14

62.   Work of touring veterinary assistant surgeons.—
Altogether 177,537 fresh cases including 64,374 castrations,
were treated by veterinary assistant surgeons on tour and
at headquarters during the year, as compared with 146,889
in 1928-29. There has been an increase of 30,648 cases
over the total number, while the number of castrations performed
exceede 1 the number of the previous year by 36,483. The
decrease of 5.835 noticed apart from castrations is attributed to
foot and mouth disease being less prevalent, abolition of some
posts of touring veterinary assistant surgeons and greater attention
being paid by the assistants to castration work during the year.

63.   The figures including castrations in respect of each range
are 53,990 for North Bihar, 83,871 for Central and 39,676 for
Orissa Range, compared with 40,860, 65,106, and 40,923, respec-
tively in the year 1928-29.

64.   63,788 villages were visited by the touring staff against
63,663 in 1928-29, the range figures being 25,085 for North
Bihar, 27,406 for Central and 11,297 for Orissa against 25,733,
26,253 and 11,677, respectively of the previous year. The slight
decrease in the number of villages visited by the staff in North
Bihar is due to more attention being paid to castrations. The staff
as the figures show, have maintained their efficiency.

The details of work in respect of each dispensary are shown
in table IV.

                                    HOSPITALS.

65.  Number of hospitals.—The number of the veterinary
hospitals was raised from 31 to 33 by including Cuttack which
had so long remained closed and also the new hospital, Hiranpur,
opened during the year.

66.   Construction and repair.—The Cuttack hospital has not
yet been placed on proper footing, many additions and alterations
to that building being necessary for which a proposal has been
submitted to the Cuttack municipality. It is becoming a popular
institution. The hospital at Balasore remained closed as before
but the district board still proposes to construct new buildings for
same. No post of stationary veterinary assistant surgeon could
be sanctioned for the hospital at Ranchi as the district board
was unable to meet the cost.

67. The work of couversion of the, human dispensary into
a veterinary hospital at Hiranpur having been completed, the
building was made over to the department and the hospital
opened with effect from the 22nd September 1929. The cost to