3
11. Diagram illustrating death-rates from Small-pox and degree of
protection afforded.—The diagram facing this page illustrates the death-
rates from small-pox in each district, the proportion of population protected
against the disease by vaccination during the past seven years being shown
side by side.
12. Death from Small-pox.—During 1915-16 the total number of deaths
from small-pox in this Presidency was 24.074, showing a ratio of .52 per mille
of the population as compared with 20,734 with a ratio of .45 during 1914-15.
The largest number of deaths was recorded in the districts of Midnapore
(5,587), 24-Parganas (4,723), Mymensingh (1.440), Howrah (1,348), Hooghly
(1,243), Bankura (1,165), Burdwan (1,024), Chittagong (836), Bogra (766),
Pabna (727) and Murshidabad (680), while the districts of Jalpaiguri,
Darjeeling, Faridpur and Malda show only 24, 24, 85 and 90 deaths,
respectively.
13. Animal Vaccination Depot.—The total number of calves vaccinated
in the Calcutta Animal Vaccination Depôt during 1915-16 was 2,266 against
2,454 during the preceding year, and the quantity of lymph manufactured was
783,632 grains against 772,587 grains. Owing to an outbreak of foot and
mouth disease in an epidemic form at the depôt during October and
December 1915, many calves had to be discharged both before and after
vaccination.
14. Different methods of Vaccination.—During the year under report
6,987 primary operations were performed with lymph direct from calves,
1,227,413 with lanoline lymph, and 17,918 with glycerinated lymph including
those performed in Calcutta, against 10,630, 1,097,546 and 28,836, respectively,
during 1914-15, the ratio per cent. of success under each of these methods of
vaccination was 97.47, 96.94 and 95.38 against 96.81, 96.58 and 97.79
respectively during the previous year.
The number of revaccinations performed under each of the above processes
was 12,048, 317,932 and 11,217, respectively, the ratio of success being 63.17,
63.99 and 35.02 as compared with 20,577, 354,036 and 86,136 operations with
a ratio of success of 70.40, 63.13 and 33.99 during previous year.
Arm to arm vaccination was entirely done away with in this Presidency,
but this year 9,600 primary and 28,500 revaccinations were performed with
this method only in the district of 24-Parganas. The Civil Surgeon writes
that the growing demand for vaccination and revaccination on account of
the introduction of free vaccination and the prevalence of small-pox in the
latter part of the season was so sudden and great that vaccinators were
obliged to have recourse to this method and could not wait for additional
supplies of lymph lest applicants should change their minds.
15. Inspections.—During the year Dr. M. E. Sufi, Deputy Sanitary
Commissioner of the Dacca Circle, inspected 46,549 cases and Dr. R. B.
Khambata, Deputy Sanitary Commissioner of the Rajshahi Circle. inspected
1,737 cases in the Jalpaiguri district in his capacity both as Civil Surgeon and
Deputy Sanitary Commissioner. The Civil Surgeons inspected 58,798 or
3.61 per cent. of the total number of operations performed in the Presidency ;
one of them inspected 5,000 to 10,000 operations, ten from 2,000 to 5,000 ;
ten from 1,000 to 2,000 and seven below 1,000 cases.
The Vaccination Inspectors, and Sub-Inspectors inspected 320,803 and
653,481 cases or 19.77 and 40.14 per cent. of the total operations performed
in the Presidency. Generally each Inspector of Vaccination inspected the
work of all the vaccinators under him once during the season and each Sub-
Inspector twice.
16. General Remarks.—It may be remarked that free vaccination was
introduced during the year under report in the Sadar subdivision of Bakar-
ganj and in the 24-Parganas district at the cost of the District Boards
concerned. As a special case Government contributed Rs. 3,500 to the District
Board of Bakarganj, and with the help thus obtained a staff of four additional
Sub-Inspectors of Vaccination on Rs. 25 each per mensem and 26 vaccinators
on Rs. 20 each was appointed. Five gangs of vaccinators were formed to
work under the supervision of the Special Inspector of Vaccination, who was
appointed last year. The special staff was appointed on 29th October 1915
but work actually commenced from 31st October. Sixty thousand five