NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
Review on the Annual Report of the Punjab Veterinary
College, Civil Veterinary Department, Punjab, and
the Government Cattle Farm, Hissar, for the year
1925-26.
The Punjab Veterinary College.—Steady progress has
been made in all spheres of the work of the Veterinary De-
partment. The new scale of pay offered to men who take
the diploma of L V. P. has resulted in far more applications
for admission to the Punjab Veterinary College with the
result that the Principal was able to make a careful selec-
tion of students for admission. It is interesting to note
that the reputation of the Punjab Veterinary College has
reached as far as Mysore from which place several students
were sent to the College for admission.
Every ward of the College shows an increase in the
number of cases treated both in regard to in-patients as well
as out-patients and the average daily attendance has risen
from 83.41 to 93.85.
Research work has also been carried on successfully
though despite strenuous efforts an efficient treatment for
surra has not yet been evolved. Colonel G. K. Walker's
and Mr. Taylor's investigations in regard to the control of
Foot and Mouth disease are likely to have far-reaching
results and are already being freely discussed in interested
circles in England.
3. Colonel G. K. Walker held charge throughout the
year and has now proceeded on leave preparatory to retire-
ment. The Punjab Government (Ministry of Agriculture)
wishes to place on record its great appreciation of the value
of the work done in the College by Colonel Walker during
his long association with it. His keen interest in and valu-
able direction of the work of the College has made it an
institution which is comparable with any thing of the same
sort to be found in the world. Colonel Walker had previ-
ously for some eleven years been Chief Superintendent of
the Civil Veterinary Department in the Province, and his
energetic administration did much to give a work in the
field in the right direction during its infancy.
4. Civil Veterinary Department.—The District Veteri-
nary work remained in the charge of Mr. Quirke, the Chief
2
Superintendent, whose staff was increased by the addition of
7 Veterinary Assistant Surgeons, 1 Veterinary Assistant, 1st
grade, 2 Veterinary Assistants, 2nd grade and 3 Veterinary
Assistants, 3rd grade, bringing the total cadre of the sub-
ordinate veterinary staff up to 260 : while 12 new veteri-
nary hospitals were opened bringing the provincial total
up to the figure of 191. Government again records its
satisfaction with the increase in the work done by the staff
on tour 22,602 villages were visited, 120,502 animals were
treated and 107,196 castrations performed during the year
as compared with 18,505 villages, 109,390 animals and
58,534 castrations in 1924-25 : while the work done at
district hospitals has increased in like measure. 69,000
animals are reported to have died during the year from con-
tagious diseases, rinderpest accounting for 52,000.
This
disease was specially prevalent in the Hissar, Karnal,
Rohtak, Gurgaon, Gurdaspur and Kangra Districts, the
former suffering very severely. The result was that 232,159
inoculations were performed being an increase of 154,646 on
last year, while vaccinations for Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia
totalled 147,753. It is to be hoped that the new Research
Veterinary Officer will be able to do useful work in connec-
tion with these contagious diseases.
5. Steady progress has also been made in cattle breed-
ing both in raising the number of approved herd-bulls and
in carrying out propaganda among Zamindars to induce
them to use good bulls for herd purposes. The contribu-
tions of Government to the District Board for the working
of the Hariana and Dhanni Cattle Breeding Schemes have
also been increased and Government views with satisfaction
the good work which is done by these cattle-breeding
schemes and by the cattle-breeding societies organized
with the assistance of the Co-operative Department. Parti-
cularly interesting is the establishment of 3 new societies in
the Attock District for the betterment of the cow, and
Government will be interested to receive further information
regarding the success of this movement in future reports.
6. Government is also glad to find that there has been
a noticeable improvement in the general working of the
various cattle-breeding grants, especially at the Jahangir-
abad and Bahadurnagar Farms.
7. Government congratulates Mr. Quirke on the great
progress which has been achieved in his Department and
3
records its appreciation of the work done by him and his
staff—in particular the officers mentioned in paragraph 48 of
his report.
