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3. Infirmary for animals.—The number of animals treated as in-patients
at the Veterinary Hospital rose to 714, and as out-patients to 325, in com-
parison with 479 and 248 respectively in the preceding year. The increase
is satisfactory, and while indicating the growing appreciation of the institu-
tion, is most beneficial in extending the experience of the students by the
exhibition of the treatment of actual cases. The death-rate among the
cases treated fell from 12.3 to 8 per cent., while the percentage of recoveries
from rinderpest rose from 20 per cent. to 50 during the year under report.
Captain Raymond remarks that with the number of rinderpest and glanders
cases admitted, and the fact that so many cases are not sent until their
condition is hopeless, there must always be a tendency for the death-rate
to be high. 272 operations were performed as compared with 166 during
1896-97. A revised scale of fees for the treatment of cases in the hospital was
sanctioned after the close of the year, and its effect on the number of admissions
should be especially noticed, after experience has been gained of its working.
The number of horses shod at the forge decreased from 368 to 307, the change
of regiments at Dum-Dum being suggested as the cause. Enquiries for the
purpose of ascertaining whether it would be worth while to engage a European
farrier to teach men sent from the districts, met with no favourable response.
4. Veterinary Dispensaries.—The working of the Sitamarhi dispensary
continued to be encouraging, nearly double the number of cases in the
previous year being treated. While the Veterinary Assistant went out to treat
epidemics in the villages, and the more well-to-do and educated availed
themselves of the dispensary, the ordinary cultivator brought in practically
no cases. Some improvements were made in the Patna dispensary, though
others still appear possible. A new dispensary at Dumraon has been opened by
the liberality of the Maharani, and others are in contemplation at Gaya,
Dacca, and Muzaffarpur, by the Court of Wards as Manager of the Hatwa
Estate, and by Mr. Toomey. of the Kanti Indigo Factory in Muzaffarpur.
A donation of Rs. 20,000 was offered some time ago to establish a veterinary
hospital at Howrah, but the proposal was referred for further consideration, and
has not as yet been resubmitted in a complete form.
5. Outbreaks of contagious disease.—Only 25 cases of glanders were
admitted into the institution at Belgatehia during the year, but Captain
Raymond expresses a suspicion that the disease is far more prevalent in
Calcutta than these figures would appear to indicate. The two principal
diseases in the town are foot-and-mouth disease and rinderpest. The mortality
from the former is small (about 2 per cent. of the cases attacked), but indirectly
in the temporary loss of the use of the animals, the results are more serious.
From rinderpest Captain Raymond estimates no less than 16,757 animals have
died during the last four years, involving a loss of some 3½ lakhs of rupees,
taking an all-round value of Rs. 20 per head. The necessity for embodying
further powers to deal with epizootic disease in the Calcutta Municipal Bill,
is under the consideration of Government.
A severe outbreak of glanders in North Bihar led to the extension of
the Glanders and Farcy Act, XX of 1879, to the districts of Muzaffarpur,
Champaran, and Saran, and the appointment of three Special Veterinary
Assistants in addition to the Superintendent of the Civil Veterinary Depart-
ment and his staff, as Inspectors under the Act. Detection of the disease by
the use of mallein was adopted, the Planters' Association contributing towards
the cost. The operations are still in progress.
Birbhum, Rangpur, Darbhanga,
Dacca, Gaya, Midnapore, Cuttack,
Manblnim, Saran, 24-Parganas,
Angul, Darjeeling, Bhagalpur, and
Muzaffarpur.
Rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease appeared to a greater and less
extent in most districts, those of Mymensingh, Bhagalpur, Midnapore, Nadia,
and Burdwan suffering most severely from the former disease, and Palamau,
where the number of cases reported amounted to 22,562, from the latter.
Veterinary Assistants were engaged to deal with
outbreaks of disease in the districts marginally
noted, and in the Municipalities of Dacca and of
Baranagar in the 24-Parganas. In the Resolution
of last year special attention was drawn to the
necessity for the communication of prompt information of outbreaks of disease
by District Officers to the Superintendent of the Civil Veterinary Department.
The latter has been in correspondence with District Collectors as to the