Proceedings of His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab in the Department of Revenue
and Agriculture (General), No. 1913 S., dated 24th August 1907,
READ—
Letter No. 172', dated 25th July 1907, from the Director of Agriculture, Punjab, for-
warding the annual report on the Civil Veterinary Administration of the Punjab
for the year 1906-07.
REMARKS.—The report was submitted punctually and is within the pre-
scribed limit of length, but there is no necessity for a letter as well as a
preface to the report, and orders to this effect have already issued. The preface
moreover is not intended to be a review of the report, but should contain infor-
mation on points such as those indicated by the Government of India in para-
graph 2 of the Rules issued by them in 1905.
The Lahore Veterinary College.
2. The receipts of the Lahore Veterinary College show an increase of
Rs. 2,000 on the previous year, chiefly in fees, but there was also a heavy rise
(Rs. 11,000) in Contingent Expenditure. The canine ward brought in Rs. 800.
One hundred and eighteen students were admitted and 287 remained at the close
of the year as compared with 215 in the preceding one.
3. The educational qualifications of the students admitted were good,
including knowledge of English in 85 cases as against 26 last year. Sixty-
three candidates passed the final examination out of 78, a percentage of 80;
the percentage of success in the other two classes being 90 and 89, respectively.
It is interesting to observe that over 60 per cent. of the students are
Muhammadans.
4. A new clinic for out-patients was constructed during the year, and
further improvements are in course of completion. Attempts were made to
obtain a first class farrier for the forge, but have not yet been successful. The
Lieutenant-Governor is glad to see that the matter has not been overlooked.
5. All the graduated students obtained employment. The percentage of
passes continues satisfactory, and the report of this year reflects credit on
Major Pease and Captain Smith.
The Provincial Civil Veterinary Department.
6. The most notable feature of the year under report was the formation
of a new circle including the North-West Frontier Province; but the advantages
of the new arrangement have been seriously discounted by the inability of
the department to supply properly qualified officers to the 3rd Circle. This
defect is probably only temporary, but the Lieutenant-Governor recognizes
the very serious impediment to the efficiency and progress of the department
which is involved in the absence of officers accustomed to the people and
acquainted with the vernacular of the province, quite apart from the inconveni-
ence and overwork entailed on the Chief Superintendent.
7. A scheme for reorganising the cadre and work of Veterinary Assistants
was worked out and sanctioned during the year. It is intended to replace
the itinerating Assistant at each tahsil by a stationary one, leaving one
Assistant to tour through the whole district. The proposed system is no doubt
open to the objection that it is difficult to bring in sick animals to the tahsil for
treatment, but it was thought that this objection is more than balanced by the
ease with which it will be possible to secure the services of the Tahsil Assistant
on the occasion of neighbouring outbreaks and by the knowledge where he will
be found whenever it is necessary to find him. The Local Government has made
an assignment of one lakh of rupees per annum for five years to district boards
to be spent on Veterinary objects.
8. Deaths from contagious disease (in non-selected districts) among
equines fell from 135 to 38, the only noticeable outbreak being one of surra in
Montgomery. The number of recorded deaths among bovines on the other hand
rose from 10,000 to 17,000. Rinderpest was rife in Karnál, Kángra, Ferozepore