8. Hissar Cattle Farm.—The Farm again suffered from
a poor supply of canal watar with the result that sufficient
grass for extensive hay making could not be grown. By
careful management, however, it was found possible to
maintain the fodder reserve at a figure of 132,997 maunds
as compared with 134,278 maunds at the end of the previous
year. It is to be hoped that efforts will be made to grow
more fodder crops during the Monsoon period and convert it
into ensilage. The experiments in regard to the growing of
new fodders have resulted in the conclusion that Kikuyu
grass is not a success at Hissar. A close study of the indi-
genous grasses by the Fodder Specialist who has recently
been appointed for the purpose appears likely to give better
results. Government will await with interest further
reports on this important subject as well as the results of
further trials of Egyptian Clover and Sunflower.
9. Despite the attacks of rinderpest and an extremely
virulent epidemic of Foot and Mouth disease, the Farm was
able to issue a record number of 406 bulls to the District
Boards of the Province, while 261 female stock were also
issued and at the same time showed a profit of over
Rs. 22,000 on the year's working: while the capital value of
buildings, cattle, machinery, medicines, etc., rose to the figure
of Rs. 18,74,015. Female stock were also supplied to as far
afield as the Federated Malay States. Progress is also noted
in the sheep-breeding operations, 77 crossbred merino rams
and cows having been issued from the Farm during the year.
Government now proposes to commence work at the
Farm in improving the breed of the indigenous goat.
10. The Punjab Government (Ministry of Agriculture)
records its great appreciation of the efficient working of the
Farm by Mr. Branford and his staff.
11. In the Director's interesting note, and in the fuller
reports of the officers incharge of the three branches of
Veterinary work, there are many matters, too numerous to
be mentioned in detail in this Review, of peculiar importance
to those concerned with the improvement of the livestock
of the Province. Such, for instance, as the fact that out of
195,427 scrub bulls castrated in the whole of India in the
year 1924-25 as many as 109,432 of the castrations were
4
effected in the Punjab. Cattle breeders will also find useful
information regarding experiments with various varieties of
fodder, while the successful storage of green jowar is an
ordinary underground ensilage pit for four years, opens out
possibilities, of which many landowners should be able to
take advantage. The cordial relations subsisting between
the Veterinary and Co-operative Departments in the matter
of cattle-breeding and improvement societies and in the
distribution of good bulls are indicated in many paragraphs
of the reports, and are a source of great satisfaction to
Government. A careful perusal of the reports is commended
to all who are interested, as the mass of the landowning
classes should be, in the valuable work that is being done by
the Department in enhancing the great potential source of
wealth represented by the live stock owned by the people of
the Province.
By order of the Governor in Council,
C. A. BARRON,
Financial Commissioner and Secretary to
Government, Punjab, Development Department.
391 FC—271—26-2-27—SGPP Lahore.
Note by the Director of Agriculture on the progress
in the work of the Veterinary Department.
The work of the Veterinary Department falls under
three main heads :—
(1) The Punjab Veterinary College, including teach-
ing, research and hospital work.
(2) The District work of the Civil Veterinary Depart-
ment, including cattle-breeding and control
of diseases of stock.
(3) The Government Cattle Farm, Hissar.
(1) The Punjab Veterinary College.
There has been a marked increase in the number
of applications for admission to the College, due mainly,
I think, to the fact that the pay offered to men who take
the diploma of L. V. P. is fair, and that there are prospects
of considerable expansions in the Veterinary Department.
The number of students admitted to the course was
49 against 37 in the previous year. At present it is
not considered advisable to take a larger number of
students into this course, as although no guarantee of
employment is given to diploma-holders there is still
a large number of the old Urdu course men unemployed,
and there are yet little prospects of: men making a living from
private Veterinary practice. To go through the four years'
course for the diploma successfully an entrant must have
the ability of a man who has taken a good place in the
University Matriculation Examination. Evidence of this
is seen in the fact that no less than 14 students of the
first year class left the College, either before, or after
the first annual examination, and it is pleasing to note
in this connection that 6 of the 49 students who were
admitted to the College in the year under report were
F. Scs. (medical group) and that one was a B. Sc. As a
rule the heaviest loss that a farmer sustains, is from
disease among his cattle, and I feel that it is of
paramount importance to the province that the pay and
prospects offered to diploma-holders should be such as to
attract men of good ability to the profession to assist in
combating cattle diseases.
