NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
22
fodders, it has become more necessary for farmers hero to
keep only the best class of cattle if these are not to be a
burden on the farm. The great differences which one sees
in the types of cattle; in their inherent capacities for
yielding milk, etc., make it obvious that much improve-
ment could be effected in the Punjab by careful selection
and breeding just as has been effected here in the case of
certain crops, With this in view an outline of a com-
prehensive scheme for the improvement of the breeds of
cattle in the Punjab has been drawn up and is under con-
sideration. The scheme also includes provision for the
improvement of breeds of other domestic animals.
As already stated, the department is responsible for
horse-breeding in the 14 non selected districts (see page 9).
At the close of the year there were 65 horse and pony
stallions, and 76 donkey stallions at work in these dis-
tricts, as compared with 62 horse and pony stallions and
76 donkey stallions at the end of the previous year. For
further details see Table VIII, pages xvi - xvii.
The Chief Superintendent remarks that the province is
still short of the sanctioned scale by six horse and four donkey
stallions. The latter deficiency has been made up since the
report of the Chief Superintendent was written except the one
donkey stallion which is replaceable out of Gurdaspur District
Board funds and will be purchased next financial year subject
to necessary budget provision being made by that body. The
shortage of horse stallions will be made good as early as pos-
sible. The total number of mares served during the year by
horse stallions was 4,036 and by donkey stallions 3,396,
against 3,747 and 3,240, respectively, in the previous year.
Regarding sheep, 20 cross-bred marino rams and 16
cross-bred marino ewes were issued from the Govern-
ment Cattle Farm, Hissar, to breeders in the province against
64 rams and 82 ewes during the previous year. In this
connection kindly see further remarks on page 53.
The Co-operative Department states that at the end
of the year under report there were 8 cattle insurance socie-
ties, 31 cattle-breeding societies, 5 cattle purchase societies
and 4 sheep-breeding societies working in the province.
Twenty-six cattle insurance societies were cancelled during
the year. The Registrar, Co-operative Societies, considers, and
I agree that the idea of cattle insurance is too advanced for
the stage which the co-operative movement has yet reached in
this province. Three sheep-breeding societies were cancelled
23
during the year, two of these on account of flooding of
available pastures, and one because of unsatisfactory working.
One cattle-breeding society was cancelled and 10 others
were registered during the year These cattle breeding
societies are regarded as full of possibilities for assisting in
the work of cattle improvement of the province by securing
continuity of effort, reporting outhreaks of disease, collect-
ing inferior bulls for castration, etc., etc. Particulars re-
garding Cattle Fairs and Shows will be found at Table IX
on pages xviii—xix and the expenditure by local bodies is
shown in Table XI on pages xxii—xxiii.
Taking the district work as a whole, there has therefore
been considerable progress made in many directions during
the year under report and for this the thanks of Govern-
ment are due to Mr. Branford who officiated as Chief
Superintendent till about the end of November, and
Mr. Quirke who carried on the work of Chief Superinten-
dent from that time, together with the Superintendents,
North and South-Punjab Circles, and the members of the
district staff, both Veterinary and clerical, who have helped
in achieving these highly creditable results.
The thanks of Government are also due to the District
Civil Officers without whose cordial co-operation these
results would not have been possible.
Hissar Cattle Farm.
The report of the Superintendent, Government Cattle
Farm, Hissar, will be found on pages 59—63.
Mr. T. J. Egan, Assistant Superintendent of the Farm,
officiated as Superintendent in addition to his own duties
from April 1st to November 28th, 19.4, when Mr Branford,
the Superintendent, resumed charge after being relieved of
the duties of the Chief Superintendent, Civil Veterinary
Department.
Mr. T. J. Egan was transferred to Rawalpindi on
March 24th to act as Superintendent, Civil Veterinary De-
partment, North-Punjab and North-West Frontier Pro-
vince, vice Mr. Brett who proceeded on 5 months and 22
days' leave.
