No. 5828-S. (Rev. & Agri.—Genl.) dated Simla, 25th September 1918
From—The Hon'ble Mr. H. D. CRAIK, I.C.S., Revenue Secretary to Government, Punjab,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Revenue and Agriculture.
I AM directed to submit, for the information of the Government of India,
a copy of the annual report on the Punjab Veterinary College, the Civil Veteri-
nary Department and the Government Cattle Farm at Hissar for the year
1917-18.
2. Owing to war demands the staff of the college continued under
strength throughout the year. The number of students admitted was, as in the
previous year, 85. Of these 26 only as against 32 last year were from the
Punjab, while 29 were from the army and 23 from other provinces and Native
States. The result is that the growing demands of the province are not ade-
quately met, and when peace conditions return the Punjab Government will
again press for the creation of another veterinary college in Northern India to
relieve the pressure on that at Lahore. The standard of qualification in the
class of student was again satisfactory. Two hundred and fourteen students
appeared in the various annual examinations, exceeding last year's number by
11. The results of the examinations were most satisfactory and highly credit-
able to Colonel Pease and his assistants. The post-graduate class, in which,
as a result of the heavy demand for the services of trained veterinary officers
throughout India owing to the war, there had been only 2 students in the pre-
vious year, was suspended, the post-graduate professor having been allowed to
take up military duty. The demand for graduates shows no signs of abatement;
indeed, as a result of the increased pay and improved prospects now offered in
various departments, it is likely still further to increase. Much useful work
has been done during the year in the laboratory, especially in connection with
the experimental treatment of dourine and surra; the anti-rabic inoculation of
dogs and horses has so far as can be ascertained proved successful, but decisive
results have not yet been obtained. The college has also continued the train-
ing of dressers and farriers for the military authorities.
3. The number of in-patients and out-patients treated in the hospital
attached to the college shows little variation from the previous year. As soon
as the project for the municipal hospital at Aitchison Gunj is completed, the
Lieutenant-Governor has no doubt that it will result in a very large addition
to the number of cases under treatment and he trusts that the Municipal Com-
mittee will open the hospital at an early date.
4. The year was, like that which preceded it, remarkable for the excess
of the monsoon rains and the consequent high mortality among cattle. The
prevalence of surra among equines and of hæmorrhagic septicæmia and black-
quarter among bovines threw a heavy burden upon the Civil Veterinary
Department, already under strength owing to the demand for officers by the
Army Department. The number of reported deaths from contagious diseases
was 30,085, or slightly less than in the preceding year, but the Chief Superin-
tendent's view that deaths from surra in many cases went unreported is pro-
bably correct. Even so, among equines no less than 1,362 deaths from surra
against 128 in 1916 were reported. Measures for the prevention of this dis-
ease as well as for securing that its presence is promptly brought to notice
have recently been considered by conferences convened for this purpose and
their recommendations are now under consideration. The examination of
animals suspected of dourine resulted in the detection of 10 cases. In view of
the widespread extent of this highly dangerous disease, the Dourine Act has
been extended to the whole province and the Lieutenant-Governor has recently
recommended the amendment of the Act so as to confer more drastic powers
on veterinary practitioners and inspectors. He is not, however, prepared to
support the suggestion of Colonel Farmer in paragraph 8 of the report until
further information is available. Among bovines, the total number of reported
deaths from contagious diseases was less than in the previous year, mainly on