B
2
Another interesting feature of the Principal's report
is the increase in the number of candidates nominated
by Indian States, as it indicates an awakening of the
States to the importance of having Veterinary Assistants
with a sound knowledge and training in Veterinary
science.
At the close of the year under review the total
number of students in the four years' course for the
L. V. P. was 105 against 77 in the previous year.
Experiments were carried out by Col. Walker and Mr.
Taylor on the control of Foot and Mouth disease, by
injections of certain chemicals into the animal system.
It is hoped that further work will reveal some means
of controlling this disease which is the cause of very heavy
loss of farm stock in the Punjab. Work was also carried on
by the College staff with a view to discovering a satisfactory
treatment of surra in dogs.
As regards hospital work, the report shows an
increase in every ward; the average total daily attend-
ance of patients of the hospital being 93.85 in the year
under report, against 83.41 last year. This is an indica-
tion of the growing appreciation of the valuable work
done at this hospital, and of the popularity of the
staff.
I again note Colonel Walker's wish that his ap-
preciation of the work of the teaching, hospital and
clerical staff during the term in which he held office as
Principal, might be recorded in generous terms. He has
now gone on leave pending retirement and I wish to
express my own appreciation of the energy and driving
force which he put into his work in the interests of Veter-
inary education in the province.
(2) District Veterinary Work.
The divis on of the province into Veterinary Cir-
cles remained as last year, and the post of Chief Superin-
tendent was held by Mr. Quirke throughout the year.
Among the staff the most important change was the
transfer of Mr. Egan, formerly Assistant Superinten-
dent, Government Cattle Farm, Hissar, to Rawalpindi, as
Superintendent, North Punjab, owing, in the first place
to Mr. Brett, Superintendent of that Circle, taking leave„
and finally to his resignation. Mr. Egan held charge
3
of that circle throughout the year excepting for a few days
of April. Among the Subordinate staff there was an
addition of 1 Veterinary Inspector, 7 Veterinary Assistant
Surgeons and 6 Veterinary Assistants.
At the close of the year the complete sanctioned cadre
of the Department for district work, including work in
district hospitals, was as follows:—
Staff.
Circle.
North
Punjab
Central
Punjab
South Punjab ...
Total ...
IMPERIAL STAFF.
Chief Superintendent.
1
1
Superintendent.
1
...
1
2
PROV-
INCIAL
STAFF.
Deputy Superintendent.
1
1
1
3
SUBORDINATE STAFF.
Vernacular course
diplomates.
Vet er i
nar y I ns pect or .
28
28
Veterinary Assistants.
222
222
English
course
diplomates
(L. V. P 3 ).
Vet er i
nar y As s i
s t
ant
Sur geons .
7
7
Note.—In addition, two Veterinary Assistants are employed at the Government
Cattle Farm, Hissar, and one as Lecturer in Elementary Veterinary Science at the Punjab
Agricultural College, Lyallpur.
The following two statements summarise the work
done on tour and in district hospitals:—
Work done on tour.
Number of
Villages visited ...
Animals treated ...
Castrations performed
Year 1924.25.
18,505
109,390
58,534
Year 1925-25.
22,602
120,502
107,196
Difference in
numbers (+)
or (—) in
1925-26.
+ 4,097
+ 11,112
+ 48,662
Percentage
increase (+)
or decrease (—)
+ 22.1
+ 10.1
+ 83.1
B2
4
Work done at district hospitals.
Number of
Animals treated ...
Cases supplied with
medicines but not
brought to hospitals.
Castrations
Year 1924-25.
539,947
106,383
56,905
Year 1925-26.
599,227
104,114
75,862
Difference
in number (+)
or (—) in
1925-26.
+ 59,280
—2,269
+ 18.897
Percentage
increase (+)
or decrease (—)
+ 10.9
-21
+ 33.2
The increases under all important heads reflect great
credit on the Veterinary staff.
The castrations of inferior bulls is a matter of primary
importance in our efforts to improve the local breeds of
cattle, and it is a matter of considerable interest that out of
196,427 scrub bulls castrated in India in the year 1924-25—
(vide Review of Agricultural Operations in India, page 92,
for 1924-25) the Punjab is responsible for 109,432 of these
animals, or 56 per cent. of the castrations performed in
India.
