NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
ii
Para.
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Subject.
I (a).—Equines.
Glanders—Table II ... ... ...
Anthrax—Table II ... ... ... ...
Surra-Table II ... ... ... ...
Dourine—Table II ... ... ... ...
Other contagious diseases—Table II ... ... ... ...
I (b).—Bovines.
Rinderpest—Table II ... ... ... ...
Anti-Rinderpest Inoculations—Table III ...
Foot and Mouth disease—Table II ... ... ... ...
Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia—Table II ... ... ...
Preventive Inoculations — Table III ... ...
Preventive Vaccinations—Table III ... ... ... ... ... ...
Black Quarter—Table II ... . ... ... ...
Vaccinations against black quarter—Table III
Other contagious diseases—Table II ... ... ... ...
I (c).—Other Animals.
Mortality—Table II ... ... ... ... ...
II.—OTHER DISEASES.
Treatment of diseases in villages—Table IV
III.—VETERINARY HOSPITALS.
Number of Veterinary Hospitals—Table V ...
Work at Veterinary Hospitals—Table V ...
Building of Veterinary Hospitals ...
Simla Veterinary Hospital ... ... ... ... ... ...
Part III—Breeding Operations.
I.—BOVINES.
Stud bulls—Table VIII
... ... ...
II—EQUINES.
Number of stallions—Table X ...
Page.
12
ib.
ib.
ib.
ib.
12
13
ib.
ib.
14
ib.
ib.
ib.
ib.
15
ib.
ib.
ib.
16
ib.
ib.
17—19
19
iii
Para.
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1-7
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Subject.
II.—EQUIES—concld.
Services of Horse, Pony and Donkey Stallions—Table
XI.
Feed and Keep of Stallions—Table XII ...
III.—SHEET AND GOAT BREEDING.
IV.—FAIRS AND SHOWS.
Fairs and Shows—Tables XIII and XIV
V.—MISCELLANEOUS.
Cattle Insurance ... ... ... ...
Part IV.—Establishment.
Numerical Strength—Table VII ... ... ... ... ...
Part V.—Expenditure. ... ... ... ...
Expenditure-Table XIV-A ... ...
Part VI—General Remarks.
General Remarks ... ... ... ... ...
REPORT ON THE GOVERNMENT CATTLE
FARM, HISSAR, FOR 1920-21.
General
Contagious diseases —
(a) Anthrax ... ... ... ...
(b) Black Quarter ... ... ... ...
(c) Equine Contagious Abortion ... ... ...
(d) Foot and Mouth disease ... ... ...
(e) Orchitis ... ... ... ...
(f) Rinderpest ... ... ... ...
Farm Stock during the year—
Herd bulls ... ... ... ...
Supernumerary bulls ... ... ... ... ...
Young Stock
Cows
Bullocks ...
...
...
...
...
Mules
Page.
19
ib.
ib.
20
ib.
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22
ib.
23—24
24
ib.
ib.
25
ib.
ib.
26
ib.
ib.
ib.
ib.
ib.
27
iv
Para.
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Subject.
Farm Stock during the year—concld.
Arab Breeding Scheme ... ... ... ...
Donkey Stock ... ... ... ... ...
Sheep ... ... ... ...
Cultivation ... ... ... ... ... ...
Veterinary Hospital ... ... ... ...
Miscellaneous and feeding experiments ... ... ... ... ...
General ... ... ... ... ... ...
Description of Photographs ... ... ... ... ...
Page.
27
ib.
ib.
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30
ib.
30—31
No. 718.24-1.
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE.
Dated Lahore, 7th December 1921.
FROM
E. R. ABBOTT, ESQ., C.I.E., I.C.S.,
Financial Commissioner (Development),
Secretary to Government, Punjab,
To
THE SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF
INDIA, DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE AND
AGRICULTURE.
Ministry of Agriculture.
SIR,
I AM directed to submit, for the information of the
Government of India, a copy of the annual report on the
Punjab Veterinary College, Civil Veterinary Department,
and Government Cattle Farm at Hissar, for the year 1920-
21, together with a review of Veterinary progress in the Pro-
vince by the Director of Agriculture, Punjab.
Veterinary College.
2. At the Veterinary College the record of the year
was one of steady if uneventful pro-
gress under the able direction of the
Principal, Lieutenant-Colonel Walker, C.I.E., O.B.E.
