SHORT NOTES ON VACCINATION IN BENGAL FOR THE
YEAR 1921-22.
I have the honour to submit the following brief notes on vaccination in
Bengal for the year 1921-22:—
2. Officer-in-charge of the department.—I was in charge of the depart-
ment from the 1st to the 20th April 1921 and from the 24th October 1921
to the 31st March 1922. Dr. R. B. Khambata held charge during my
absence.
In accordance with the recommendations of the Sanitary Reorganisation
Committee, the post of a whole-time Assistant Director of Public Health
having been sanctioned to deal with the subjects of vaccination and vital
statistics of the Presidency under my direction, Dr. Sufi was appointed to
the post with effect from the 17th September 1921. He went on leave on
the 9tb January 1922 when Dr. G. L. Batra held charge till the end of the
year in addition to his substantive duties as Assistant Director of Public
Health for Industrial Hygiene.
Of the Assistant Directors of Public Health attached to the four health
circles in the Presidency, Dr. Brahmachari was in charge of the Presi-
dency Circle throughout the year. Dr. Roy worked in the Burdwan Circle
from the 1st April to the 19th June 1921 and Dr. Ghosh during the rest of
the year. Dr. Sufi held charge of the Dacca Circle from the 1st April to the
30th June 1921 and Dr. Roy from the 1st July 1921 to the 31st March 1922.
In the Rajshahi Circle Dr. Ghosh worked from the 1st April to the 8th June
1921. Captain Sen from the 9th to the 23rd June and from the 24th July to
the 20th August 1921 and Dr. Gupta from the 21st August 1921 till the end
of the year. Dr. Roy was in additional charge of this circle from the 24th
June to the 23rd July 1921.
3. Strength of staff.—In Calcutta the number of inspecting officers
and vaccinators was 14 and 48 against the same number during the preceding
year but 4 inspecting officers and 8 vaccinators were temporarily appointed
during the quarter ending the 31st December 1921. In the mufassal muni-
cipalities, etc., they numbered 7 and 169 against 8 and 170 and in rural
areas 133 and 1,502 against 133 and 1,670 during 1920-21.
4. General operations.—Excluding 15,464 operations performed at
Calcutta by the staff of the Port Health Department and officers of the
British India Steam Navigation Company, besides those in certain factories
for which no details are available, the total number of vaccinations reported
to have been performed in the Presidency during the year was 1,761,626 on
1,758,697 persons against 2,326,497 on 2,320,720 persons during 1920-21,
a decrease of 24.3 per cent. Of the total operations performed, 1,266,551
or 72 per cent. were primary and 495,075 or 28.1 per cent. were re-vaccina-
tions against 1,420,037 primary and 906,460 re-vaccinations during the pre-
vious year. There was thus a decrease of 564,871 or 24.3 per cent. in the
total operations, 153,486 or 10.8 per cent. in primary and 411,385 or 46.3
per cent. in re-vaccinations.
The total number of vaccinations performed in the rural areas of the
Presidency during the year was 1,542,068 on 1,539,700 persons of which
1,184,003 were primary and 358,065 re-vaccinations against 2,154,973
operations on 2,149,551 persons with 1,343,260 primary and 811,713
re-vaccinations during 1920-21, a decrease of 28.5 per cent. in the total, 12
per cent. in the primary and 56 per cent. in re-vaccinations.
In Calcutta 86,836 operations were performed during the year against
31,186 during the previous year being an increase of 178 per cent. while in
mufassal municipalities, dispensaries, etc., the number amounted to 132,722
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