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their districts is much to be regretted, and I cannot think that the wishes of the
animal-owning population can be accurately represented, when we consider the
yearly financial losses on account of cattle and other animal diseases. The
maintenance of a special reserve staff of 15 head quarters veterinary assistants
however has been a great help through the year in combating outbreaks of disease
in those places where the district boards staff have been unable to deal with them.
These men from being continually under the control and supervision of the
superintendents, and in touch with the facilities at head quarters for improving their
veterinary knowledge and methods, are proving to be of greatest assistance. By
reason of their easy mobility they can in cases of emergency be rapidly equipped and
despatched into the field at the seat of outbreaks to conduct inoculations or make
other arrangements for the suppression of disease, or investigation of important
matters. They have also been usefully employed during the year in other
ways, such as the collection of morbid material for research purposes, the
supervision of the department's cattle farm and horse stallion dépôt, the tracing of
dangerous infected cases of dourine, glanders and surra and in the purchase of
cattle, sheep and goats in connection with breeding operations. Some of the
veterinary assistants under district boards, I regret to say, are inclined to slackness
and a lack of discipline, owing to the inability of the boards to exercise the necessary
control over them.
EXPENDITURE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
See table XIV A.
46. The cost of the department according to the statement furnished by the
Accountant-General shows an increase, viz. Rs. 93,938 against Rs. 82,962 in the
year.
The increase under every head is due to the general expansion of the
department, the chief being increase in staff, development of cattle, sheep and horse
breeding operations, investigation experiments, &c, whilst the cost of inoculation
serum being now borne by the provincial government, some expenditure has
increased in this direction.
GENERAL REMARKS.
47. I think that it will be admitted that in nearly every branch of the work
of the Civil Veterinary department some substantial progress has been made this
year. There is no doubt that it is steadily increasing in efficiency, while the scope
of its opertions is rapidly extending. Every effort is being made to render the
department of direct and practical use to the agricultural community, and from the
testimony of these people, the stock owners themselves, it is obvious that their
confidence is being gradually won, and that they are now realizing the benefits
to be derived from veterinary help. This help is to be found not only in the
individual treatment of their animals, but in the more rigid control of epizootics
and in assistance and advice in breeding matters and the care and management of
their livestock. One of the satisfactory features of the year's report has been a
considerable decrease in the mortality from rinderpest and other diseases. This
must of course, in a great measure, be attributed to auspicious seasonal and climatic
conditions; at the same time the systematic efforts now made to immediately
suppress all outbreaks, if possible, by inoculation and other methods must be given
some consideration. Horse breeding operations continue to flourish and a great
increase in mares covered has been recorded, while there is a greater demand than
ever for district stallions. Undoubted progress has been made towards improve-
ment in cattle breeding, and the issue of a substantial number of bulls from the
cattle farm at Kheri is shortly expected, while the introduction of an annual batch
of Hissar bulls for improving dairy cattle has already been commenced. Steps
have been taken to ascertain if sheep breeding can be so improved as to make wool
production a wider and more productive industry in these provinces than has
hitherto been the case.
Still however in some direction advancement is retarded by lack of funds,
chiefly on the part of district boards and other local bodies, for the provision of a
larger staff of veterinary assistants and the establishment of more hospitals and
dispensaries. The present arrangements for the inspection of meat for human
consumption are not as satisfactory as they could be, while some legislation for
inspection and control of dairies and the production and clean handling of milk
seems urgently called for.