The Hissar Farm is 9,844 acres in extent but as
only 2,008 acres are under irrigation and cultivation it
is largely dependent on rainfall. The rainfall during
the year under report was 11.65 inches, which is
about 2 inches less than the average annual rainfall
24
also the intervals between the falls of rain were too long,
and growth of grass was checked. Only 2,487 maunds one
maund = 82 2/7 lb.) of hay were saved during the year
against 62,392 maunds in the previous year. But although
hay making was never possible as a serious enterprise,
grazing was good up to the middle of the cold weather.
Owing to poor supplies of water in one of the canal minors
(Dabra) the Kharif harvest on the lands served by that
minor were less than 50 per cent. of a normal crop. With
careful management and the good grazing, however, the
fodder in reserve on the farm at the end of the year under
report (31st March 1925) amounted to 134,278 maunds as
against 134,730 maunds on 31st March 1924, i.e., the
reduction in amount of reserve fodder was negligible. This
is very creditable in face of the above-mentioned facts.
The table below gives the number of the more impor-
tant animals sold from the farm during the year under
report and in the previous year :-
In the year ending 31st March
(a) For breeding purposes—
1. Bulls (stud and supernumerary)
2. Heifers
...
...
3. Donkey colts ...
...
4. Cross-bred merino ram lambs
5. Cross-bred merino ewe lambs
(b) For Military Service—
1. Bullocks (ordinary service) ..
2. Mules (for ordnance and
transport).
1924.
241
101
13
64
82
53
6
1925.
296
116
16
23
16
27
19
A number of other animals were also disposed of. For
details of the animals on the Hissar Cattle Farm see Table
XII, pages xxiv—xxv and for breeding results see Table
XIII on page xxvi.
Two hundred and eighty-four of the above-mentioned bulls
were issued to District Boards and this constitutes a record
for the farm; also the demand for farm cattle from other
sources continues to be keen. This is at once a pleasing
tribute to the value of the breeding work done on the farm,
and an indication of the increasing interest being taken
by local bodies in the improvement of the cattle of the
province.
The farm bred Arab stallion which is the first fruit
of the Arab horse-breeding scheme on the farm, is working
in Gurdaspur District and is said to be very popular. Three
or four more Arab stallions are expected to be issued to
25
District Boards in the province within the next few months.
I agree with Mr. Branford's opinion that these Arab stallions
produced at the farm are generally of better quality than
the so-called "Arab" now-a-days available in the Bombay
market.
Although the sheep on the farm continue to flourish
and to be a very profitable section of the farm activities,
the demand from farmers for cross-bred merino cross
country ram lambs has decreased. Mr. Branford states that
the local price for country wool was Rs 45 per maund
this spring; that it pays to farm sheep with wool at this
price, and that the farm wool was sold at Rs. 143-8-0
per maund this year. In reply to my enquiries he also
states that although the fleece from an average full grown
country bred sheep varies enormously he does not think
the fleece from the local desi breed is over 4 lbs., even
if the sheep is unwashed before shearing, while a fleece from
an average farm bred country cross merino sheep is 4 lbs.
when the sheep is washed before shearing. The body
weight of an average cross-bred merino on the farm is,
he thinks, probably the same as that of the local desi bred,
but the local breeds are small. Their first crosses are heavier,
but an increase of merino blood tends to a decrease in size.
Cross-breds are not as hardy as desis, however.
As a factor in causing the poor demand for these
cross-bred desi merinos Mr. Branford thinks, that sheep
breeders in general may not have reaped advantage from
these cross-breds, enough cross-bred wool never having
been put on the market to permit special rates being had
for it; while if the farmer uses this wool himself he finds
it harder to clean and spin. It seems to me therefore that
what is needed is arrangements for the collection of this
cross-bred wool for sale in large enough quantity to com-
mand its proper market value. The point is being brought
to the notice of the Chief Superintendent, Civil Veterinary
Department.
On account of paucity of staff the system introduced
last year of keeping regular milk records of a number of
cows on the farm could not be continued over complete
lactation periods, but weighments of milk-yields were
made once or twice a month and the result is summarised
in Mr. Branford's report,—vide page 61. These results
are very encouraging. When proper milking records are
kept the Superintendent of the farm hopes to be able to
26
collect much evidence to the effect that the common com-
plaint that the lactation period of the Hariana cows is too
short, although often true of cows purchased in the district,
is not true in the case of farm bred milking cows.
