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I should like to make a few remarks concerning Veterinary assistants. These men
no doubt, if property looked after, by of course, professional men, such as Superintendents,
Civil Veterinary Department, would be of very great assistance to Deputy Commissioners;
but without this professional supervision I doubt if the majority of these men earn their pay.
When they first leave the Lahore College they know quite sufficient for all purposes re-
quired of them, but when, year after year, they find that no professional officer is put in
charge, and so no awkward questions can be put to them, they naturally soon forget all the
useful knowledge they learned at the Lahore College. To remedy this state of things
every Veterinary assistant should be personally inspected by a Superintendent at least once a
year ; his books should be checked, his monthly diaries and reports examined and verified,
and he himself should be examined as to his fitness to remain in the post he holds. If all this
were carried out, I am convinced that these men would see the advisability of keeping up their
knowledge in veterinary matters ; they would also have to be keener about their work; thus
instead of being really of little use in a district, they would soon be recognized as some of the
most useful servants. Now comes the question who, viz., what Superintendent, Civil Veter-
inary Department, can give these men the supervision required ? Certainly not the Superin-
tendent, North or South Punjab, whose sole work would be Imperial and Provincial horse-
breeding. The whole matter therefore rests with the Punjab Government. Another Su-
perintendent is most certainly required for the cattle portion of the work ; this Superintendent,
like the late Veterinary Surgeon to Punjab Government, could supervise the District Board
Veterinary assistants.
532. The Superintendent, South Punjab, also reports as follows :—
I regret to report that the amount of work that District Board Salutris get through
is not anything like what is expected of them. With the exception of a few men who are
holding appointments of Zilladars in the Department, and who work with a certain amount
of system, none of them at present can be trusted to perform the most casual duties.
In some cases I have been informed by Deputy Commissioners that they are unable to
keep the men acting as District Board salutris up to their work, and have been asked to
co-operate with them in the matter.
District salutris in Hissar District are now sending monthly returns to my office
through the Deputy Commissioner; they have to show that they have been travelling in the
district at least 14 days in the mouth, etc. These returns after being noted on by me are
returned to the Deputy Commissioner for record in his office.
I consider it should be impressed upon these men that it is part of their duty to take
an interest in horse-breeding, at least as far as the District Board stallions are concerned.
This I know for a fact they do not : they neither know, nor do they want to, anything
of the subject. During their movements in districts they should inspect the district stallions
from time to time and make some reference to them in their monthly report.
The number of young stock gelded by them is not nearly so large as it ought to be.
I am, however, inclined to think that matters are improving in this direction.
Occasionally I find salutris paid by Local Boards working in opposition to one another
etc.
Every endeavour to exercise supervision over them is made ; but very little more than an
annual inspection can be carried out owing to the number of districts that an officer of this
Department has to travel through.
In the civil branch of the Medical Department a Civil Surgeon's duties being practically
confined to one district, supervision of his subordinates can be effectual.
I am inclined to believe that when as students these men have qualified at the Lahore
Veterinary College, that they possess sufficient practical knowledge to carry out their duties,
but that having obtained employment at Rs. 20 to Rs. 25 a month in the districts, partly
through want of supervision, they become indolent and absolutely refuse to use their
knowledge.
533 These men appear to have given somewhat more satisfaction in the
North-Western Provinces and Oudh. The Superintendent of those Provinces
reports as follows :—
During the year we have had a Veterinary assistant at work in each of the ten districts
of Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharunpur, Dehra Dun, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Bijnor, Budaon,
Moradabad and Agra. Although it is not possible for a single man to cope with the disease of
a whole district, they have done good work in many ways. They have reported outbreaks; advi-
sed owners ; treated a certain number of sick and injured animals; inspected dâk lines, castrated
and examined cattle and horses at fairs and shows to prevent the entrance of diseased animals ;
assisted me in the suppression of surra on the Saharunpur-Rajpur line ; have accompanied me
when touring in their districts, assisting me in tracing disease, enquiries about breeds of cattle,
pony and donkey-breeding, etc, With some exceptions, they are willing and intelligent men
with a fair knowledge of their work, and will be still more valuable when they have a few more
years' experience. They of course require supervision. Drugs and instruments were issued to
8 of them, and will be furnished to the remaining 2 and the 5 to be entertained in 1894-95,
during the ensuing year.