9
II—OTHER DISEASES.
Treatment of diseases in villages—
23. During the year under report 14,139 villages were visited by
Veterinary Assistants on tour and 113,178
animals treated. Last year 14,910 villages were
visited and 92,001 animals treated. 41,495 castra-
tions were performed against 36,908 in the previous year.
The work of castration of young male stock and unsuitable sires is well
maintained, and the people are beginning to realise that the operation, as
done by the Veterinary Assistants, is preferable to the crude and imperfect
methods of emasculation hitherto employed.
Veterinary Hospitals.
Number of hospitals—Table V.
24. At the end of the year there were 127 veterinary hospitals in the
province compared with 122 in the previous
year. The detail of the additional hospitals is
given below :—
One new hospital was started in the year at Beri in the Rohtak Dis-
trict. This was very kindly built by Lala Lachmi Narain, and I consider he
deserves credit for his public spirit. Four headquarters of Itinerating Veterinary
Assistants of Simla, Lyallpur, Jullundur and Amritsar Districts were convert-
ed into dispensaries. These are now open for the whole month and in the
absence of Itinerating Veterinary Assistants on tour, the compounders attend
to simple cases brought for treatment.
A new hospital at Adampur (built by the people themselves) in the
Jullundur District is nearly ready and will be opened shortly. This will be
an important place as cattle insurance is going to be taken up in a village 5
miles from the veterinary hospital.
The total number of animals treated in the hospitals of the province
was 361,569 against 334,577 last year. Such a marked increase in the hos-
pital work is a clear proof of the appreciation shown by stock owners. Besides
this 16,795 castrations were performed in these hospitals.
Part III.—Breeding Operations.
I.—BOVINES.
Stud bulls—Table VIII.
25. At the close of the year there were 1,087 stud bulls at work in
the province against 993 in the preceding year.
There were 126 casualties and 213 additions
during the year, out of which 206 were Hissari, 6 were Dhanni and one was
purchased by the Lahore District Board from Amritsar District Board, as it had
taken up its abode at a village in the Lahore District and would not stay in
the village to which it was posted. Dhanni bulls were supplied to Jhelum
and Rawalpindi Districts only. The District Boards of Jhelum and Mianwali
have also purchased one and four bulls respectively of this breed during the year,
but they will be accounted for in the next year's report.
A mistake has been made in past years regarding the number of bulls
in the Lahore District, as they partly belong to the District Board and partly
to the villagers, so they were not shown as District Board bulls.
II—EQUINES.
Number of stallions—Table X.
26. At the close of the year there were 61 horses and 69 donkey stal-
lions at work in the non-selected districts of the
province, as compared with 67 horses and 76
donkeys in the previous year. Four horses and 4 donkeys were transferred to
the Army Remount Department.
Suitable Arab sires are difficult to find now: the Quartermaster-
General's Department will supply them as early as possible.