( 2 )
7. The practice of deputing newly-joined veterinary assistants to the
Imperial Laboratory at Muktesar has now been altogether discontinued, as the
veterinary colleges provide suitable training for their students in inoculation
methods. Moreover the facilities now at hand in the department itself for giving
practical instruction to these men in the field has removed the necessity for their
deputation to Muktesar for that purpose. Practical demonstration in pathology
and bacteriology is now available at the head quarters laboratory in Lucknow, and
the addition of a research station which is now in course of completion will afford
young veterinary assistants still greater facilities for obtaining sound scientific
experience.
8. Of the three students sent to the Bengal veterinary college, two passed the
first year's examination and one failed. At the Punjab veterinary college the one
who failed last year in the final examination and was allowed to continue his
studies for another year has successfully passed this year. The two students in
the 2nd-year class passed their examinations and were duly promoted to the
final class, while the remaining two in the first-year class have been promoted to
the 2nd-year class. The student at the Bombay veterinary college passed the
2nd-year examination and is promoted to the final class.
9. A Civil Veterinary Manual has now been published and is complete
with rules for the guidance of district boards in regard to their responsibilities in
connection with breeding of stock and the provision of veterinary treatment for
animals. In addition to this, rules for veterinary inspectors are given, comprising
instructions concerning inoculation, disinfection, collection, and packing of
material for diagnosis and investigation, together with directions for care of
Government stallions. Copies of rules for procedure under the Glanders and
Farcy, Dourine and Surra Acts are appended.
10. A series of lectures and demonstrations in meat inspection was again
this year delivered to the recently-appointed health officers of the Medical
department.
11. A monograph on "Glanders and Farcy" has been compiled by me and
is shortly expected from the press when it will be distributed to persons interested.
Owing to numerous demands for the pamphlet on "Rinderpest," it is now being
translated into Urdu and Hindi and will shortly be issued.
12. The United Provinces Veterinary Medical Society, which was started
in 1912 by the members of the civil veterinary staff, appears to be doing good
work, and is greatly to be encouraged as a means of keeping the members up to
date in their scientific knowledge, and promoting an interchange of professional
ideas. The society has obtained a magic lantern and slides dealing with veterinary
subjects and those connected with live-stock generally. It is proposed to
periodically give illustrated demonstrations to cultivators and others, in the
agricultural and stock-rearing tracts.
II.—TREATMENT OF DISEASE.
See table II.
13. During the past year the reported mortality from various contagious
diseases has been 33,860. Unfortunately rinderpest has been responsible for
25,046 of the deaths recorded; although it is believed that had a sufficient supply
of serum been available a great many more of the outbreaks would have been
stopped and much of the spread of the disease checked. On the other hand, as
I mentioned in last year's report, the large number of deaths notified cannot
always be taken to mean that disease is necessarily on the increase. A few years
ago, owing to paucity of staff and want of systematic machinery for the collection
of statistics, there is no doubt that an enormous number of outbreaks and deaths
took place which were never recorded. Now, however, as the facilities and staff at
our disposal are becoming more adequate, it is probable that although perhaps a
great number of cases of animals actually attacked by, and suffering from, disease
are not notified, very little mortality takes place which is not duly reported.
It will be evident that whereas it would be somewhat difficult to always obtain
reliable figures as to the number of sick animals in an infected area, the number
of deaths taking place should be fairly accurately estimated.
Equine.
14. Equine contagious disease occurring in the four selected horse-breeding
districts, Muzaffarnagar, Aligarh, Bulandshahr, and Meerut, is dealt with by the