NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
19
Annual Report of the Punjab Veterinary College,
Lahore, for the year 1922-23.
Gazetted Staff.
COLONEL G. K. WALKER, C.I.E., O.B.E., resumed his
duties as Principal and Professor of
Medicine on the 2nd October 1922 on his
return from leave. Captain Sewell, M. C., on being relieved
of the Superintendentship of the Government Cattle Farm,
Hissar, rejoined the College as Professor of Hygiene on the
21st November 1922.
Captain Dowland resigned his appointment on account
of ill-health with effect from the 1st October 1922.
Mr. Baij Nath Singh, M.A., M.Sc., was appointed Pro-
fessor of Physiology as a temporary arrangement from the
2nd October 1922.
Mr. W. Taylor, Captain Walker, M.C., Khan Bahadur
Sardar Shah, M. Ghulam Rasul Khan and Sardar Har-
dit Singh held their respective appointments throughout
the year, Mr. Taylor acting as Principal, in addition to his
own duties, during Colonel Walker's absence, Sardar Mool
Singh acted as Professor of Medicine.
The professorial staff required for the revised course in
English is being appointed gradually as the course proceeds.
It is trusted that the facilities generously granted to selected
aspirants by Government for training in Europe will pro-
duce good results. In the case of Sardar Hardit Singh,
Professor of Anatomy, the plan has already been amply
justified.
Non-Gazetted Staff.
2. Chaudhri Haq Nawaz Khan, on deputation in Eng-
land, was given a year's extension for
further study in Physiology at Univer-
sity College, London and Mr. Karam Elahi, Assistant to the
Professor of Pathology and Parasitology, was deputed to the
Molteno Institute at Cambridge for a course in Parasitology
M. Muhammad Alam was appointed to officiate as a Clinical
Assistant in the vacancy thus created. The staff required
for the revised course in English is being trained and appointed
gradually as required.
Sessions.
8. The final year of the vernacular three years' course
commenced on May 1st after the annual
examinations in April.
20
The first year students of the revised course were examined
in June and the new session for the revised course for both
first and second year students commenced on October 2nd.
Admissions.
4. There were no admissions for the vernacular course
as it is not being proceeded with.
For the revised course the date for the receipt of appli-
cations was May 23rd. Twenty-eight applications were re-
ceived but only 9 applicants presented themselves. These were
admitted. Thirteen more applications were received later. Of
these 8 matured and were admitted. Two students were sent
by the United Provinces Government.
This unsatisfactory state of things must be attributed
to the fact that at the moment there are a very large number
of Veterinary Assistants out of employment owing to de-
mobilisation and retrenchment. In addition, the conditions
and prospects of Government employment are not sufficiently
encouraging to attract candidates. They compare unfavour-
ably with other services and the existing conditions are
discussed by aspirants before they commit themselves to the
career offered.
The course of study now adopted at the College is cal-
culated to produce a class of man with a high standard of
education and it is in accordance with the expressed policy
of Government. It is necessary to improve the terms of
service accordingly and this has been represented.
In the meantime recruitment to the services is practi-
cally in abeyance. It is not known when the Army authori-
ties will re-open their ranks and there is at the moment little
or no demand from other quarters.
The Punjab Veterinary College can educate about 50
men a year without difficulty, but there is no point in turning
out more candidates than can be absorbed. The present
position is probably quite transitory but it is nevertheless
depressing particularly for the large number of unemployed
men.
India requires a strong and efficient state veterinary
service and the Punjab Veterinary College has exceptional
facilities for meeting such a demand. Any retrogression
would be most deplorable.
21
Number of Students.
5. The number of students at the College during the
year under report was as follows :—
Vernacular Course (final year) ..
English Course—
First year .. ..
Second year .. ..
Total ..
75
19 18 admissions and 1
failed student.
12
106
Examinations.
6. The following were the results of the supplementary
examinations for the vernacular course
held in June 1922 :—
Second year ..
Third year ..
Examined.
.. 15
.. 5
Passed.
10
4
The annual examinations for the vernacular coarse were
held in April 1923 and resulted as follows :—
Third year ..
Examined,
.. 73
Passed.
48
Eleven failed in one subject only and will be re-examined
in June 1923.
Two having failed in two successive years have left the
College and the remainder will undergo a further year of
study.
The number of passes was not so good as usual.
This is accounted for by the fact that a number of dull
students have concentrated in the final year. The examiners
reported that they were satisfied with the results.
