi ; K. K. Mitter, Gaya ; P. C.
Bhattacharji, Balasore ; J. N. Mukharji, Purnea and Maulavi
Md. Azam, Monghyr.
Shoeing forges still continue to do well and show a profit in spite of the
high prices of nails and iron. Nalbands are badly needed in most large
stations and though efforts were made to get local men for training, no suitable
candidates were forthcoming. The total number of in-patients and out-patients
treated in the hospitals rose to 26,213 from 26,041. in 1914-15, an increase of
169 only.
TABLE VIII.
BREEDING OPERATIONS.
The number of bulls maintained by different local bodies is shown in
Table VIII. Requisitions were received for two buffalo bulls, four buffalo
cows, four Punjabi cows, and two goats from different local bodies and
private persons. Inspector Sirdar Sucha Singh was deputed to the Punjab in
December and succeeded in getting most of the animals together with 11
buffalo bulls for the Bettiah Estate ; but owing to the famine which was
prevailing there at the time he had to spend a considerable time in collect-
ing them as many of the best specimens had been sold off earlier in the
year. As in previous years, many applications were received for bulls for
improving local breeds, but it was impossible to comply with these owing to
the small number of animals which are available at the breeding stations. The
question of employing a whole-time Veterinary Inspector to help in cattle pur-
chase will have to be considered, as the present system of taking him away
from his proper duty of inspecting Veterinary Assistants during the greater
part of the cold weather is the cause of considerable inconvenience owing to the
smallness of the staff and the large areas which they have to cover. There will
shortly be ample work in each district for a single inspector.