( 2 )
6. Veterinary Assistants.—Of the 35 students who passed out of the insti-
tution as Veterinary Assistants from March 1896 to March 1898, 19 have obtained
permanent appointments, 3 are in temporary employment, 10 have started
private practice, 2 are studying medicine, and 1 only is out of employ at
present. It is clear from these figures that there is a considerable demand for
Veterinary Assistants, which is likely to still further increase in the near
future, and the students have the great encouragement of a practical certainty
of immediate employment on completion of their curriculum.
7. Veterinary Dispensaries.—Altogether nine veterinary dispensaries were at
work in this Province during the year under report. Those at Sitamarhi, Patna
and Dumraon were established during 1897-98; and the remaining six at
Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Cuttack, Balasore, Burdwan and Tippera were newly
opened during the year. Preparations were also made for the opening of
two more dispensaries at Dumka and Kanti, but these could not commence
regular operations until after the close of the year. From the accounts given
in the report of the working of these nine dispensaries, it appears that the Sita-
marhi, Patna and Dumraon dispensaries were in good order, each of them
showing a surplus of income over expenditure. The working of the Balasore
and Cuttack dispensaries was also satisfactory, though their financial condition
was not so sound as those of the three mentioned above. The Gaya and the
Muzaffarpur dispensaries were established too late in the year to make much
progress. Considering that Burdwan was one of the few districts in Bengal
which suffered very severely from the outbreak of cattle disease during the year,
the amount of work done by the Veterinary Assistant, appointed by the District
Board of that district, was very small. The arrangements of the Tippera
dispensary are not satisfactory, and the attention of the District Board is invited
to the matter.
In the letter with which this report was forwarded, the Director of Land
Records emphasised the need these infant institutions are in, of the care of the
Commissioners and District Magistrates. The Lieutenant-Governor fully
agrees with him that the hearty help of those officers should be given,
especially in the early years of the dispensaries.
Burdwan.
Midnapore.
24-Parganas.
Darjeeling.
Rangpur.
Chittagong.
Saran.
Champaran,
Shababad.
Darbhanga.
Purnea.
Monghyr.
Puri.
Ranchi.
Palamau.
8. Outbreaks of contagious disease among cattle.—Reports of the outbreaks
of cattle disease in epidemic form were received
from 29 districts during the year under report,
but the services of Veterinary Assistants were
required only in the districts noted on the margin.
Their services clearly saved the peasantry much loss.
The largest number of deaths was reported from
Cuttack, where, out of 5,425 total deaths, 2,586 or 48 per cent, were from
rinderpest alone. The disease, however, was most fatal in Chittagong where,
out of 3,422 animals attacked with the disease, 3,253 or 95 per cent .are said
to have died. Burdwan and Puri also suffered severely from the disease, and
the latter from foot and mouth disease as well.
During the year the Director of Land Records arranged with the Inspector-
General of Police, that in order to give earlier intimation of the outbreak of
cattle disease, the officers in charge of police-stations should send post-cards
direct to the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, Bengal. This was
done for two or three months towards the end of the year and the arrangement
was found to work well.
9. Rinderpest experiments.—Successful experiments were conducted during
the year by Veterinary-Major Raymond, to demonstrate the value of serum
injection as a preventive and a cure for rinderpest. Experiments were also
conducted by him with rinderpest hides and hides of animals, which had died of
malignant sorethroat, from which it appeared to be certain that no danger could
arise from the exportation of such hides into foreign countries. The enquiries
made in the previous year into the value of Koch's system of bile injection
were also continued with favourable results.
10. Operations under the Glanders and Farcy Act in North Bihar.—The
operations under the Glanders and Farcy Act, which were commenced in the
three districts of Saran, Champaran and Muzaffarpur in the latter part of the
year 1897-98, were continued throughout the year under report. The Super-
intendent, Civil Veterinary Department, has promised to submit a report
when they are completed.