7
PART V.—EXPENDITURE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
43. Table XIVA.—The cost of the Department as stated by the Accountant
General amounted to Rs. 41,986. This year the Accountant General could not supply
the information required in column IV owing to some revision of rules. So this is
incomplete, as three District Boards have not supplied the required information as
requested. Under Veterinary Instruction the contribution of Rs. 28,000 to Bengal
Veterinary College is not shown.
GENERAL REMARKS.
44. I think it will be granted that the work of the Civil Veterinary Department
in this Province has again made a considerable advance during the year. The
most important part of the departmental work at the present time is the limitation
of the loss caused by contagious diseases and the prevention of high mortalities
by preventive inoculation. To this end the Department has devoted most of its
energy, and the larger number of outbreaks attended and cattle inoculated is the
proof that it has been necessary. The advantage of having two staff and one reserve
man at headquarters has been great ; there has been a continual call on their services.
It is also an advantage to have the power to withdraw temporarily permanent men
from one district to an adjacent one where their services are more urgently required.
45. A scheme has been prepared to give compensation to the owners of animals
which have been destroyed for glanders or farcy. Two scales of compensation have
been proposed, the lesser for animals showing clinical symptoms and the higher for
animals apparently healthy, but which have been incontact with diseased animals
and have reacted to the mallein test. The lesser scale proposed is half of the animal's
value with a maximum of Rs. 150 and the higher scale is two-thirds of the animal's
value with a maximum of Rs. 350.
46. As the prospects of service in the Department have greatly improved, efforts
are being made to get more suitable and intelligent men. All the Government
stipendiaries have been examined either by the Director of Agriculture or myself,
and only men with good physique and a sound school training and, if possible, some
experience in the handling of animal, have been selected. The Government
stipendiary pass list shows the value of this procedure. This year efforts have been
made to interview all the District Board candidates before being sent to College.
Several unsuitable men were rejected and replaced by better.
47. The demand for qualified Assistants is as great as ever.
43. The office work has greatly increased since the Department was formed and
although the staff has been handicapped by totally inadequate and insufficient accom-
modation, they have shown considerable interest in keeping the work up to date.
49. During the year no District Board or Municipality has taken advantage
of the opportunity to have a nalbund trained at the Bengal Veterinary College, where
there is a good forge and two well-trained men, who are always under the supervision
of the staff. So many animals are permanently lamed by having their feet distorted
through the ignorant methods of the local nalbunds, that it would be well worth the cost
to have a man trained to shoe the station horses. Polo Clubs might combine to have
a man for themselves. In addition to learning how to make a good shoe, and to prepare
the foot in a rational manner, he would also see simple cases treated, such as picked-
up nails, corns, sandcracks, etc., and see special patterns of shoes for the relief of
those conditions. The College fee for a course of training is Rs. 20. The district
sending him would have to pay his wages. The length of the course depends on the
capabilities of the man. Only young men should be sent.
50. The ordinary raiyat does not seem to have any faith in the isolation of sick
animals, but continues to let them wander over the common grazing ground, where the
cattle of many villages graze. If the villagers would take step to see that these sick
animals were not allowed to wander about, such movement would be the beginning of
a policy of prevention that would do a lot of good. I would humbly suggest that in all
secondary schools, leaflets in the vernacular on the prevention of contagious diseases of
animals should be distributed and the various points explained. The other leaflets
might also be distributed.
51. During my tours I have noticed that in the majority of cases the Municipal
cattle are in a worse condition of dirt and sores than cattle of private owners, and
in addition they are often emaciated and debilitated. The gowkhanas are usually
places where there is an accumulation of mud, dirt, and refuse, and are quite unfit