Twelve new Veterinary hospitals were opened in the
year under report, bringing the number in the province upto
a total of 191. Administrative approval for the opening
of 30 more Veterinary hospitals has been received and
necessary staff to start these has been sanctioned. Other
extensions are under consideration To assist District Boards
in the construction of the building of Veterinary hospitals
Government made a grant-in-aid of Rs. 50,000 during the
year under report. This sum was distributed as follows,
viz:—Attock District Board Rs 15,000, Gurgaon and Mian-
wali Rs. 10,000 each, and Karnal, Jhelum and Montgomery
District Boards Rs. 5,000 each. A sum of Rs. 1,20,000 has
been provided for the same purpose in the current year's
budget.
It is satisfactory to note that Simla Veterinary
hospital after paying interest on capital cost of buildings and
establishment charges, made a profit of Rs. 1,676 as compared
with Rs. 220 in the previous year.
5
The following statement is a summary of the bovine
deaths reported from contagious diseases, also of the bovine
inoculations and vaccinations performed during the year
under report, and in the previous year:
The following is a summary of the bovine deaths reported and the bovine inoculations and
vaccinations performed in the year under report and in the previous year:—
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.
Rinderpest ...
Foot and Mouth dis-
ease.
Hæmorrhagic Septi-
cæmia.
Black-quarter ...
Other contagious dis-
eases (cow-pox, liver
fluke,
contagious
pleuræ pneumonis,
gillar, etc.)
Total ...
DEATHS REPORTED.
1924-25.
30,469
792
12,316
2,240
493
46,310
1925-26
52,269
1,433
10,724
895
3,674
68,995
Increase (+)
or decrease
(-) in 1925-
26.
+ 21,800
+ 641
— 1,592
— 1,345
+ 3,181
+22,685
INOCULATIONS PERFORMED.
1924-25.
77,513
...
84,728
...
...
162,241
1925-26.
232,159
...
91,904
...
...
324,063
Increase (+)
or decrease
(-) in 1925-
26.
+ 154,646
...
+ 7,176
...
...
+ 161,822
VACCINATIONS.
1924-25.
...
...
155,527
15,842
...
171,369
l925-26.
...
147,753
20,931
...
188,684
Increase (+)
or decrease
(-) in 1925-
26.
..
...
- 7,774
+ 5,089
...
— 2,685
6
It will be seen from the foregoing statement that 68,995
bovine deaths were reported from contagious diseases as
against 46,310 in the previous year, and that Rinderpest
accounted for by far the greater part of this increase.
Hissar District suffered most, 5,227 deaths being reported
from that district alone. Karnal, Rohtak, Gurgaon, Gurdas-
pur and Kangra Districts also suffered severely and nearly
all districts suffered to some extent. The Chief Superin-
tendent considers that the Jumna floods were a factor in the
case in Rohtak District.
The Chief Superintendent considers that the very
marked increase in the number of fairs throughout the pro-
vince must weaken our already uncertain hold on contagious
diseases, especially Rinderpest which does not always lend
itself to ready methods of detection at fairs. The fact must
not be forgotten, however, that if there are few fairs in the
province, the tendency is for cattle to travel longer distances
to the fairs that are held, thereby carrying the disease to
wider areas. The problem of control of epizootic diseases
seems to me to be one of finding means for the earliest pos-
sible detection of these diseases, and for the prevention of
the transport of diseased and suspected animals to other
localities. To assist in the control of contagious diseases,
Government has sanctioned for the year under report and for
the year 1926-27 the grant of Rs. 1,000 per annum for rewards
to patwaries and lambardars who promptly report outbreaks.
Doubtlessly this line of action will be continued as long
as necessary. I have also ordered all district agricultural
staff including Agricultural Assistants, Mukaddams and
Beldars to help in this work. Another factor tending
towards a solution of this problem is the spread of agricul-
tural education which is now taking place among the
masses. This must bring to farmers a realisation of the
importance of prompt isolation of diseased and suspected
animals in the interests of the community; the natural
result being the creation of a desire for measures to help
to reduce the incidence of the disease. The enlightenment
of the masses seems to me of first importance in this
connection. A great increase in the district Veterinary
staff in the next few years is contemplated, and if carried
into effect, this, combined with the action of the other agen-
cies at work will, I hope, materially change the position as
regards control of contagious diseases in this province.
