REPORT

                                                       OF THE

                                 CIVIL VETERINARY DEPARTMENT,

                                    EASTERN BENGAL AND ASSAM,

                                                   FOR THE YEAR

                                                        1907-1908.

                           PREFACE—GENERAL ADMINISTRATION.

1.   During the year under report I held charge as Superintendent, Civil Veterinary
Department, for ten months, having joined at Shillong on the 31st May 1907. I
was on tour for 152 days, and travelled 3,861 miles by rail, 2,700 miles by steamer and
country boat, and 532 miles by road.

2.  The tonga ponies on the Shillong-Gauhati road were inspected by me four
times during outbreaks of surra and glanders. In eight districts, outbreaks of conta-
gious diseases were specially visited and investigated. The cattle at the Government
Farm, Shillong, were inspected three times.

3.   Under the instructions of the Local Government, I proceeded to Calcutta and
attended the Veterinary Conference held there on the 10th, 11th and 12th of February
1908; and thereafter attended the Bengal Veterinary College as a member of the
Board of Examiners.

4.  The scheme for the reorganisation of the Veterinary Department of this
province was sanctioned by Government on 13th October 1907. This .scheme, under
which service is pensionable, provides for two Assistants in each plains subdivision,
and six for the hill districts, making a total of 120 Assistants. Eight Veterinary
Inspectors and two Deputy Superintendents are also sanctioned. Government pays
one-third of the salary of all Assistants. The number of new Assistants available
each year is strictly limited ; accordingly it will be several years before the sanctioned
number is obtained.

5.   The Glanders and Farcy Act is now in force in the following towns and
districts in this province: the district of Tippera, the towns of Dacca, Mymensingh,
Chittagong, Rajshahi. Rangpur, Gauhati, Shillong and on the Gnuhati-Shillong road
(a distance of 63 miles). A proposal to extend this Act to all plains districts is
under consideration. The disadvantages of having the Act in force only in a few places
arc many. Diseased of suspected horses are often sent to unprotected districts to
escape destruction. This action most probably will spread the disease indefinitely,
and no steps can be taken to remove infected animals, to disinfect the stables, to
test suspected horses, etc.

                         PART I.—VETERINARY INSTRUCTION.

6.   The arrangement made in the previous year for training the subordinate
staff of the Department has been continued during the present year with equally
satisfactory results. The arrangement agreed to is that the Local Government
contributes the sum of Rs. 27, 65 towards the up-keep of the Bengal Veterinary College,
and for this sum the Local Government are entitled to fill one-third of the vacancies.