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SHORT NOTES ON VACCINATION FOR THE YEAR
1912-13.
THE following are brief notes on Vaccination in Bengal for the year
1912-13.
2. Officer in charge of the Department.—It was in charge of the
Department throughout the year. From 1st February 1913 this Presidency
has been divided into four Sanitary Circles with jurisdiction and head-
quarters as follows :—
Name of Circle.
(1) Presidency Circle
...
(2) Burdwan
„
...
(3) Rajshahi
„
...
(4) Dacca
„
...
Head-quarters.
Calcutta
...
Chinsurah ...
Jalpaiguri ...
Dacca
...
Jurisdiction.
Districts of the Presidency
Division.
Districts of the Burdwan
Division.
Districts of the Rajshahi
Division.
Districts of the Dacca and
Chittagong Divisions, in¬
eluding the Chittagong
Hill Tracts.
Captain H. M. Brown, I.M.S., was in charge of the Presidency Circle from
1st April to 12th July 1912, and Captain A. M. Jukes, I.M.S., from 13th July
1912 to 31st March 1913. The latter was also in charge of the Burdwan
Circle from 1st February to 31st March 1913, in addition to his own duties.
Dr. R. B. Khambata, M.R.C.S., D.P.H., joined his post as Deputy
Sanitary Commissioner of the Rajshahi Circle on 18th January 1913.
There was no Deputy Sanitary Commissioner in the Dacca Circle during the
year. I held charge of the current duties of that office in addition to my
own.
3. Strength of Staff.—In Calcutta the number of permanent inspecting
officers and operators was 7 and 44, against the same number in 1911-12. In
the Provincial rural areas and mufassal municipalities and dispensaries, etc.,
the inspecting staff and operators numbered 123 and 1,353, and 5 and 132,
against 122 and 1,337, and 5 and 132, respectively, in the preceding year.
The increase of one inspecting officer in the rural areas is due to the appoint-
ment of a Sub-Inspector of Vaccination in the island elaka of the Noakhali
district under Eastern Bengal and Assam Government Order No. 309M.,
dated the 22nd January 1912.
4. General Operations.—The total number of operations performed in
the Presidency during the year under review was 1,984,399 against 1,946,584
in the preceding year, the number of persons vaccinated being 1,971,200 and
1,936,180, respectively. Of the total cases, 1,787,143 were primary and
197,256 revaccination, against 1.803,652 and 142,932 during 1911-12. There
was thus a decrease of 16,509 in primary vaccination, while there was an
increase of 54,324 in revaccination cases due to greater prevalence of small-
pox, the mortality from which amounted to 9,684, against 6,674, the net
increase during the year being 37,815. The ratio of success under the two
different heads in rural areas and municipalities was 98.26 and 63.33, and
97.79 and 48.76, against 97.16 and 69.56, and 96.65 and 50.69. respectively,
in 1911-12.
Compared with the previous year, there was an increase of operations
in 15, and a decrease in 12, districts. The increase is most striking in
Midnapur, 27,339, Dacca, 17,422, Chittagong, 16,971, Mymensingh, 14,020, and
Tippera, 11,135 ; while noticeable decrease occurred in 8 districts, viz.,
Bakarganj,
12,113, Faridpur, 12,048, Khulna, 11,744, Bankura, 8,660,
Murshidabad, 7,404. Rajshahi, 6,800, Pabna, 5,271. and Malda, 4,287. In
Midnapur the increase was chiefly in revaccination, and it is said to be due to
steps taken by the Magistrate to get all adults, the effect of whose previous