20

                          Number of animals treated.

70. Except the revival of the post of touring veterinary
assistant surgeon at Tikari which was sanctioned by Govern-
ment, no other new post could be created during the year.
The district board, Patna, have, however, approved of the
creation of the post of 2nd touring veterinary assistant surgeon
for the subdivision of Barh and agreed to locate the dispensary
at Bukhtiarpur. The proposal is now under the consideration
of Government. A proposal for the appointment of a touring
veterinary assistant surgeon by the municipality, Madhupur
(Santal Parganas), is also under consideration, while the
district board, Champaran, have resolved to appoint two
additional touring veterinary assistant surgeons for that dis-
trict. All the wealthier district boards of the province were
approached to create new posts of touring veterinary assistant
surgeons out of their savings in the budget provisions for
serum, and it is understood some of them are considering the
question in earnest. As the matter is of vital interest to
livestock owners, it is hoped that those boards which can afford
to allot funds, will do their best to expedite their proposal
and relieve this Department of its present strain without delay.
Nothing further has yet been heard regarding the proposed
abolition of the two posts of additional touring assistants at
Jamui and Begusarai in the district of Monghyr but the
headquarters of the 2nd assistant of Jamui have since been
shifted to Jhajha (East Indian Railway) with a new veterinary
dispensary opened there.

71.  Construction of dispensaries.—The district board,
Cuttack, have sanctioned a proposal for the construction of a
set of quarters for the touring veterinary assistant surgeon at
Jagatsingpur. The work is expected to be finished during
1935-36.

72. Work of veterinary assistant surgeons.—In spite of
curtailment of certain activities early in the year in conse-
quence of the disastrous earthquake in North Bihar and some
parts of the South Bihar Range, altogether 354,831 patients
were treated by the veterinary assistant surgeons on tour, at
their headquarters and at field veterinary dispensaries, and at
such other centres as the fairs and shows, agricultural farms,
goshalas and the Bihar Light Horse camp of exercise, as
compared with 321,644 patients treated in the year 1933-34,
an increase of 33,187 patients. In addition, 33,268 old cases
were treated, while 70,107 cases mostly of foot and mouth
disease were supplied with medicines.