GOVERNMENT OF BENGAL.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRIES.
Veterinary.
CALCUTTA, THE 19TH SEPTEMBER 1921.
RESOLUTION—No. 3473Vety.
Minister in charges The Hon'ble Nawab Saiyld Nawab All Chaudhurl, Khan Bahadur, C.I.E.
READ—
The Annual Reports of the Veterinary College and of the Civil Veterinary Depart-
ment, Bengal, for the year 1920-21.
COLONEL SMITH, Principal, Bengal Veterinary College, held charge of the
college throughout the year except from 1st July to 30th September 1920
when he was on furlough. During this period Mr. P. J. Kerr, who was
temporarily appointed as second Imperial officer, was in charge of the college.
Mr. A. 1). MacGregor held charge of the office of the Superintendent, Civil
Veterinary Department, from the beginning of the year till the 22nd November
1920, when he went on combined leave for eight months, and Mr. P. J. Kerr
remained in charge of the office of the Superintendent till the end of the year
except for a period of 27 days, when he went on combined leave, and
Colonel Smith held charge of the department in addition to his own duties
as Principal of the college. A second Deputy Superintendent for the
department was sanctioned during the year for the Eastern Bengal divisions,
with headquarters at Dacca. This appointment will, it is hoped, materially
improve the work of the department in the eastern portions of the province.
2. The number of students at the Bengal Veterinary College at the end
of the session was 127, of which number 53 belonged to Bengal, 45 to Bihar
and Orissa, and the rest to other provinces. Owing to a large number of
students leaving the college, there was a fall in the number of students as
compared with the preceding year's figure, which was 158. During the year
24 students graduated from the college, of whom four belonged to Bengal.
All the new graduates have been employed as veterinary assistants.
3. The report of the Civil Veterinary Department shows a marked increase
in the mortality of animals from contagious diseases during the year, the
total number of deaths reported being 19,344 as against 14,898 in the
previous year. The increase is due to severe outbreaks of rinderpest in
several districts of this presidency, this disease being responsible for 17,4z5
deaths as compared with 12,178 deaths in the previous year. The Superin-
tendent, Civil Veterinary Department, reports that with the increasing atten-
tion given to details, and greater facilities for ascertaining and reporting out-
breaks, many more cases now come to light than in past years. In all 539
outbreaks of rinderpest, hæmorrhagic septicæmia, and anthrax took place,
and 86,354 animals were inoculated as against 537 and 84,896 respectively of
the previous year. It is satisfactory to note that the death-race amongst the
inoculated animals was small, being only 106 per cent. for the whole
province.
Leaflets dealing with the prevention and treatment of cattle diseases
were freely distributed as usual. The Government (Ministry of Agriculture
and Public Works) notice with satisfaction that in the work of inoculation
very little opposition is now met with in the advanced districts of the
province and that the beneficial result of the practice of inoculation is
gradually overcoming the prejudices of the people.
4. During the year under report the itinerant veterinary assistants
visited 12,756 villages and treated 69.584 animals as against 12,831 villages
and 58,761 animals in the previous year.
5. In Calcutta and its suburbs all the stables and cattle-sheds were
frequently inspected. Glanders was detected in 23 stables only, against 30
in the previous year. In the mufassal only three animals either succumbed
to the malady or were destroyed under the provisions of the Glanders and
Farcy Act.