9
IV.—OTHER DISEASE.
33. During the year 11,522 villages were visited by different members
of the veterinary staff on tour and 102,447 animals were treated, as against
9,948 villages visited, and 63,416 animals treated last year. This is very
creditable, and the chief superintendent considers that touring is the best
method by which the amount of good work the department can do, may be
demonstrated to the people.
34. 15,154 castrations were performed on tour against 2,268 last year.
In additton 3,082 castrations were performed at hospitals in the central circle
alone. This increase is solely due to lectures and tact.
V.—VETERINARY HOSPITALS.
35. At the close of the year under report there were 114 veterinary
hospitals in the province against 113. A new veterinary hospital has been
built by private enterprise at Bhaini Milwan in the Gurdaspur district,
and others are being built also by private enterprise at Bham, Dhelon,
Dalhousie, Ram Das and Sangowal. As stated in last year's report, the
chief superintendent's intention of having hospitals built by the people them-
selves has been carried out, and he wishes to thank the kind-hearted Indians
who have responded to his request.
VI.—GENERAL.
36. 301,847 cases were treated at the veterinary hospitals against
270,889 in the past year. The income from fees amounts to Rs. 14,862 against
Rs. 19,551 last year. The decrease is mainly due to the exclusion of the Delhi
hospital.
37. The total expenditure on veterinary hospitals in the province
amounts to Rs. 1,50,962. The veterinary hospitals in selected districts,
managed by this department, are doing well.
Part III.—Breeding operations.
38. At the close of the year there were 69 horse and pony stallions at
work in the non-selected districts in the province, which is one less than
the sanctioned scale, and that deficiency is in the Jullundur district. This
district indented for a thorough-bred English or thorough-bred Australian, but
the price offered was not sufficient to purchase a good animal.
The scale of donkey stallions for the non-selected districts is complete.
39. The produce of the district board stallions is good, but the young-
sters ought to be better cared for. A deplorable fact is that mares with a foal
only a week old are often ridden long distances. This not only takes too much
out of the mare, which naturally is unable to do its foal well but the foal is also
debilitated on account of being taken long distances at such an early age and
also by not getting its full amount of nourishment. This has been pointed out
to owners.
40. There were 75 donkey stallions at work in the districts during the
year. Six jacks were supplied during the year from the Hissar Farm.
The statistics for the service of stallions are given in Table XI which
shows satisfactory results.
41. Covering registers are not as carefully kept as they should be.
The fact is that itinerating veterinary assistants have too much to do, and it is
impossible for one man to travel round a whole district and attend to disease
and castration and at the same time collect information regarding foalings. I
think it would be more satisfactory if patwaris supply this information in the
future.