The annual examinations of the first year students of the
revised course in English took place in June 1922. Eighteen
candidates presented themselves and 11 passed. One of these
failed in one subject only and was re-examined in January
1923. He passed and was allowed to proceed with his studies
in the second year to which he had been provisionally promot-
ed.
Five failed students left the College and one continued
his studies for another year.
The percentage of passes, viz., 66.6 per cent. is considered
satisfactory. The elimination of unsuitable students is most
appropriate after the first year of study.
22
Farriers' Class.
7. Twelve farriers were trained dur-
ing the year.
Dressers' class.
8. No applications were recieved for dressers to be
trained during the vacation.
The Hospital.
9. The attendance at the Hospital
during the year was :—
General Ward.
In-patients 1,086 against 1,195 last year.
Out-patients 1,981 against 1,863 last year.
Dog Ward.
In-patients 512 against 493 last year.
Out-patients 445 against 328 last year.
Contagious Ward.
67 against 84 last year.
Special Work.
10. It is a matter of common knowledge that unless
a special staff is employed for the pur-
pose it is practically impossible to con-
duct research work in scientific institutions where teaching
is the primary duty.
The repeated interruptions involved in teaching students
and in dealing with administrative details prevent the re-
quired concentration. Dr. Boulenger, when Professor of
Zoology in the Punjab University, has recorded his appre-
ciation of the facilities given to him at the Punjab Veterinary
College for helminthological research.
He had no duties to perform at the College and came as
a visitor only. Sporadic work in research has in fact been
carried out in the past by members of the College staff but
if continued application is required, a special staff must be
employed including attendants.
Forty-nine dogs were successfully subjected to anti-rabic
treatment. This work has now been carried out by Mr.
Taylor, Professor of Pathology, for 8 years.
It is considered that this treatment has now passed the
experimental stage.
In Europe, according to statistics collected from different
centres, viz., Vienna, Berlin, Buda Pesth, the number of
dogs which develop rabies after being bitten by a mad dog,
and which do not undergo the anti-rabic treatment is about
33 per cent. This figure was obtained after the observation
23
of many thousand of cases. In this hospital 321 dogs have
undergone the treatment, 13 developed rabies during treat-
ment and the number which have developed rabies after con-
cluding the treatment is 7, or 2.3 per cent., which shows
conclusively that the treatment is efficacious.
The figure however, should not be taken quite as literally,
nor is the result actually so encouraging, for it must be
remembered that many people have their dogs treated after
being bitten, because they think the dog which bit them was
mad. In a great many cases we have no absolute proof that
the dog treated was bitten by a mad dog and it is almost certain
that, included in the figures quoted, are, several dogs which
were not bitten by a rabid animal so that the very encourag-
ing percentage shown above should really not be quite so small.
Some small experiments were conducted in connection with
Canine Surra, but the number of dogs treated was very
small, so it is unwise to make any definite statement at the
present stage, especially when the elusiveness of the Surra
trypanosome is taken into consideration. Briefly, it was
as follows. Two dogs heavily infected with Surra were
treated with tartar emetic, in varying quantities, and although
about two-and-a-half months have elapsed since the conclu-
sion of the treatment, the dogs are still alive and well, whe-
ther a permanent cure has been effected cannot yet be said,
but it is sufficiently encouraging to warrant the continuation
of the experiment on a larger scale next cold weather.
Captain Sewell has been carrying out some deficiency
tests on horses, pigeons and rabbits with certain success,
but the tests have not yet been completed, so that any state-
ments in this direction would be premature.
Sardar Hardit Singh during the past two years, has been
employed in preparing dissected specimens for the anatomical
museum, and has prepared sixty-one specimens.
Buildings.
11. During the year under report no new works or
extensions were undertaken.
The proposed extension of the Anatomical Block to
provide for a Physiological Laboratory is an urgent necessity
and the sewerage scheme, which has been approved, is badly
wanted. The tube well which has been under construction
by the Agricultural Department since 1919 has not been
completed. A new Pharmaceutical Block would be a great
asset to the College as the present accommodation is unsatis-
24
factory. Plans and estimates have been prepared but there
appears to be small prospect of the scheme being sanctioned
and it may be necessary to compromise by endeavouring
to improve the existing accommodation.
Income and Expenditure.
