22

                                    Other diseases.

Table IV.

19.    The Number of villages visited by 80 Veterinary Assist-
ants was 2,363 against 4,319, the
reduction being due to restricted tour-
ing. During their tours, the Veterinary Assistants treated 31,427
cases for contagious diseases, chiefly Foot and Mouth disease, Rinder-
pest and Black-Quarter, and 3,790 for non-contagious diseases.
One thousand and sixty-two castrations were performed as against
621 last year.

Attempts are being made to popularise castration by the
Burdizzo Castrator. The advantages of this method are that the
operation involves no incision and no after-treatment. So far the
experiment has been fairly successful in the Dharwar Division,
especially in the Bijapur District where the Collector, Mr. C. G.
Henderson, I.C.S. has done much to assist the Department in this
respect. Most District Local Boards have agreed to purchase one of
these instruments and they will be supplied as they are received
in this country.

                                    Investigation.

20.    During the year 380 specimens were sent by the staff to
the Sir D. M. Petit Patho-Bacteriological Laboratory, Parel, for
examination and six for the College Museum.

Specimens of Infective Nasal Granuloma and diseased muscles
from cases of Black-Quarter were submitted to the Imperial
Bacteriological Laboratory Muktesar for investigation and research.

                                Veterinary Dispensaries.

Table V.

21. No new dispensaries were opened during the year under

report. There were 80 working at the
beginning of the year, but Malvan
Dispensary in Ratnagiri District was closed from 1st October and Pen
and Ashtami Dispensaries in the Kolaba district from 1st March 1923,
owing to the District Local Boards being unable to meet the extra
expenditure which would fall on them as a result of the reduction
in the Government Grants-in-aid. The opening of several new
dispensaries was also deferred for want of Government assistance.
There were, therefore, only 77 dispensaries at work at the close of
the year. One hundred thousand nine hundred and forty-seven
cases were treated at the dispensaries as against 1,04,324 last year
and medicines were supplied to 47,136 cases for home treatment
against 61,675 last year.

The reduction is attributable to the general healthier conditions
which prevailed during the year.

A Veterinary Assistant was deputed to the Dangs in the Surat
district for two months in order to give Veterinary aid to the people
and to control cattle diseases. The complete report of his work is
not at present to hand, but it appears that there is a great necessity
of a permanent Veterinary Assistant being posted to this area.