2
6. Percentage of successful operations.
In the Vaccine Department the percentage of successful primary operations was
98.57 and of re-vaccination 71.66. The percentages in vaccination performed by
dispensary agents were 97.89 and 86.08, respectively.
7. Different methods of Vaccination.
(1) Vaccination direct from the calf, which was hitherto practised in the
Eastern Bengal districts has been discontinued except in the Dinajpur,
Rajshahi and Bogra districts. It was expensive and cumbersome, and was
found to be no longer necessary, as glycerinated vaccine is being supplied
in its place.
(2) Arm-to-arm vaccination with humanised vaccine has also been discontinued
in compulsory areas, and arrangements are being made to discontinue the
practice in rural districts also during the coming year, by supplying
the whole province with glycerinated vaccine from the Central Depôt at
Shillong.
The following table compares the percentage of the operations performed with
each kind of vaccine in 1905-1906 and in 1906-1907 :—
With calf vaccine ... ...
With humanised vaccine ...
With glycerinated vaccine ...
1905-1906.
266,427
737,057
409,658
Percentage.
18.85
52.15
28.99
1906-1907.
31,717
403,536
866,501
Percentage.
2.43
31.00
66.56
A small quantity of lanoline paste was supplied to some districts at the special
request of the Civil Surgeons; but the vaccine is not satisfactory, and the practice
will be discontinued. The glycerinated vaccine is much appreciated. A considerably
greater number of tubes was supplied than was estimated for at the beginning of the
season; but it was by no means equal to the demand. Arrangements are being made
to prepare 1,500,000 tubes for the next season, which should be sufficient to meet all
the requirements of the province.
8. Vaccination work in the districts.
In seventeen of the districts there has been a decrease in the number of
operations performed, as compared with the previous year. The greatest deficit
being 30,000 in the Faridpur district and 26,000 in Chittagong. Rajshahi, Tippera
and Kamrup on the other hand are the only districts which show a marked increase
compared with last year. The year 1905-1906 was, however, one of exceptional
activity, the number then recorded being about 230,000 above the decennial average.
The number of operations even in Chittagong and Faridpur, where the deficit is
most marked, is still well above the average.
The Dacca district shows a deficit of 30,000 on the decennial average (112,000),
and this decrease has been progressive since 1904-1905, when the district total was
114,000. An enquiry is being made into the cause.
The following extracts from the district reports are of interest:—
In Tippera, the Civil Surgeon notes that an experiment was made to realise
the vaccination fees in cases of difficulty through the Presidents of Panchayats in the
Kotwali, Brahmanbaria and Chandpur thanas. It has not been altogether success-
ful, as the Presidents say that they have no authority to enforce payment.
In Rajshahi, the highest number of operations during the last decade has been
recorded.
In Cachar, the Civil Surgeon, Captain Scott, I.M.S., has taken great interest
in the work. He discovered some professional inoculators who had been working in the
district for many years past, and converted them into licensed vaccinators supplying
them with vaccine and teaching them European methods of vaccination; and he em-
ployed them to vaccinate the Manipuris living on the borders of the district, who had
formerly given much trouble. He also made a point of inspecting all the children at
the schools and at other gatherings during his tour, to estimate the value of the vaccina-
tion work. He found a large proportion protected everywhere, few being without
marks of either vaccination or inoculation.
In Sylhet also some Ganaks were prosecuted for practising inoculation, and
vaccination was performed in many villages in which the people had formerly
objected to it. Several large villages in the Sunamganj subdivision were found to
contain no vaccinated person.