ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CIVIL VETERINARY DEPARTMENT,
                            BENGAL, FOR THE YEAR 1927-28.

                             Preface and General Administration.

Charge.—Mr. P. J. Kerr, I.V.S., held charge of the Department as
Director and Veterinary Adviser from the beginning of the year till the
29th June last, when he had to take leave for 26 days owing to sudden
illness. He resumed work on the 25th July but proceeded on leave
again for one year with effect from the afternoon of the 22nd September
last. During his absence I filled the post of Director and Veterinary
Adviser on both the occasions.

2.     During the short time that Mr. Kerr remained in charge he
was on tour for 27 clays and travelled 916 miles by rail and 28 miles
by road. His work was confined entirely to the Darjeeling District,
where he undertook serum simultaneous inoculation at Kalimpong and
conducted research work (field and bacteriological) in connection with
Hæmaturia, which was causing great loss of livestock in the Hills.
Unfortunately he fell ill while the investigation was in progress. On
return from leave he submitted a proposal to improve the administrative
arrangements of the Veterinary Department by organising it in three
Ranges, each under an Assistant Director in place of the existing two.
He also submitted a scheme for a separate office establishment for the
Assistant Director, Western Range. These schemes were engaging the
attention of Government till the close of the year.

3.     During the period of seven months that I practically remained
in charge I toured for 43 days and travelled 3,941 miles by rail, 95
miles by road and 666 miles by steamer. I inspected the work of the
Veterinary Assistant Surgeons at Chinsura, Khulna, Barisal, Natore,
Jessore, Ranaghat, Krishnagar, Berhampur, Cooch Behar, Alipur-Duars,
Chittagong, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, Dinajpur and
Dacca and consulted and advised local bodies as usual on Veterinary
matters in their jurisdiction. I also attended the inspection of the
Veterinary Hospital at Chinsura by the Hon'ble Minister and pushed
forward long-pending schemes for the establishment of Hospitals at
Berhampur, Naogaon and Jessore. The Seventh Congress of the Far
Eastern Association of Tropical Medicine was held in Calcutta in Decem-
ber and I attended it as representative of the Veterinary Department.
I also presided over an open air meeting held at Parbatipur in connec-
tion with the Demonstration Train and further acted as an examiner
at the annual and final examinations of the Bengal Veterinary College.

4.     Rai Sahib Sarat Chandra Paul, Assistant Director, was in charge
of the Western Range throughout the year. His tours covered a period
of 49 days and he travelled 3,474 miles by rail and 61 miles by road.
He inspected the veterinary work at Chinsura, Malda, Midnapur,
Bankura, Nilphamari, Jalpaiguri, Rangpur, Khulna, Bogra, Mahima-
?anj and Suri and was in charge of the serum simultaneous operations
in the Government Farm at Rangpur, where altogether 41 head of cattle
were protected this year against rinderpest by this method. He also
attended the cattle show at Suri and the Train Demonstration work at
Khulna.