The new members of the superior staff underwent various
kinds of training during the year and will be ready to assist
in making the new four years course a success. The number
of new students in this the last year of the old three years
course was only one less than in the preceding year. The
large increase in the number of Punjab Civil students is of
special importance to the Province. The percentage of
passes in the various examinations was very satisfactory.
The work at the hospital attached to the College was
well maintained. The number of in-patients rose from 1,280
in 1919-20 to 1,297, though there was a decrease from 1,904
to 1,790 in the number of out-patients. Continued success
2
attended the anti-rabic treatment of dogs. There have been
only 9 known failures out of 224 cases dealt with since the
system was adopted, and 31 dogs were treated during the
year under report.
It is to be regretted that the Lahore Municipal Com-
mittee has been unable to accept the liabilities of the
Branch Veterinary Hospital which it was proposed to estab-
lish in the city.
District work.
3. There was a remarkable decrease, attributable to the
dryness of the year, in the mortality
from contagious diseases. The total
number of reported deaths decreased from 56,089 in 1919-
20 to 25,200. There were no cases of glanders, anthrax
or dourine, and only 37 deaths from Surra compared with
65 in the previous year. Rinderpest accounted for 14,594
deaths among cattle as against 42,155 in 1919-20. The
number of deaths from foot and mouth disease dropped from
2,592 to 301, and from Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia from 6,319
to 4,459. The only figures that show an increase are those
of deaths from Black-quarter which rose from 242 to 604,
the heaviest mortality occurring in the Dhanni Tract of
the Attock District where the disease is endemic. It is
gratifying to learn that public opinion is showing signs of
responding to the persistent propaganda of the Department
in favour of preventive measures by inoculation and
vaccination. The number of anti-rinderpest inoculations rose
from 106,626 in the previous year to 115,584, though the
number of the outbreaks of the disease declined from 816 to
524. A similar decline (from 73 to 50) in the number of
outbreaks was responsible for a slight decrease from
18,741 to 13,279 in the number of inoculations against
Hæmorrhagic
Septicæmia. Vaccinations against Black-
quarter increased from 2,912 to 6,380 and while those against
Hæmorrhagic Septicæmia decreased from 57,336 to 47,551,
the number of villages in which they were performed rose
from 213 in 18 districts to 232 in 20 districts.
4. The addition of eight new Veterinary Hospitals dur-
ing the year raised the total number to 139. The number of
animals treated in these hospitals and in the 5 dispensaries
of the Province increased from 3,19,712 in the previous year
to 3,37,407 and the number of castrations performed from
12,397 to 13,791. The growing interest taken by the public
in the activities of the Veterinary Department is evinced
by the fact that private contributions were received during
the year towards the opening of three new hospitals and
3
numerous offers were made of buildings or of assistance to
wards their erection. An adequate supply of Veterinary hos-
pitals together with a numerous and well qualified Veterinary
staff is of vital importance to the Province and despite the
many other calls on its purse, Government is rendering every
assistance in its power. A grant of Rs. 48,000 out of wheat
profits was placed at the disposal of 16 District Boards to help
towards the building of Veterinary Hospitals and the subor-
dinate Veterinary staff has been increased by the addition of
4 new Veterinary Inspectors and 10 Assistants. The cadre at
the end of the year numbered 226 as compared with 210 in
the previous year.
5. There were 1,440 stud bulls at work in the Province
at the close of the year under report as against 1,352 in
the previous year. A record number (236 of Hissar Bulls
was supplied to districts from the Hissar Farm. The Dhanni
Bull Breeding Scheme had a successful year despite the
shortage of fodder arising from the failure of the rains
and there are 42 selected bulls now working in the Dhanni
country. This part of the Punjab suffers from an absence
of any irrigated tract from which reserves of fodder can
be drawn in times of famine nor has the local cultivator yet
learnt to store his fodder in stacks to provide for bad years.
These matters are rightly receiving close attention from the
Department, and Mr. .Townsend's suggestion that Govern-
ment should purchase wheat bhusa in the Canal Colonies in
good years and store it for use in bad years in the dry tracts
of the Province, merits further investigation. The cattle
census showed a decline of 7 per cent. in the number of cattle
in the province. For this Mr. Townsend gives interesting
and fairly conclusive reasons. There are signs of a reaction
however and it is hoped that the greater area now being put
down under fodder crops is evidence of a revival of
interest in cattle-breeding which will have beneficial results
on this essential factor in the prosperity of the Punjab.
Hissar Farm.
6 The Hissar Cattle Farm bad to face a series of misfor-
tunes resulting in a loss of Rs. 90,832 in the
profit and loss account of the year's working
as against a loss of Rs. 29,766 last year and a profit of Rs.