12. The income from the hospital and students' fee
amounted to Rs. 16,303 against Rs. 17,862
in the previous year. The decrease is
due to the fall in the number of admissions. The receipts
from hospital fees would be considerably increased if, as in
other Government institutions, credit by book transfer were
given for Government animals treated free. The Dog Hos-
pital continues to be considerable source of revenue and
further accommodation is desirable.
Efforts are being made to avoid bad debts, which amount
to a considerable sum, by insisting on cash payments.
The expenditure amounted to Rs. 1,62,078 against
Rs. 1,69,550.
The net cost of the College therefore amounted to
Rs. 1,45,775 against Rs. 1,51,687 last year.
Mr. Jacob's statement in his note on last year's report
that the cost approached 2 lakhs appears to be misleading.
One Imperial Officer has been reduced and the income
of the Hospital could be increased by making charges for
Government animals and by increasing fees all round. At
present the scale of charges is very moderate, and many ani-
mals are treated free.
General.
13. The health and behaviour of the students were
satisfactory. A greater interest is being
taken in athletics and success has been
already attained in inter-club contests. The Hostel is not
a very satisfactory habitat but the best use is being made
of the existing accommodation pending expected improve-
ments now under the consideration of Government.
The Principal is pleased to record his appreciation of
the work done by the staff during the year.
25
Report on the Civil Veterinary Department,
Punjab, for the year 1922-23.
BY MB. T. F. QUIRKE, M.R.C.V.S., I.V.S., CHIEF
SUPERINTENDENT.
Part I.—Administration.
1. The following statement shows the names of officers
who held charge of the several appointments and the amount
of touring performed by them during the year under re-
port :—
Name of appoi nt ment .
Chi ef Superi nt endent ,
Civil Vet eri nary De-
part ment , Punj ab.
Deput y Superi nt endent ,
Ci vi l Vet eri nary De-
part ment , Cent ral
Punj ab.
Superi nt endent , Ci vi l
Vet eri nary Depart -
ment , Nort h Punj ab.
Offi ci at i ng Deput y
Superi nt endent , Ci vi l
Vet eri nary Depart -
ment , Nort h Punj ab.
Deput y Superi nt endent ,
Ci vi l Vet eri nary De-
part ment , Nort h
Punj ab.
Superi nt endent , Civil
Vet eri nary Depart -
ment , Sout h Punj ab.
Deput y Superi nt endent ,
Ci vi l Vet eri nary De-
part ment , Sout h
Punj ab.
Name of offi cer.
Mr. T. F. Quirke. . .
Pandi t Janki Nat h
Mr. J. S. Garewal
M. Muhammad
Abdul l ah.
M. Tal l b Khan ...
Maj or F. G. Si kes
Rai Sahi b Lal a
Kot u Ram.
DATE OF HOLDING CHARGE.
Fr om
1st Apri l 1922
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
31st February
1928.
1st Apri l 1928
Ditto
To
31st Mar ch 1923
Ditto
Ditto
20t h February
1925.
31st Mar ch 1928
Ditto
Ditto
No. of
days
spent
on
tour.
152
152
67
118
31
70
218
No. OF MILES.
By
rail.
12, 008
5, 193
3, 614
3,586
517
6, 189
12, 650
By
toad.
1, 922
1,751
1, 104
1, 191
129
798
2, 912
2. As usual the Chief Superintendent, Superintendents
and the Deputy Superintendents toured in their respective
circles in connection with horse, mule and cattle breeding,
investigation of cattle diseases, and for the inspection of
Veterinary Hospitals, etc.
A special point was made of interviewing District Officers
and all representative zamindars on the Veterinary require-
ments of their districts.
The staff are encouraged in every way possible to keep
themselves up to date in their professional work. A number
D
26
of the staff were deputed for training with the Camel Specialist,
Sohawa, others were sent to the Government Cattle Farm,
Hissar.
The Chief Superintendent made regular inspections of
the various dairy and cattle breeding farms in the Province.
He attended the second meeting of the Veterinary Confe-
rence held at Calcutta and acted as an Examiner at the
Punjab Veterinary College, Lahore.
Part II.—Treatment of Diseases.
I.—CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.
Mortality.—Table II.
8. During the year under report 28,907 deaths from
contagious diseases were reported against
42,244 in the previous year. It was un-
usually healthy for live-stock until the latter half of the year,
when following upon the Christmas rains Hæmorrhagic Septi-
cæmia appeared in almost all the districts.
