3
In Kamrup in spite of a severe epidemic of cholera, the number of operations
increased by 4,000 above the decennial average. Hospital Assistant Mohim Chandra
Chaterjee is to be congratulated on successfully vaccinating 750 Mahapurushiyas in.
the town of Barpeta. This is the most important success which has yet been gained
and it should go a long way towards breaking down opposition.
The Civil Surgeon of Darrang gives an interesting table to show the amount
of prosection afforded to 13,000 people of the general population, who were examined
at the Jail, the Hospital and the Lunatic Asylum. 10,000 had been vaccinated, 700
inoculated, 500 had had smallpox, and 2,000 were unprotected.
The Bengal Vaccination Act, V of 1880, is being extended to the Tezpur
Municipality.
The Civil Surgeons of Sibsagar and Lakhimpur draw attention to the existence of
inoculators in the Majuli and North Lakhimpur. Act IV (B.C.) of 1865 (prohibiting
inoculation) has been extended to every district in the Assam Valley, and if the
inoculators can be traced they should be prosecuted, and if possible, induced to accept
official service.
9. Composition and strength of the Inspecting Agency.
The scheme combining the Assam with the Eastern Bengal Inspecting Staff into
a Provincial Service has been approved by the Local Government and came into
force from 1st April 1907. The cadre will be increased by 10 officers, to allow of
better supervision in the Assam and Surma Valley districts, and to provide for
temporary loss on account of leave and sickness.
Hitherto the Inspecting Staff has mostly been recruited from the ranks of the paid
or licensed vaccinators. Their educational qualifications, however, are not sufficient
to enable them to perform their work efficiently, and as they are usually of many years
service when they are selected for promotion, they can rarely serve to qualify for a
pension. It has therefore been decided that no vaccinator can be promoted to the
Inspecting Staff unless he is below the age of 25 years, and unless he possesses a
sufficient knowledge of English to read printed circulars and to compile his Registers.
10. Verification by Inspecting Officers.
The percentage of inspections by the Inspecting Staff amounted to 89.29 of the total
operations. A circular has recently been issued defining the duties of the Inspecting
Staff. The Sub-Inspectors are in future to be held personally responsible for the
efficiency of the vaccination work within their circles, and their promotion in the
service will depend largely upon their zeal and ability. In the course of the season.
they are expected to inspect about 70 —75 per cent. of the operations according to the
nature of the country and the density of the population. District Inspectors on
the other hand are intended to help the Civil Surgeons in controlling and organising
the work of the Sub-Inspectors and in collecting and compiling the monthly returns of
the districts ; and though they will be required to inspect 35—40 per cent. of the
operations in each circle, their main business will be not, as they have hitherto
done, to confine their inspections to those villages which have already been inspected
by the Sub-Inspectors, but to find out those places where vaccination is not progressing
satisfactorily and to assist the Sub-Inspectors in improving it.
11. Working of the compulsory Vaccination Acts.
Of 9,646 children under one year of age available for vaccination within compul-
sory areas, 6,627, or 2/3 were successfully vaccinated. Both in Dacca and Chittagong
the figures are unsatisfactory; but the most marked deficiency occurred in Nawabganj
(Malda), where there is considerable opposition from the Ferazi Muhammadans, who
constitute a large portion of the population. Five hundred notices were served under
Act, V (B.C.) of 1880, and strenuous efforts were made by the district officers to induce
the people to accept vaccination. Although only 57 children (out of 464 available
under 1 year) were vaccinated, the total number of operations increased from 177
to 377, and there is hope that the objections to the operation may be overcome.
In Gauhati, where vaccination was indifferently performed in the previous year,
the Civil Surgeon personally interested himself, and had 398 children vaccinated, of
whom 223 were infants under one year.
The details of the working of the Bengal Vaccination Act are not well understood
nor are its provisions enforced, especially in connection with the issue of Schedule E
by the Registration Officers.