11,534 in the previous year. These figures however take
credit for bulls and donkey stallions sold to District Boards at
the concession rates and not at the full value, but for which
the loss this year would have been reduced to Rs. 53,582.
The shortage of rain produced a fodder famine, while out-
breaks of Anthrax, Black-quarter, contagions abortion and
4
Rinderpest, which occurred in spite of the dryness of the
season, threatened to undo the good work of years. At the
same time record receipts (Rs. 2,02,500) from sale of Farm
stock and a record supply of bulls to District Boards are
redeeming features and Mr. Branford and his staff are to be
congratulated on the care and efficiency with which they
administered the Farm throughout a very trying year.
General.
7. The almost irreparable loss which the Veterinary
Department
of the Province sustained
by the untimely death of Lieutenant-
Colonel Farmer, C.I.E., at Dublin on the 29th
August 1920, while on leave, was noticed in the previous
year's review. Government is fortunate in finding in Mr.
Quirke an able and zealous successor who is keeping alight
the sacred fire of enthusiasm kindled by Lieutenant-Colonel
Farmer. Both he and his staff and the whole Veterinary De-
partment deserve commendation for an excellent year's work
in very up-hill circumstances. The Punjab Government
(Ministry of Agriculture) is also indebted to Mr. Townsend
for an interesting and suggestive review.
I have the honour to be,
SIR,
Your most obedient servant,
E. R. ABBOTT,
Financial Commissioner (Development),
Secretary to Government, Punjab.
No. 718-24—2.
COPY forwarded to the Director of Agriculture, Punjab,
for information.
By order, &c.,
E. R. ABBOTT,
Financial Commissioner (Development)
Secretary to Government, Punjab.
227 FC—352—13-12-21—SGPP Lahore.
NOTE ON VETERINARY PROGRESS IN THE
PUNJAB IN 1920-21 BY THE DIRECTOR OF
AGRICULTURE, PUNJAB, LAHORE.
Lieut-Colonel Walker, C. I. E., O. B. E., was Princi-
pal of the Punjab Veterinary College throughout the year.
Captain U. W. F. Walker, I. C. V. D., (a new recruit)
was appointed to act as Professor of Surgery in the College,
with effect from 15th October 1920, relieving Captain
K. J. S. Dowland, Professor of Sanitary Science, of the
additional duties of Professor of Surgery. Captain
U. Walker is, however, as at present arranged, designed for
district work in the North Punjab, to succeed Mr. Garewal
who will take charge of the post of the Superintendent,
Civil Veterinary Department in the North-West Frontier
Province in April 1922. So an Imperial officer is required
for the Chair of Surgery.
*Matriculates
Non-Matriculates
... 11
... 69
Eighty *students were admitted in May 1920 for the
three years' course, as against eighty-
one last year: out of these 39 belonged
to the Punjab. Fifty-six men passed the
final examination held in April 1921, and two, who had
failed only in one subject last year, were examined again
in June 1920 and passed. Out of the total number of 58,
21 were Punjab Civilian students. The results were very
satisfactory throughout.
Captains Sewell and Dowland were deputed for district
training in turn under the Chief Superintendent, Civil Veteri-
nary Department, Punjab, Lahore, and at the Government
Cattle Farm, Hissar, and therefore no post-graduate course-
could be held: and with the introduction of the new four
years' course in English in October next no separate post-gra-
duate course, will remain, at any rate for the present. It is,
however, proposed to institute a post-diploma course by
which students, who have obtained their diploma under
the old system, will attend lectures on additional subjects in
the third and fourth years under the new system, thus
qualifying themselves for higher posts that may fall
vacant.
The question of the eventual language through which
veterinary instruction should be given will, it is understood,
B
2
be considered by a Committee to be appointed for the pur-
pose: but for the present instruction is to be imparted in
English.
An additional appointment in the Provincial veterinary
Service has been sanctioned with effect from 1st October
1921, and further minor appointments have also been
sanctioned. The question of raising the value of many of
the existing scholarships in the college is being considered
separately.
The number of in-patients treated in the hospital show
a very slight increase on the figures of the previous year,
but the number of out-patients decreased from 1,904 in
the previous year to 1,790 in the year under report: 521
in-patients and 458 out-patients were treated in the dog
hospital, as against 564 and 321 respectively last year. The
Municipal Committee, Lahore has unfortunately expressed
its inability to accept the liabilities of the Branch Veteri-
nary Hospital, which it was proposed to erect in Lahore
City.