Reserves of Serum are being maintained at suitable"
centres throughout the Province so that it was readily avail-
able when outbreaks occurred. The demand for Hæmorr-
hagic Septicæmia Serum was such that the budget allotment
for Serum was found insufficient. Each year sees an improve-
ment in the readiness of the villagers towards the carrying
out of inoculations which is a very satisfactory indication
of the growing popularity of preventive methods in dealing
with disease.
I (a).—Equines.
(Note.—Only those outbreaks of contagious disease
amongst equines which occur in the " non-selected " districts
of the Province are dealt with by this Department.)
Glanders.—Table II.
4. Five cases of glanders were detected in Ferozepore
City and Cantonment and destroyed
against one case in the Ferozepore Can-
tonment last year.
No Royal Army Veterinary Corps Officer from the Army
Remount Department being available to deal with this out-
break the Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department,
South Punjab, assumed control and took all necessary precau-
tions in dealing with the disease. A large number of incon-
tacts were tested with Mallein of which three reactors were
destroyed. Compensation to the owners was paid by the
Army Remount Department in all cases.
27
Anthrax.—Table II.
5. Like last year no case of Anthrax was reported to
the staff of this Department. Three
cases however, were reported by the
District Remount Officer, Rawalpindi, to have occurred
amongst the mules of certain Mule dealers at Gujar Khan,
District Rawalpindi.
Surra.—Table II.
6. Fourteen deaths from Surra were confirmed against
17 in the previous year. These were
reported from Karnal, Lahore, Amritsar,
Gurdaspur and Gujranwala Districts. Although this disease
has been less prevalent than usual this year in the "non-
selected" districts, it is certain that a very large number of
cases go unreported. The seriousness of the disease is not
generally recognised by the villagers unless a number of ani-
mals become affected at about the same time when its con-
tagious nature becomes suspected.
Dourine.—Table II.
7. It is gratifying to note that no case of Dourine
was reported during the year.
Other contagious dis-
eases.—Table II.
8. During the year 48 deaths from other contagious
diseases were reported as compared with
8 deaths last year. These diseases in-
cluded, Strangles, Rabies, Mange and
Piroplasmosis, etc.
I (b).—Bovines.
Rinderpest.—Table II.
9. Rinderpest appeared in all the districts of the Pro-
vince except, Simla, Ludhiana, Mont-
gomery, Rawalpindi, Attock and Dera
Ghazi Khan.
Six thousand, nine hundred and thirty-six deaths were
reported from this disease against 23,661 in the previous year.
There has been a marked decrease in the prevalence of this
disease during the year.
Anti-Rinderpest
In-
oculations.—Table III.
10. Anti-Rinderpest inoculations were performed in
292 outbreaks and 48,213 cattle and
662 sheep and goats were inoculated
against 759 outbreaks and 132,841
inoculations in the previous year. Two hundred and eighty-
two cattle and one sheep died after inoculation, the majority
of which were probably in the incubative stage of the disease
at the time of inoculation.
Encouraging results have been noted from the increased
dosage of serum now employed in dealing with outbreaks.
D2
28
With greater confidence the mixing of the inoculated with
affected animals is now resorted to during outbreaks in order
to secure for them an active immunity. This marks an ad-
vance towards the adoption of the serum simultaneous method
of inoculation as a routine measure in dealing with this
disease. The latter method being still on trial in the Military
Dairy Farms we are obliged to act with extreme caution
in adopting this method under village conditions.
Foot and Mouth Dis-
ease.—Table 11.
11. During the year under report 695 animals died from
Foot and Mouth disease against 1,057 in
the previous year. This disease appeared
in all the districts of the Province of which
Kangra suffered the most.
As usual necessary measures to check the disease were
adopted by the staff. The indifference of shepherds in the
Kangra District in dealing with this disease is responsible
for the unnecessary mortality which occurs there.
Hæmorrhagic
Septi-
cæmia.—Table II.
12. During the year under report Hæmorrhagic Septi-
cæmia appeared in all the districts of
the
Province except Rawalpindi.
Thirteen thousand, six hundred and
eighty-four animals were reported to have died against 10,923
in the previous year. The disease was prevalent in low-lying
areas along the banks of the rivers.
Inoculation
against
Hæmorrhagic
Septfcæ-
mia.—Table III.
13. Preventive inoculations against Hæmorrhagic Septi-
cæmia were performed in 312 outbreaks
and 83,608 animals were inoculated
against 181 outbreaks and 43,858 in-
oculations during the previous year. Only 53 animals were
reported to have died after inoculation.