As already stated the maintenance of daily milk re-
cords for complete lactation periods, although costly, is
essential for the reasoned improvement of milk-yields,
and it is already evident that much improvement can be
made in the milking capacity of the Hariana cows if accu-
rate data regarding milk-yields are collected.
Government sanction for the construction of a shed
for gentling cows and for the entertainment of staff neces-
sary to carry on systematic milking, and milk recording
have been applied for.
Losses on the Hissar Farm from the principal con-
tagious diseases were light in the year under report except
for a severe outbreak of black quarter during the
rains, and for equine contagious abortion which also caused
heavy losses. In any attempt to reduce the losses from the
latter disease a number of pony and donkey mares on the
farm are now being inoculated with a vaccine prepared at
the Imperial Institute of Veterinary Research, Muktesar.
It is hoped that this vaccine may have some protective
effect. The Veterinary Assistant in charge of the hospital
on the farm made a large number of inoculations against
blackquarter, hæmorrhagic septicæmia, rinderpest and
contagious abortion. A summary of the cases of contagious
diseases which occurred on the farm is given below:—
Summary of the cases of contagious diseases at the Govern-
ment Cattle Farm, Hissar.
Disease.
Rinderpest ...
Hæmorrhagic Septi-
cæmia.
Anthrax ...
Blackquarter ...
Foot and Month ...
Contagious abortion
Class of animal.
Cattle ...
Cattle ...
Sheep ...
Cattle ...
Sheep ...
Cattle ...
Cattle ...
Sheep ...
Pony and Arab
mares.
Donkey mares
1921-22.
...
...
...
16
5
5
2
4
3
14
DEATHS.
1922-23.
...
1
1
3
1
23
...
...
CASES
3
8
1923-24.
...
...
...
1
1
3
2
...
8
11
1924-25.
1
...
...
1
1
43
2
7
9
17
27
As regards the various crops sown on the farm the
yields were rather less than in the previous year, owing to
shortage of irrigation water in the Dabra minor, but taking
the farm as a whole the crop yields were satisfactory. Oats
did unusually well, the yield of oat grain from 125 acres
in one area known as the "stables" farm was over 24
maunds per acre, and the total yield of oats from 604
matured acres is expected to be over 10,500 maunds, i.e.,
nearly 16 maunds per acre. This the Superintendent points
out is more than double the average yield ten years ago,
and considering that this average include yields from farms
situated at 6 to 11 miles from Hissar, difficult to supervise
and to manure, these outturns are very satisfactory.
A point of great interest to oat farmers is that after
carrying out the "formalin" treatment on oat seeds
before sowing, the whole oat crop on the Hissar Farm was
completely free from "Smut" except one small field, the
seeds for which are believed to have missed treatment.
This disease did severe damage to the oat crop on the farm
a number of years ago, and does immense damage to the oat
crops in the province annually. Oats are a most excellent
fodder and the elimination of smut disease would raise the
profits from oat farming very greatly.
Several bighas of land have been planted out with
"Kikuyu" grass in order to gain experience of its grazing
capacity.
In trials made with lucerne (Medicago Sativa) and
Berseem or Egyptian Clover (Trifolium alexandrinum) as
regards their powers of producing quantities of green fodder,
lucerne seems to be much the more promising.
Among the improved facilities for the working of the
farm which have been added during the year, the Superin-
tendent mentions the addition of the blower machine which
receives bhusa from the combined threshing and bhusa making
machine and blows it straight under cover, or into a stack
up to a height of 30 feet, thus saving much manual labour.
In one day in the season under report it delivered 720 maunds
of bhusa. The Superintendent also mentions a combined
"crush and foot bath" which has been erected at the
hospital, which enormously facilitates the dressing of
wounds and other operations on animals, the majority of
which are wild and unbroken. Mr. Branford has submitted
a paper on "The ageing of Indian Breeds of Cattle"
which has been accepted by the Agricultural Journal of
D
28
India. This paper is a useful contribution to agricultural
knowledge.