2. Mr. T. F. Quirke officiated as Chief Superintend-
ent, throughout the year: his permanent appointment as
such has recently been notified. The changes in the super-
vising staff during the year are noticed in his report. I
agree that Colonel Farmer's death was almost irreparable:
the not small strides the Civil Veterinary department has
made in popularity with the Punjab peasantry during
recent years was largely due to Colonel Farmer's zeal,
activity, and persuasiveness, particularly in dealing with
zamindars.
The sooner the North-West Frontier Province Adminis-
tration gets their own wholetime Superintendent the better:
there is ample work for a wholetime officer in the North
Punjab Circle, particularly now that a start has been made
with the Dhanni Cattle breeding scheme. As Mr. Quirke
says, the year was generally healthy for cattle, on account
of its dryness: but, for the same reason, fodder was scarce,
and the mortality, particularly aniong old and infirm cattle,
from want of food must have been high.
His report bears abundant evidence to the good work
done by his staff, and the increasing popularity, already
mentioned, of his department with the peasantry of the
province. Other proofs of this are the offers he receives
from time to time from individuals, either to provide free of
3
charge a building for a veterinary hospital that is desired,
or to pay the whole, or part, of the cost of building one:
during the year under report private contributions were
received towards the opening of three veterinary hospitals.
Again, the number of persons who, wishing Hissar bulls to
be sent to their villages, offer to pay the greater part of the
cost of them, is increasing annually. In 1920-21 the cost
of at least 75 per cent. of the total number of bulls provid-
ed by the Hissar Farm (239) was paid for wholly, or in part,
by zamindars.
3. The recently instituted scheme for the breeding of
Dhanni bulls, the breed popular north of the Jhelum, has
had a difficult (on account of fodder shortage), but on the
whole successful, year. Since its inception in 1919, 5,178
cows have been covered by the selected bulls in the three
districts of Attock, Jhelum and Rawalpindi in which the
scheme has been started. In these districts 42 selected
bulls are now working.
The problem of improving the Dhanni breed is in
many ways more difficult than in the case of the Hissar
breed. Thus there is no irrigated tract, as in Hariana,
the home of the Hissar cow, from which reserves of fodder
can be drawn in bad years: another difficulty is the fact
that the cultivator of the Dhanni tract, so fond is he of
cattle, generally buys, in good years, more cattle than he
can keep in bad years, and has not yet learnt how to con-
serve his bajra and jowar fodder in stacks, from good years,
as has his fellow cultivator of Rohtak. These matters are
receiving attention.
The five grantees of cattle grants in the Lower Bar
Doab Colony are doing well on the whole: though I am
doubtful as to the advisability of repeating this experiment.
I consider it would probably be both wiser and more econo-
mical in the long run for Government to start its own farms,
as that at Hissar, but smaller, should it wish to encourage
any particular breed in future. Some such encourage-
ment will have to be given both to the Montgomery and
the Dajal breed, of Dera Ghazi Khan, before very long.
The dairy farm grantee, near Montgomery, has been
put in possession of his grant, having returned from train-
ing in England. A similar grant, to suitable persons, to
improve the milk and the supply of Lahore city is under
consideration.
4
4. The Hissar Cattle Farm has been administered, as
usual, by Mr. Branford with much care and efficiency.
The farm had a bad year, shortage of rain being accompanied
by severe outbreaks of disease: a most unusual combination.
The number of Hissar bulls that were taken by districts was
239: a record figure. Mr. Branford and his staff are to be
congratulated on bringing the farm so well through a
troubled time.
5. Not only those officers, but the whole of the Vete-
rinary staff in the province have by their hard work and
enthusiasm deserved well of the State during the year
under report. Young in years, Mr. Quirke has discretion and
judgment beyond them; and Colonel Walker's experience,
of which he makes the fullest use in his management of the
Veterinary College, is of the greatest value to Government.
6. I would add a few general observations on cattle
in general, and Veterinary work in particular, in the
Punjab. The Veterinary department is now a 'trans-
ferred' subject, and there are indications that the Pro-
vincial Legislative Council, in which the rural element
is strongly represented, will be willing to devote a
larger share of public monies to that department than has
been hitherto the case. This is all to the good. Good
plough bullocks are the backbone of our agriculture: and a
supply of abundant and cheap milk and ghee, to produce
which good animals are required, appeals as strongly to the
city-man as to the villager. Again, no one item probably
is the cause of more debt to the agriculturist than mortality
among his cattle, much of which would be preventible was
veterinary assistance at hand more promptly than is possible
at present, whether for inoculation, vaccination, or treat-
ment.
