2
4. Mortality from small-pox.
The provincial ratio of deaths from small-pox (.46) during the last three years was
higher than in the preceding period. In 1909-1910 the ratio (.72 ) was nearly double
that of the next highest year of this period, owing to a sharp outbreak of the disease
in Rangpur (3.45 ), Bogra, Dinajpur and Rajshahi in the Eastern Bengal districts, and
in Nowgong.( 3.49 ), Darrang and Kamrup in the Assam Valley. The ratio has now
fallen again to .29.
It is interesting to note how the mortality from small-pox tends to run in wave
lengths of 5 to 6 years, the crest of each wave being reached as soon as a new genera-
tion of unprotected individuals has sprung up. Such waves are distinctly traceable in
the statistics of Dacca, Mymensingh, Faridpur, Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri, Bogra and Now-
gong. Other similar, but more irregular curves are seen in the statistics of other
districts.
5. Dispensary vaccination.
In the year 1906-1907, the operations recorded as vaccinated by dispensary
agents numbered 25,600. About that time, on the representation of the Civil Surgeon
of Sylhet that the practice of reserving special areas for dispensary vaccination was
undesirable, the opinion of all Civil Surgeons in the Assam and Surma valleys was
taken, as to whether dispensary vaccination should not be limited to operations of
emergency, and of those who specially attended the dispensary for the purpose. The
general concensus of opinion was in favour of doing so, except in the hill districts and
in a few other specified areas. Orders were accordingly issued, and since that date,
dispensary vaccination except in the hill districts has practically ceased. The areas
which were formerly reserved for dispensary officers have been handed over to the
vaccination department and their records have been amalgamated with those of the
rest of the muffusil. Dispensary vaccination in the Eastern Bengal districts has never
been practised to any large extent; a few hundred cases are reported yearly, chiefly
from Malda, Rangpur and Noakhali.
6. Percentage of successful operations.
The average percentage of success obtained by officers of the vaccination
department during the last three years was for primary operations 97.22 per cent. and for
revaccinations 73.67 ; and among dispensary agents 93.07 and 72.46, respectively.
7. Vaccination work in the Districts.
Dacca Division—
In the Dacca district the number of vaccinations increased during the last three
years from 103,000 to 110,000,and in the previous triennial period from 92,000 to
100,000. The increase has been steadily maintained, and the Civil Surgeon specially
comments on the good work of the Inspector, Mohendra Nath Sen Gupta. He
also remarks on the difficulty of realizing the vaccinators' fees in some parts of the
district, especially in char lands, and strongly recommends that the District Board
should give an annual grant as compensation to the vaccinators who work in those areas.
In Mymensingh and Faridpur there has also been an advance, and the tendency
is for the number of operations to rise each year, though it is not so marked as in
the Dacca district. There was a sharp outbreak of small-pox during 1909 in parts
of Mymensingh, in Kendua, Bajitpur and other neighbouring thanas, and in
the Tangail subdivision, which has now subsided. There was considerable opposition
to vaccination among the Muhammadan weavers in the Tangail subdivision, and among
the Ferazi Muhammadans in the Kishorganj and Netrokona subdivisions. Revaccina-
tion was pressed in these circles and 21,770 operations were performed. The Civil
Surgeon comments on the great assistance which was given to the vaccination
staff by the subdivisional officers.
In Bakarganj though there has been an increase in the total number of opera-
tions of this triennium compared with the last, there has nevertheless been a fall
from 156,000 to 109,000 in the individual years. The Civil Surgeon mentions the
difficulty of realizing fees, and considers that it interferes considerably with the
recruiting of the vaccinators. Some improvement might possibly be obtained if
he District Board were to give a grant-in-aid in such cases.