5
appreciated by villagers who came in from considerable distances for supplies.
Inoculated animals are not included in the number of animals treated for contagious
disease.
31. Two Government Veterinary Assistants were again placed on the Gauhati-
Shillong tonga line. The ponies on the road are liable to be very much neglected
The syces are usually hillmen who continually persist in working ponies, no matter
how badly galled. It is very difficult to get this class of men to take any care of
their horses or even to obey instructions. On the Shillong half of the road there
were 8 stables and these were visited 43 times. Twenty-one cases were treated for
lameness, 161 for harnessgalls and 90 for other non-contagious disease. Pour cases
of glanders were detected and destroyed and 23 cases of surra died or were destroyed.
In addition 30 horses were treated for other contagions diseases. There was an out-
break of mange amongst the ponies, but by the prompt action of the Veterinary
Assistant, in attending to the thorough disinfection of harness, brushes, stables, etc.,
besides isolating and treating infected animals, the disease was quickly eradicated.
32. On the Gauhati half of the road 25 cases of surra were detected during the
year. There were no cases of glanders. During the year 114 animals were treated for
lameness, saddlegalls, etc.
VETERINARY HOSPITALS AND DISPENSARIES.
33. Table No. V shows the number of animals treated at hospitals and dispen-
saries during the year. At dispensaries only out-door patients are treated, as there is
no accommodation for in-patients. No new hospitals have been added this year, but
a small dispensary room has been opened at Pabna, and at Barisal the dispensary has
been re-opened. A temporary Government dispensary has been opened in Dacca where
both the Municipal and the ordinary work is attended to. Sites have been chosen for
Veterinary Hospitals in Dacca, Shillong, Gauhati and Jorhat, but owing to insufficient
funds, building operations have not been started. The dispensary at Goalpara has been
closed for eleven months. On the 31st March there were seven Veterinary Hospitals
and seven Veterinary dispensaries. The total number of in-patients and out-patients
treated during the year was 106 horses, 409 bullocks and 31 others as in-patients and
8,039 horses, 9,443 bullocks and 2,362 others as out-patients, making a total of 546
in-patients and 14,844 out-patients. In the previous year 405 in-patients and 13,500
out-patients were treated.
34. The income and expenditure of Veterinary hospitals and dispensaries is
shown in Table VI. The amount received from fees is Rs. 288-8-11, being an increase
of Rs. 71-10-5 on last year's receipts. The total expenditure under the various heads
has increased from Rs. 12,695 to Rs. 19,589.
PART III.—BREEDING OPERATIONS.
35. Table No. VIII shows the number of stud bulls returned by District Officers.
Jail bulls are shown locally and noted as being in jail. Only bulls that are the
property of the Agriculture Department and khas mahals are shown as Govern-
ment property. The bulls obtained by Dacca, Bakarganj, Rangpur, Cachar and
Sylhet are all a good type of Brahmini brought from Bengal. The two bulls stationed
in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills are of the Patna breed and were purchased at Sonepur.
The seven bulls shown last year at Lakhimpur are now useless and have been excluded.
36. Table IX shows the work of the Provincial Cattle Farm for the year 1908-09.
The total number of animals on the 31st March 1909 was 88, comprising 4 bulls,
36 cows, 22 young bulls and calves, 20 heifers and heifer-calves, and 6 bullocks.
At the close of the year ending 31st March 1908, there was 1 bull at the Farm,
during the year under report 2 new bulls were bought from Sonepur Pair, and the
1 bull, 2 years old, shewn in last year's Report, being over 3 years of age on 31st
March 1909, brought the number of bulls to 4. The deficiency in the number of
calves is to some extent attributed to the non-return of the 10 calves taken away
by the buyers along with the mother cows, but still the number of calves does not
represent satisfactory breeding. The breeds of the cows were the same as that of
last year. The cattle are in fair condition generally and healthy. The young stock
are very promising. Eight animals, viz.:—1 cow, 1 heifer, 1 heifer-calf, 1 steer and
4 young bull-calves died during the year, the casualties were :—one accidental by a
fall, five from Dysentry and Diarrhæa, one of old age and the other one—a deformed
calf—was destroyed. Fourteen cows and heifers were sold for Rs. 335. The total.
outturn of milk during the year was 117 maunds 33 seers sold at Rs. 592. The
reduction in the quantity of milk sold is clue to the fact that a considerable portion
of it was fed to the young stock throughout the year.