The cattle census of last year showed a decline of about
7 per cent. in the number of cattle in the Province. In
this decline I notice this province was not peculiar: it was
common to most provinces in India. Various reasons for
it are put forward. Personally I have no doubt that it is
due, in the main, to two reasons. The first is the bad
years, speaking very generally, the province has had, agricul-
turally, in the last decennium. On the whole it was below
average, and the crops of bajra and jowar, important fodders,
which are principally grown on barani lands, were poor.
5
And the second is the great rise in prices, which has
occurred of recent years, and was accentuated by the war,
in the case of cotton, sugarcane, oil seeds and most non-fodder
crops. Briefly, cattle breeders found that the growth of
crops paid them better than the breeding of cattle, the
price of which had not risen to the same extent. A reaction
from this, and a healthy one, is showing itself this year.
I find that the area placed under fodder crops this kharif in
the canal irrigated tracts of the Province is 50 per cent. more
than last year: that under cotton is about 25 per cent less.
I do not think that the decreased areas under so called
pasture land, charagah, has much, if anything, to do with
this decline in the number of cattle. Save perhaps in the
sub-montane districts of the province with heavy rainfall, and
the riverain tracts, the grazing grounds of the province
generally bear no grass unless artificially irrigated. But the
water they require to grow grass will, if used to grow fodder
crops in the ordinary agricultural rotation, support far more
cattle than in the former case.
The whole matter, the importance of which to the
province cannot be exaggerated is worthy of the most
detailed examination from every aspect, by the Provincial
Board of Economic Enquiry.
I have only one or two matters to mention. The Agri-
cultural department has been unable owing to shortage of
land and staff in the past to devote attention to fodder crops.
As soon as those limiting factors are removed it should take
up their study as intensively as possible. The possibilities
of Government buying up wheat bhusa in the canal colonies
in good years. when it is comparatively cheap, and storing it
for use in bad years in the dry tracts of the province should
also be investigated.
The study of the comparative values of the various cattle
foods offering in the province, as initiated at Hissar by
Mr. Branford, should be continued. And finally more
co-operation with the Military Dairies Department, as
regards cattle breeding in the province generally, is desirable
than has been practised in the past.
C. A. H. TOWNSEND,
31st July 1921.
Director of Agriculture, Punjab.
6
Annual report on the Punjab Veterinary College,
Lahore, for the year 1920-21.
Gazetted Staff.
LIEUTENANI- COLONEL G. K. Walker C.I.E., O.B.E.,
Principal, and Professor of Equine
Medicine, remained in charge through-
out the year.
Mr. W. Taylor, Professor of Pathology, was on leave
from 9th May to the close of the vacation. Captain Sewell,
M. C., officiated for him in addition to his own duties.
Captains Sewell and Dowland were deputed during the
year for training at the Hissar Cattle Farm and under the
Chief Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, so that
their services were not fully available.
Captain U. W. F. Walker, M.C., took up the appoint-
ment of Professor of Surgery on 15th October 1920
The lamentable death of Khan Bahadur Sayad Mahtab
Shah, Professor of Anatomy and Physiology, on May 28th,
was referred to in the Government review for last year.
Khan Sahib Sayad Sardar Shah, Professor of Bovine
Pathology, proceeded on leave on October 11th and Pandit
Janki Nath, Deputy Superintendent, Civil Veterinary De-
partment, officiated for him for the remainder of the year.
Lieutenant-Colonel Walker attended the meetings of
the Board of: Scientific Advice in May and December.
Captains Sewell and Dowland were deputed to the
Muktesar Laboratory for training during the vacation.
Non-Gazetted Staff.
2. Sardar Hardit Singh, Demonstrator of Anatomy,
was deputed to the Royal Veterinary
College, Edinburgh, for a course of spe-
cial training in Anatomy and Histology. M. Qamar Din
and M. Gulam Safdar Khan, B.Sc., officiated as Demonstra-
tor of Anatomy and Lecturer in Botany and Chemistry,
respectively. S. Shamshad Hussain and C. Haq Niwaz
Khan performed the duties of the Professar of Anatomy
and Physiology between them in addition to their own
duties as a temporary arrangement.
Sessions.
3. The summer session commenced on May 1st and
closed on June 30th. The winter session
opened on October 1st and concluded at
the end of the year under report.