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950. With regard to these remarks made by the Deputy Commissioner on
the Umballa Veterinary Dispensary I am of opinion that the money spent upon it
could not possibly be laid out to greater advantage in other ways. If this Veteri-
nary Dispensary were abolished and the Veterinary Assistant still kept on as
an itinerant, the following would be the only saving in expenditure, viz:—

The other heads of expenditure given would still remain, viz:—

so that it may be said 838 animals were treated at a cost of Rs. 220-5-0 for the
maintenance of the Hospital, a small fraction over 4 annas per animal, and it is
not for a moment to be supposed that an itinerant Veterinary Assistant left to his
own resources is going to do this amount of good.

The dispensary is run on the wrong principle; a Veterinary Assistant
should be appointed to the charge of it permanently, and be made responsible for
everything in connection with it. At the inspection when inquiring into the loss
of some instruments, the Veterinary Assistant in temporary charge replied that
he knew nothing about the matter as it occurred before he took over charge.
A Veterinary Assistant in temporary charge is not likely to take much interest
in it.

The treatment of 838 animals in a rational manner in this small dispensary
should be considered very satisfactory, but no rapid progress can be expected
unless the dispensary is frequently visited and inspected by Civil Authorities.

Rohtak Veterinary Dispensary.—The number of animals treated in this
dispensary during the year was 1,024 as compared to 956 in the previous year.
There is no accommodation for in-patients at this dispensary.

Ludhiana Dispensary.—During the past year 107 in-patients, and 2,384 out-
patients received medical relief. The total number in the previous year amounted
to 1,564 so that there has been an increase of no less than 927, certainly a very
creditable record, and it is very gratifying to find this useful institution increasing
in popularity. It is also noticed that 119 operations for castrations were per-
formed which is very satisfactory.

951.    The Superintendent, Civil Veterinary Department, South Punjab,
remarks:—

The medicines purchased as per last indent seem to have been supplied in a very careless manner by a local
druggist. The bottles and corks seem to have been second hand, the latter in some cases were only half corks too
small for the bottles and wrapped round with dirty paper to make them fit. All were dirty. Such substances as
Chloroform and rectified spirits kept in this manner rapidly deteriorate. The instruments which were comparatively
new were badly kept, there was no knife suitable for operating with.

In addition to the Veterinary Assistant in charge of the Dispensary there is a Compounder, or a man so called,
or rather mis-called. This man has no qualifications as a Compounder, but nevertheless makes up medicines, &c.,
according to the prescription of the Veterinary Assistant. This is quite wrong not to say risky. I ordered that the
Veterinary Assistant in charge was for the future himself to weigh, pound, measure and mix up all substances
dispensed. One of my reasons last year for recommending that Veterinary Assistants should be placed alternately
in charge of the dispensary was that they should not forget how to dispense.

I asked the Compounder to make me up a purgative ball, this he did in a very casual and haphazard manner,
mixing up the ingredients with his hands in a dirty iron mortar and taking each out of the bottle, or tin in which
it was contained with his hands covered with whatever substance he had previously handled, thus contaminating
everything, when the ball was finished there was no paper to wrap it in and there was as much of the mass of which
it was composed sticking to the man's hands as in the ball itself. If the hospital work generally is conducted in
this casual manner progress will be very slow.

952.    The above remarks of the Superintendent tend to show how very
necessary it is to have proper supervision of these valuable institutions, and to
insure the place being properly kept in order, the visits must be at irregular
periods, without previous notice, and conducted by a Veterinary Officer.