7
It will be seen from the above statement that the
number of inoculations for Rinderpest rose from 77,513
in the previous year to 232,159 in the year under report;
also there was a considerable increase in the number of
inoculations for Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia. Great credit is
due to the district Veterinary staff for these achievements.
The Chief Superintendent views with concern the steadily
increasing demand for serum which has often to be used under
the most unfavourable circumstances, and he favours the
"Serum Simultaneous" method of inoculation (i. e., the
inoculation of serum on one side of the animal and virulent
blood on the other) as compared with the "Serum Alone"
method. Authorities consider that the former method gives
an immunity period of several months while the latter method
gives immunity for 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the dose;
but the 'Serum Simultaneous" method is said to be attended
by more risks. It seems to me that there is a great field for
useful research in the Punjab in connection with contagious
diseases and I am glad to say that Government has recognis-
ed this and has accorded administrative approval to the
appointment of a Research Veterinary Officer.
As regards contagious diseases among Equines, there
were a few additional cases of Glanders this year, and cases
of Surra amounted to 210 as against 73 in the previous
year. Surra was particularly prevalent in Mianwali,
Rohtak, Karnal and Lahore Districts, and in the Bias Bets.
Cattle-breeding work was carried on and developed on
the lines indicated in the previous year's report. After
allowing for casualties among herd-bulls during the year,
including the rejection of animals no longer fit for retention
on the list, the total number of approved herd-bulls in the
province was raised from 1,958 to 2,253.
The growing demand for the services of pedigree bulls
among poor zamindars is encouraging, and indicative of
good results already obtained. These results, together with
the very sound agricultural education which an increasing
number of the sons of ordinary farmers from all over the
province are receiving, and the propaganda work carried out
by the several departments concerned, is doing much to
convince farmers that it is more profitable to rear a good,
than a bad, animal; also to induce farmers to take that in-
creasing share in the provision of good bulls for herd pur-
8
poses, which the Chief Superintendent rightly lays stress on
as an essential factor in the improvement of cattle in the
province.
The contribution of Government to the Gurgaon and
Rohtak District Boards for the working of the Hariana
Cattle-Breeding Scheme was increased from Rs. 2,000 to
Rs. 8,000 for each District Board, and whereas in pre-
vious years each District Board had to contribute
an equal amount of money from its own funds, this
condition was relaxed in the year under report to the extent
that each District Board had only to contribute half the
amount contributed by Government. Hissar District now
wishes to be included in the scheme, and this proposal has
been accepted by Government.
For the Dhanni Cattle -Breeding Scheme the Govern-
ment grant amounted to a total of Rs. 21,600 and was
shared by the District Boards of Attock, Rawalpindi, Mian-
wali and Jhelum according to the work done in these dis-
tricts. Also Rs. 1,000 were allotted by Government for
cattle prizes at fairs, etc.
Both of these cattle-breeding schemes are doing very
good work and are obtaining increasing support from the
local people. Also cattle-breeding societies are being orga-
nised with the help of the Co-operative Department.
An important innovation in the Dhanni Scheme is the
establishment at Lawa, Adhwal and Akwal (Attock District)
of three societies, the object of which is to concentrate atten-
tion on the betterment of the cow. They are drawn up on
the lines of ordinary cattle-breeding societies but contain addi-
tional clauses to prevent registered cows being used for plough
purposes and to prevent cows being attached in execution of
decrees. These societies have been formed largely through
the energy and influence of Mr. Garbett, Deputy Commis-
sioner, Attock District. It should be noted that a large
factor in the success of both of the cattle-breeding schemes
above mentioned is the keen personal interest taken in
them by Messrs. Brayne, Marsden, Garbett, Ferguson and
"Wilson, Deputy Commissioners in the districts concerned.
In the general working of the large cattle-breeding
grants there has been some improvement; but most of these