19
years for this purpose, and I think that both the Director and Major Walker
have every reason to congratulate themselves on the results, as the institutions
are generally appreciated by the people and are indeed a very great success in
every way.
153. In the United Provinces, 5 Dispensaries have been opened; Agra,
Farrukhabad, Fatehpur, Ballia and Azamgarh; and others are to be started at
Moradabad, Bareilly, Meerut and Saharanpur. This province, where the inferior
institutions provided are doing excellent work, is greatly hampered by the
lack of funds, but it is hoped that in the near future a substantial portion of
the special grant may be set aside for the purpose of building a well equipped
hospital on the standard plan at each head-quarters of a district. It has been
abundantly demonstrated that where properly controlled and in the charge of
capable Veterinary Assistants the educative effect of these institutions is very
great indeed, and they have a very good effect in inducing the people to report
outbreaks of contagious disease and have them dealt with by proper methods.
There can now be no doubt whatever that the people of the United Provinces
thoroughly recognise the benefits derived from the Veterinary Department and
that they are anxious to have the operations of the Department extended.
The great drawback is that the local bodies have not the funds at their dis-
posal to erect really good and well equipped hospitals.
154. In the North-West Frontier Province a new hospital was opened at
Abbottabad and a Dispensary at Hangu.
155. In the Central Provinces the buildings for the Nagpur hospital were
completed and occupied.
156. In Bengal two new dispensaries were opened at Chapra and Bhagal-
pur, and the one at Khulna was closed. Proposals were made by the Chairmen
of the District Boards of Hooghly and Champaran and Sub-Divisional Officer at
Bettiah for dispensaries.
157. In Madras six new hospitals were opened, i.e., one each in Cocanada,
Rajamandry, Trichur, Ellore, Tirrivannamalai and Tanjore. There has been
an increase in the number of animals attending, which has this year averaged
2,348 per hospital, and the Superintendent thinks that they are becoming more
widely recognised and popular.
158. In Bombay 4 new dispensaries were opened during the year; two in
the Satara district, and one each in the Thana and Kanara districts. The build-
ings of the new City dispensary in Poona have been completed and this has been
greatly assisted by the liberality of Rao Bahadur Shet Ram Narayan
Amarchand, who contributed Rs. 12,000 towards the cost of the buildings:
a fact which rather indicates that these institutions are appreciated
by the people. The average of cases treated is over 2,266 per dis-
pensary, and as some of them have been recently started, and the
Veterinary Assistants in charge do other work, the number is satisfactory. A
large proportion of the animals treated are the property of cultivators and the
cultivating classes generally are reported to be availing themselves of the
benefits of these institutions more and more from year to year. The Superin-
tendent remarks that "the general utility of the dispensaries has been recognised
by Government for some years past and their growing popularity tends to show
that they are appreciated by the people. In addition to their ordinary function
of providing treatment, they act as centres from which a correct knowledge of
the care and rational treatment of live stock can be spread. The educative
side of the dispensary is often
overlooked." I can only say that
in other Provinces where dispensaries are numerous they have been eminently
successful in this direction, and have brought the existence of the Veterinary
Department to the notice of the people. I consider that they are absolutely
necessary to bring the Veterinary Assistants in touch with the people. One
or two Veterinary Assistants in a district with no hospital or any other visible
sign of their existence are not likely to get much in touch with the hundreds
of thousands of inhabitants spread over a large area; whereas the provision of
a good hospital immediately attracts attention and is a subject of conversa-
tion in the surrounding country.