The serum has proved very effective during outbreaks
in limiting the spread of this disease. Its best results are
obtainable when the occurrence of the disease is promptly
reported. It is therefore unfortunate that the patwaris do
not always realise their responsibilities in this matter.
Preventive
Vaccina-
tions.—Table III.
14. Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia vaccinations were per-
formed on 170,944 animals in 746 vil-
lages of 27 districts against 42,999,154
and 22, respectively, during the previous
year.
It is important that veterinary arrangements in this
country should be principally directed towards prophylactic
29
measures in dealing with contagious diseases, especially for
this disease Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia which invariably
runs such a rapid course under village conditions. With
this object in view, vaccination work is being extended as
far as possible with the staff available. Attention is drawn
to the very considerable increase in the number of animals
vaccinated, which constitutes a record for this Department.
The very favourable results from vaccination were particularly
noticeable this year, in that very few cases of this disease have
been detected amongst vaccinated animals although our
vaccination work is so far confined to well-known areas where
the disease is more or less endemic. The Superintendent,
Government Cattle Farm, Hissar, has also recently confirmed
the reliability of the vaccine as a prophylactic against this
disease on the Farm.
Black-quarter.—Table II.
15. During the year under report 569 deaths were re-
ported against 360 during the previous
year. Jhelum District suffered the most
where alone 183 animals were reported to have died of this
disease.
Vaccinations
against
Black-quarter.—Table III.
16. Vaccinations against Black-quarter were performed
on 9,823 animals in 95 villages of five
districts against 529,057 and 4, respec-
tively, during the previous year. There
has been a very satisfactory increase in the number of vacci-
nations carried out during the year.
Other contagious dis-
eases.—Table II.
17. During the year under report 246 deaths took place
amongst bovines from "other contagious
diseases" compared with 719 in the
previous year. These include the follow-
ing diseases:—
Rabies, Cow-pox, Gillar, Liver Fluke and contagious
Pleuro Pneumonia.
I (c).—Other Animals.
Mortality.—Table II.
18. The following contagious diseases occurred in other
animals during the year under report:—
Rinderpest, Foot and Mouth disease, Hæmorrhagic
Septicæmia, Black-quarter, Sheep-pox, Liver Fluke,
contagious Pleuro Pneumonia, Gillar and Rabies.
The mortality amounted to 6,707 against 5,498 in the
previous year.
80
II.—OTHER DISEASES.
Treatment of diseases
in villages.—Table IV.
19. During the year under report 20,217 villages were
visited by Veterinary Assistants on tour,
130,551 animals were treated and 52,527
castrations performed as compared with
17,530 villages, 111,433 cases and 22,209 castrations during
the previous year.
Number of castrations performed.
Year.
1918-19 ..
1919-20 ..
1920-21 ..
1921-22 ..
1922-23 ..
In hospitals.
.. 16,728
.. 12,397
.. 13,791
.. 17,468
.. 27,484
On tour.
25,513
20,198
17,806
22,209
52,527
The above table shows a very satisfactory increase in the
castration work done in this Province during the past five
years. Considering the importance of this work in dealing
with breeding operations the results reflect very great credit
on the staff. It will be regrettable if in future this branch of
the work cannot be pushed on with the same vigour on account
of the considerably reduced travelling allowance allotment
sanctioned for this Department for the coming year.
III.—VETERINARY HOSPITALS.
Number of Veterinary
hospitals.—Table V.
20. As a result of the orders of Government regarding
abolition of the posts of Itinerating
Veterinary Assistants, the distinction
hitherto made between Veterinary Hos-
pital and Dispensary ceases.
In the beginning of the year under report there were 159
Veterinary Hospitals in the Province. During the year 14
new hospitals were started at—
(1) Pehowa, district Karnal.
(2) Lalian,
(3) Wariam,
(4) Sohna,
(5) Nisang,
(6) Jatoi,
(7) Choti Zerin,
(8) Sargodha,
„ Jhang.
" "
„ Gurgaon.
„ Karnal.
„ Muzaffargarh.
„ Dera Ghazi
Khan.
„
Shahpur.
(9) Sillanwali, district Shahpur.
(10) Jalalpur Jattan, „ Gujrat.
(11) Dinga,
(12) Kalanaur,
(13) Akalgarh,
(14) Sambarial,
„ „
„ Gurdas-
pur.
„ Gujran-
wala.
„
Sial-
kot