97
Rajputana
Veterinary
School at Aj-
mere.
509. The building of this institution commenced in April 1893, and the
Principal, Veterinary School, Ajmere, joined on 23rd idem; the school, how-
ever, was not opened until the 12th of March 1894.
510. It consists of a lecture-room, pharmacy, offices and museum in the
main building; dissecting-room, Assistant Superintendent's quarters, six
quarters for resident pupils, a forge and shoeing shed, ten loose boxes and
ten stalls for horses and ten stalls for cattle.
511. The fees charged are as follows:—
(a) For each pupil from Darbars that have subscribed to the building
fund, Rs. 20 per month.
(b) For private or non-subscriber's pupil, Rs. 30 per month.
This means that during the course, which lasts two years, the terms being
of nine months duration during each year, every student will cost either Rs.
360 under Class (a), or Rs. 540 under Class (b), for tuition alone, besides the
cost of living, books, etc. I doubt if any school costing this amount will
prove a success.
512. Only 24 students out of 35 required joined the school at its open-
ing.
Burma Veter-
inary School.
513. A veterinary school exists at Rangoon, where the education of pupils
is carried on by Veterinary-Lieutenant Evans, a most energetic and zealous
officer, assisted by a subordinate staff. The object of this, as well as that of
other schools, is the training of Veterinary assistants who will enable a system
of suppression of cattle-disease to be adopted. Burma is, however, more ad-
vanced than many other Provinces, it having already 15 assistants at work.
514. With reference to the working of the school, Veterinary-Lieutenant
Evans reports as follows :—
During the year the average number of pupils on the rolls was 34. The attendance
at lectures was very fair. As stated in last years' report, certain boys were in the habit of
absenting themselves without leave and without cause. By repeatedly inflicting fines for
every day's absence, keeping them in after hours till 7 or 8 P.M., and not granting the annual
two months' vacation or other holidays, we succeeded in getting a good deal of work out of
these lazy boys, who were simply too idle to apply themselves to the task. Most of the boys
have, however, worked steadily through the year. The one great drawback in connection with
the school is the lack of practical illustration for the boys ; but every opportunity was taken
to help them in this respect. As regards contagious diseases, we showed them cases of
anthrax, foot-and-mouth disease and glanders. To compensate somewhat for the lack of
practical work at the school, the boys were sent out to the districts in January for 2½ months
under the care of certain assistants, who were ordered to take the boys with them on their
rounds, show them cases, especially those of contagious diseases, and to instruct them
generally in the duties they would later on be called upon to perform.
The final examination for appointments will be held in April next, when I trust that
at least three-fourths of the boys will qualify for appointments.
515. The question of building a hospital at Rangoon which should be
self-supporting is one that will hereafter have to be considered ; in the mean
time much may, I think, be done by obtaining cases which must always be
forthcoming in such a large city.
516. The system adopted of sending the pupils out with Veterinary assist-
ants, in order that they may personally become acquainted with the symptoms
seen in different forms of contagious diseases and the best means of checking
their progress, is one which I greatly approve of, and which I consider should
be adopted at all Veterinary educational establishments. These schools, with
the exception of Ajmere, are located in large cities, where this portion of the
work, which I consider of the greatest importance, cannot be learned.
Madras.
517. My predecessor most forcibly brought to the notice of the Govern-
ment of India the great necessity which existed for the establishment of a
Veterinary College in the Madras Presidency.
518. At present the only veterinary education obtainable is at Saidapet,
which, being at some distance from the city of Madras, receives but very few