An interesting innovation of the year is the starting
of night schools on the farm for its illiterate employees
The literate members of the staff very kindly gave their
services free for teaching work. The school was started at
the instance of Mr. Atma Ram, Inspector of Schools,
Ambala Division, with the energetic co-operation of the
Deputy Superintendent of the Farm, M. Ghulam Hussain.
It has proved popular and I feel much indebted to these men
for opening the school and for keeping it going.
The farm accounts have just been audited by the
Examiner of the Local Fund Accounts. The total value
of the live stock at the end of the year under report was
Rs. 6,77,327 as against Rs. 6,68,063 at the end of the pre-
vious year. The profit and loss accounts for the year under
teport show a net deficit of Rs. 20,491. But under the exist-
ing system of accounts no credit is given to the farm for
the free issue of horse and donkey stallions to the District
Boards, nor for the concession rates at which bulls are
supplied to District Boards. The pro-forma account of the
farm, as verified by the auditors, show that the free issue
of horse and donkey stallions and the concessions for bulls
amounted to Rs. 93,338 during the year, and when these
are taken into account the farm shows a profit on the
year's working of Rs. 72,847. This profit coupled with
the great usefulness of the farm to the province in improv-
ing the breeds of farm animals is a great achievement.
An abstract showing main results of the working of the
farm is shown at Table XIV, pages xxvii—xxviii.
The department has been short of Imperial Officers
in the past year, and as will be noticed from my opening
remarks in this section this extensive farm has been with-
out an Assistant Superintendent during a large part of the
year, but in spite of short-handedness, Messrs. Branford and
Egan ran the farm well in the different periods in which
they held charge and thanks of Government are due to
them for this work. As regards the subordinate staff
Mr. Branford specially mentions the work of M. Ata
Muhammad, second Farm Overseer, as worthy of considera-
tion, and I associate myself with Mr. Branford's remark.
The cost of the Civil Veterinary Department is shown
in Table X at page xx.
D. MILNE, B.Sc. (AGR.), I.A.S.,
Director of Agriculture, Punjab.
The 7th September, 1925.
29
Annual Report of the Punjab Veterinary College,
Lahore, for the year 1924-25.
Gazetted-staff.
COLONEL G. K. WALKER resumed his duties as Princi-
pal and Professor of Medicine at the
commencement of the session on return
from leave for two months and 26 days prefixed to the
College vacation. During his absence Mr. Taylor officiated
as Principal.
The appointment of Professor of Hygiene, which had
been vacant since the 19th November 1923, has been filled
provisionally by Mr. A. C. Aggarwala, M.R.C.VS., who
was appointed on the 19th January 1925.
Mr. W. Taylor, Captain Walker, Khan Sahib M.
Ghulam Rasul Khan and Sardar Hardit Singh held their
respective appointments throughout the year. Mr. Karam
Elahi was confirmed in the appointment of Professor of
Parasitology with effect from the 1st January 1925 after
completing his probationary period. Sardar Mool Singh
and Mr. Haq Nawaz Khan are still on probation in their
respective appointments.
Non-gazetted staff.
2. There were no changes during the year in the
establishment of the
non-gazetted
staff.
Vernacular course.
3. The seven remaining students of the vernacular
class, who had failed in March 1924,
were re-examined in June and on pass-
ing were awarded diplomas.
Admission.
4. One hundred and twenty-five candidates submitted
applications for admission to the
College in May. They did not all
present themselves for selection but a large proportion
did and of these thirty-seven were selected.
Three of them had the F. Sc. (Medical group)
qualification
and the remainder
were matriculate,
Included were six nominated students, viz., three from
Mysore, two from Kapurthala and one from Dharangadra
(Kathiawar States.
D2
30
5. At the close of the year under report the number of
students was:—
Number of students in
the College.
First Year Class
Second Year Class
Third Year Class
Fourth Year Class
...
...
...
...
Post Diploma Classes ...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
38
22
8
9
5
It is clear that for the past two years there has been
more co mpetition for admission on the assumption, doubt-
less, th at prospects of respectable employment are brighter.
