2

7. During the year there were 14 Government stipendiaries from Assam attending
the College. Of these, three failed in their examination at the end of the session.
The stipendiaries were distributed in the various classes as follows : —

There are also twenty District Boards' stipendiaries attending the College as
follows :—

8.  Sixteen Veterinary Assistants were sent up to the Muktesvar Laboratory to
undergo a special course of instruction in the various inoculating methods and in the
preparation and care of Sera, etc. In every case their attendance and work were
satisfactory.

9.  Every Assistant has been supplied with a number of Bengali copies of Hallen's
"Manual of the more deadly forms of Cattle Disease in India." These are distributed to
intelligent and influential zamindars and ryots, to enable them to recognise the differ-
ent contagious diseases, to take the preliminary steps in the isolation and treatment of
animals, and to teach the value of inoculation as a method of prevention. It is
satisfactory to notice a growing demand for the services of Veterinary Assistants
under District or Local Boards and Municipalities. At present there are more
vacancies than can be filled.

                        PART II.—TREATMENT OF DISEASE.

10.   Statistics regarding the number of deaths from contagious diseases during the
year under report have not been obtained from all districts. Only an approximate esti-
mate of the mortality from the various diseases is available, because in many districts
there is no one sufficiently expert to accurately differentiate and classify them. The
method adopted for the collection of statistics is still imperfect. This year reports of
the mortality in animals have been forwarded from 23 districts as compared with
last year, when 17 districts sent in reports. The year just ended has undoubtedly been
much healthier in some districts than the preceding year. In the Pabna district
(where there is a Veterinary Assistant) there has not been a single outbreak of
contagious disease reported. In the adjacent districts of East Bengal, Malda, Bogra,
Dinajpur and Rajshahi, the number of reported outbreaks has been few and the
mortality has not been heavy.

                                                  EQUINES.

11.  The mortality from contagious disease amongst equines has not been great,
although the total of 301 for this year shows a considerable increase on the 35 cases
reported last year. This increase does not bear any relation to the spread of disease,
as formerly the outbreaks were not reported.