Note on the Veterinary Progress in the Punjab by the Director of Agriculture.
1. Colonel H. T. Pease remained as Principal of the College throughout the year under
report, but retired in July 1919, and his place is being filled by Colonel Walker. Seventy-eight
students were admitted in May 1918, 52 for the 3-year course and 26 for the 4-year course.
This was 7 below the number admitted in May 1917. In all 57 men passed out qualified during
the year. The number of Punjab civilian students, who in 1918-19, numbered only 15, is in-
adequate for the demand. The qualifications of the entrants is, too, far too low, and is marked
contrast to the standard of students obtainable for the Lyallpur Agricultural College. In
the latter the Principal can pick and choose from among a plethora of matriculates, but a matri-
culant is rarely found attempting to enter the Punjab Veterinary College. The low scale of pay
of the subordinate Civil Veterinary Department in the Punjab is greatly responsible for this,
and the proposals for increase recently sent up will if sanctioned be neither premature nor
excessive.
The post-graduate course was in abeyance during the year, but as Mr. Cross returns
to duty in November and is to be posted to the College it will be started again.
Mr. Burke, Professor of Surgery, is due to retire in November 1919, but proposals to extend
his term till 31st March 1920 have been forwarded to Government. In the meantime
a new Professor of Surgery, Mr. Sewell, has been recruited in England, and is expected out
by October.
Colonel Pease's retirement from the post of Principal which he has held some 18
years will be a great loss to the College. He was largely responsible for the design of the
College, which Veterinary Officers from all parts of India praise very highly, and to
Colonel Pease must be assigned the credit for the efficiency of the teaching and hospital
work.
2. The shortage of staff in the Civil Verterinary Department was as marked as in the
previous year, and Colonel Farmer had to take over 6 more districts under his direct control
in the Central Punjab Circle owing to Mr. G. Taylor's transfer to Bombay. There were 46
Veterinary Inspectors and Veterinary Assistants below strength in a total subordinate
cadre of 208, 37 of these being on military duty. Mr. G. Taylor has now left the Punjab,
probably for good, and Rai Sahib Lala Kotu Ram is officiating for him. The newly recruit-
ed officer, Mr. Garewal, officer under training, is officiating for Mr. Quirke as Superintendent,
North-West Frontier Province and North Punjab, while the latter is on leave.
In spite of the difficulties thus occasioned Colonel Farmer's zeal has been equal to all
the demands put upon him.
Despite the dryness and heat prevailing in the summer of 1918, contagions cattle
disease were responsible for nearly 28,000 deaths. Seventy-five per cent. of these were due to
rinderpest—a very striking result when it is remembered that in no previous year (since 1911-
12) did deaths from rinderpest exceed just over 50 per cent. of the total cattle mortality,
and generally is much lower than even one-half of the deaths. The following comparison of
disease in recent years may be useful :—
DEATHS FROM CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.
Year.
1911-12 ... ... ...
1912-13 ... ... ...
1913-14 ... ... ...
1914-16 ... ... ...
1915-16 ... ... ...
1916-17 ... ... ...
1917-18 ... .. ...
1918-19 ... ... ...
Equines.
59
71
42
338
73
178
1,369
83
Bovines.
Rinderpest.
9,300
12,990
12,700
7,300
2,400
15,000
8,500
20,800
Foot and
mouth.
684
323
706
521
675
512
1,295
536
Hæmor-
rhagie
septicæmia.
10,900
8,700
10,700
19,500
7,100
10,700
13,400
5,300
Black-quar-
ter.
1,914
868
733
2,007
1,415
1,087
2,609
608
Inoculation
for rinderpest.
32,000
18,000
29,000
30,000
26,000
81,000
66,000
106,000
The figures suggest that cattle disease has not decreased in the last decade, in spite of the
enormous increase in inoculations: though it is of course possible that there may have been
an improvement marked by better reporting. In this connection it is noteworthy that
Mr. Branford on the Hissar Farm found that as many as 3 vaccinations were ineffective in
conferring immunity against Black-quarter. The freedom of equines from fatal contagious
disease is remarkable, and the only conclusion seems to be that they die mainly of old age or
overwork.
A proposal to increase the accommodation of Veterinary hospitals by spending
Rs. 48,000 from Wheat Profits is shortly to be submitted to Government.
B