It would be unwise to accept a larger number of candidates
anticipatin g employment under the Punjab Government
at pr esent, however, as the position is too uncertain The
Army au thorities have shown no indication of requiring
recruits in the near future. Native States are beginning
to su pport the Institution and development in this direction
may be expected. In spite of the matriculation standard
being insisted on a number of students with that qualifica-
tion are found to be lacking in the requisite mental capacity
to cope with what is admittedly a severe course of study
and that accounts for many dropping out in the first year.
Great care is exercised in selecting those students who are
not nominated and the latter are tested also but it does not
seem practicable to perform prodigies of parspicacity. The
hopeful side of the situation is that the course was so de-
vised that unsuitable students would find that they had
mistaken their vocation during the first year of study and
preserve the pockets of Government and themselves by
not persisting in the penitential pursuit of a precarious pro-
fession. There is no escaping the fact that a sound applica-
tion of veterinary science requires general and special educa-
tion of no mean order if the economic questions involved
are to be profitably dealt with. A higher standard of preli-
minary education followed by a longer course of study than
the present one must eventually be accepted as essential to
efficiency but progress must be gradual and the veterinary
profession in India does not at present offer much induce-
ment to a larger expenditure on the necessary education
31
from private pockets. It should be recognised however that
if efficiency is desired the outlay in time and money
must be considerable.
Examinations.
6. The annual examinations were held in June and
the supplementary examinations for
students failing in one subject in Dec-
ember with the following results:—
I Year Class
II Year Class
III Year Class
...
...
...
Number of
candidates.
27
9
9
Passed.
18
8
9
Farriers.
7. Eighteen farriers were trained during the year and
all were awarded certificates.
Hospital attendance.
8. The attendance at the Hospital during the year
was:—
GENERAL WARD.
In-patients 1,298
Out-patients 2,609
against 1,454 in the previous year.
do.
2,167
ditto.
DOG WARD.
In-patients 417
Out-patients 462
against 461 in the previous year.
do.
500
ditto.
CONTAGIOUS WARD.
375 against 335 in the previous year.
The average daily attendance in the various wards of
the Hospital was 83.41. Ninety-two dogs underwent the
anti-rabic treatment during the year, which is a notable
increase on previous years, and demonstrates the confidence
of owners. In the general ward the tendency is towards an
increase in the number of bovine patients, which are usually
out-patients, and a decrease in the number of equines, attri-
butable to the growth of mechanical transport. There is no
obvious explanation for the decrease in the attendance of
canine patients but the dog ward overflows with patients at
certain times and some cannot be admitted in consequence.
32
It may be said that the place is generally popular with
owners of dogs and that a very steady income to Government
is derived from it. The ward is also of considerable educa-
tional value to the students.
Special work.
9. The post of Professor of Hygiene was not filled
until the 19th January and Mr.
Aggarwala's time was fully occupied
in trying to make up deficiencies in the subjects for which
the chair he holds is responsible. It was particularly hard
on the students of the final year that so much delay had
occurred in filling the vacancy as they were compelled to
take an extra subject in that year's course. Certain
experimental work has been carried out in various direc-
tions with no very positive results at present though that
does not detract from the value of the work. A consider-
able number of examinations of morbid material have been
conducted. During the year 170 post-mortems were made
and 160 pathological specimens examined. The demand
for vaccines and sera of different kinds has increased
and caused extra work to the staff employed in the duty of
preparation. Certain sera are now supplied to the Mayo
Hospital and private medical practitioners. If the demand
increases, as appears probable, additional laboratory staff
will be called for and the installation of a refrigerating
plant will be necessary.
As stated in previous reports the Punjab Veterinary
College is primarily a teaching institution and not a re-
search institution. Original and experimental investiga-
tions have been conducted in the past and continue to be
conducted as opportunity permits. The results so far
achieved have not been without value.
The members of the teaching staff are keen on progres-
sive study but if concentrated effort on experimental re-
search is contemplated a special staff must be employed.
In other departments separate research and teaching insti-
tutions are maintained and the Civil Veterinary Depart-
ment has a separate Central Research Institute at Muktesar
established and staffed for the purpose.
Buildings and equipment.
10. It is understood that the much needed improve-
ments to the Physical and Chemical
Laboratories will be taken in hand
shortly. During the year a sewerage system, which was