6
He also remarks that in Barpeta, owing to the large number of operations
performed by Hospital Assistant Mohim Chandra Chatterjee during the cold
weather of 1906-1907, the deaths from small-pox diminished greatly in number, and
were practically confined to the first half of the year, only two deaths occurring
after the 1st June.
Vaccine depôt.
12. As the union of the two portions of the Province occurred at the beginning of
the vaccinating season of 1905-1906, temporary arrange-
ments were made with the Government of Bengal to allow
the Eastern Bengal districts to continue to receive their supplies of vaccine from the
Calcutta and Darjeeling depôts, and in the meanwhile, the Shillong vaccine depôt was
enlarged sufficiently to supply the whole Province.
The details of this work were in the hands of Major Green, I.M.S., to whom thanks
are due for the great interest and care which he has taken. His report is most
interesting, and from the following notes will be seen the excellent result which he
has obtained.
(a) Expenditure.—The following statement shows the expenditure under the
principal headings during the last three years :—
—
1
Purchase of calves ... ... ...
Establishment ... ... ...
Purchase of vaccine tubes ... ... ...
Miscellaneous ... ... ...
Total ... ... ...
1905-1906.
2
Rs.
3,072
2,753
2,272
1,209
10,208
a.
0
13
12
8
2
p.
0
2
11
1
7
1906-1907.
3
Rs.
6,722
3,376
5,014
1,746
16,858
a.
0
6
4
2
12
p.
0
3
2
6
11
1907-1908.
4
Rs.
6,006
3,584
6,873
2,340
18,805
a.
0
15
11
14
8
p
0
2
4
0
6
The cost of the depôt during 1907-1908 was Rs. 18,805-8-6, that is, Rs. 1,946-11-7
more than during the previous year. The most important items of expenditure were
under the heads " Purchase of calves " and " Purchase of vaccine tubes."
(b) Calves.—902 calves were purchased during 1907-1908 at a cost of about
Rs. 6,280, of which 873 were vaccinated. The calves are obtained through contractors,
who either collect them locally or bring them up from the plains. They are paid for at
the rate of Rs. 7 or Rs. 4, according as they are over or under 32" in height. The
arrangement is satisfactory, and no difficulty is experienced in obtaining a sufficient
supply. Twenty-four calves died, half of them as the result of the operation.
The season 1907-08 has passed without any serious epidemic. This is due to the
great precautions which have been taken of recent years to separate sick calves as soon
as possible from the healthy, and never to allow any calves within the reserved area,
except those which are undergoing vaccination.
(c) Establishment.—Some alterations have had to be made in the establishment,
by the permanent entertainment of the men who load the capillary tubes, some of whom
were only employed temporarily during the season; and as their work requires a
certain amount of technical skill, their pay has been raised as an inducement to them to
remain in their posts.
(d) The Vaccine.—1,583,122 capillary tubes were loaded—734,714 more than
in the previous year. The average number of tubes obtained from each calf also
increased from 1,086 to 2,015. This was partially due to the larger size of the
calves, and consequently larger quantity of vaccine obtained from them, and partly
to the manufacture of vaccine containing 25 per cent. of pulp, instead of 33 per cent.
which was formerly the practice. In the coming year, a still further increase is to be
made by diminishing the calibre of the tubes, which has only become possible since
the dilution of the vaccine, as that which contained 33 per cent. of pulp was too-
thick to admit of its being easily extracted from tubes of small calibre at the time
of the operation.