76
Sind.
486. The four dispensaries in Sind continue to do good work. The follow-
ing number of cases was treated;—
Hyderabad . . . . . . .
Naushahro
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Karachi
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Shikarpur
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1899-1900.
1,014
317
2,622
820
4,773
1898-99
1,111
396
2,234
916
4,657
487. When the financial position of this Province is improved, I would be
glad to see more of: these useful institutions started, but to enable Local Bodies
to maintain them, I am of opinion that they should be worked on more economi-
cal lines. The pay of the Veterinary Assistants in charge is in my opinion too
high; equally competent men could be obtained at half the cost, and again, the
standard plan of the buildings is too elaborate. On this point, the Superinten-
dent states:—
Bengal.
"During the year under report, the new buildings of the Dispensary (Hyderabad) have been finished and
occupied, but as I pointed out last year, the accommodation provided is out of all proportion to its cost."
488. The number of dispensaries open during 1897-98 have continued to do
good work: an extra one has been opened at Tippera, and it is proposed to open
others at Monghyr, Rangpur and Murshidabad. In all, 4,023 cases were
treated at these institutions.
489. The Veterinary Assistants in charge of these dispensaries have done a
large amount of useful work in the districts, but when men are available each
district should have an Itinerating Veterinary Assistant as well as one in
charge of the dispensary, as the latter's absence from head-quarters is preju-
dicial to the good working of these institutions.
Bombay.
490. The same good work which has been done for some years past in the
Bombay Presidency has been continued during the year under review. The
following summary is given by the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Depart-
ment :—
"There were 16 dispensaries open in the Presidency proper at the end of the year, 9 stationary and 7
itinerant. An itinerating veterinary graduate has been newly employed in the Ahmedabad district. But as
he was wholly engaged in supervising one of the cattle camps at Ahmedabad he could not do any regular
dispensary work and consequently did not submit a report. A new table has been compiled this year under
the instructions of the Inspector-General, Civil Veterinary Department. It shows the details of inpatients
and outpatients separately as treated by the several veterinary assistants. The total number of animals treated
during the year amounted to 18,782, against 19,151 last year. The slight decrease of 369 needs no comment.
Out of the total number treated, 14,245 or 75.84 per cent. were cured; 1,274 or 6.78 per cent. were relieved; 912 or
4.86 per cent died; 200 or 1.06 per cent. returned incurable; the result of 1.818 or 9.63 per cent. was unknown
and the remainder 333 or 1.78 per cent. were under treatment at the end of the year. The percentage of cured
and relieved together has slightly fallen from 85.48 to 82.62. The fall has been mostly counterbalanced by an
increase in the percentage of the number died. The number of colts castrated by all the veterinary graduates
during the year was 28, against 27 last year.
"The progress of the Department has been much hampered during the past year as famine conditions
prevailed throughout the entire Presidency, and Local Boards and District Bodies have been unable from want of
funds to assist in furthering suggested improvements, and any attempt to establish new Veterinary Dispensaries
has bad to be abandoned until better times."
The value of these institutions will be at once apparent when the above
statistics are carefully considered.
Madras.
Central Provinces.
491. This Presidency is the only one in which no dispensaries exist.
492. There were seven Veterinary Dispensaries in these Provinces at the
close of the year, three new dispensaries having been established at Mandla,
Jubbulpore and Hoshangabad. Eight thousand six hundred and sixty-nine cases
were treated against 8,205 last year. These figures were not entered in the statis-
tical table (Table L) as the report reached me after mine had gone to press.
Berar.
493. Two dispensaries are maintained in Berar, viz., at Akola and Amraoti.
One thousand six hundred and eleven cases were treated this year, against 1,894
last year. The mortality amounting to, as it did, only 4 per cent. shows remark-
ably good working.
494. The reduction in the number treated is due to two causes : first, that
many animals had been driven away in search of fodder, second, that the
Veterinary Assistants in charge had to be deputed to the large cattle camps
where severe disease was reported.
495. The working of the dispensaries must be looked upon as very satisfac-
tory.