6

The Veterinary Assistants of Purulia and Balasore were dismissed for
nsatisfactory work and for falsification of their diaries.

The need for additional Assistants is most urgent, and many posts were
vacant for short periods through the inability of the Department to supply
substitutes.

                                              TABLES V AND VI.

                                   HOSPITALS AND DISPENSARIES.

There were 22 hospitals at the close of the year at which patients were
treated. The Beguserai hospital has not yet been finished and taken charge
of by the District Board. It has been decided to open hospitals at Sewan and
Hathwa, and the question of the construction of new buildings at Ranchi is
under the consideration of the District Board. They are very urgently
required.

The work of the Veterinary Hospitals at Ranchi, Bankipore, Gaya, Cuttack,
Purnea-, Laheriaserai, Motihari, Bettiah Raj, and Hathwa was very satisfactory.
The hospital at Bhagalpur is not gaining in popularity to the extent that one
would desire. The shoeing forge attached to it is mainly supported by the
European population ; no Indian gentlemen appear to send their animals to it.
In fact there is a general want of interest in such matters in all the large towns
to the south of the Ganges.

During the period under report 7,150 horses, 12,657 bovines, and 5,322
others making a total of 25,159 animals were treated against 26,681 in the pre-
vious year—a decrease of 1,552 cases.

A shoeing forge is now attached to each of the hospitals at Ranchi, Purnea,
Motihari, Gaya, Monghyr, Bhagalpur, and Hazaribagh. The first four closed
the year with considerable profits, but each of the last three showed a slight
loss for want of the support of the local Indian gentlemen. Proposals have been
sent to the Local Bodies concerned to start shoeing forges at Arrah, Bettiah, and
Samastipur.

The District Board of Monghyr got one nalband trained at Belgachia.

                                                   TABLE VIII.

                                       BREEDING OPERATIONS.

During the year under report 5 requisitions for bulls were received, but
in none of these cases could the orders be complied with, as no suitable animals
were available.

On my recommendation the Deputy Commissioner of Angul was supplied
with two Nellore Bulls for the improvement of the breed of cattle in the
Government Estate. They were purchased by the Superintendent of the
Civil Veterinary Department, Madras, at a cost of Rs. 350.

Besides the above, the District Board of Patna agreed to take an Austra-
lian bull which had been obtained direct from Australia at a cost of Rs. 450
to the District Board. I regret to state, however, that within six weeks of
its arrival at Patna it died. It was of the Ayrshire breed of good bone and
size and from a good milking strain; it appeared to be suitable in every way
for the small Patna cows.

Out of the 9 buffalo bulls purchased in the Punjab in 1911 for Govern-
ment it was necessary to castrate one for bad behaviour, while the remaining
8 were sold to the Bettiah Raj for a sum of Rs. 880 only.

                        BULL REARING AND BREEDING FARMS.

The cattle herd maintained by the Bettiah Raj at Bettiah is the only
one in the Province. It consists of 112 head made up as follows :—