5
Again in Netrokona, Jamalpur, Sherpur and Tangail, in the Mymensingh district,
only half the available children were vaccinated, and in Bajitpur only27 out of 274.
In the other divisions of Eastern Bengal, vaccination in compulsary areas has, on the
whole, been distinctly good. In 7 of 25 towns practically every available child was vac-
cinated and in several of the others the percentage was high , and it is evident that
considerable attention has been paid to municipal vaccination in the Eastern Bengal
districts.
In the Assam Valley and Surma Valley districts, however , the results have not been
so successful. In Shillong practically every child was vaccinated and in Dibrugarh the
number was high, but in Gauhati, Tezpur, Dhubri and the other towns, the results have
not been satisfactory. A proposal has been submitted to Government to substitute
Bengal Act V of 1880 into the Assam and Surma Valleys in place of Imperial
Act XIII of 1880, which will give greater
uniformity of working, and will, it is hoped,
lead to greater efficiency.
11. Vaccine Depôt.
In the report for 1907-1908 it was pointed out that the Shillong Vaccine Depôt,
which was originally constructed to supply the needs of the old Assam province,had
been enlarged to provide for the Eastern Bengal districts as well. This depôt has served
its purpose for many years past and it has prepared excellent vaccine ; but it is no longer
in accordance with modern requirements. The stalls and arrangements for housing the
calves while under operation are not satisfactory. There is no apparatus for cold storage
which,according to modenrn ideas is essential to obtaining a reliable vaccine, and although
a small extra supply is kept in stock for emergencies, it is not as large as it ought to be,
to provide for use in the event of an epidemic breaking out among the calves, or of a
failure in their supply. The Deputy Sanitary Commissioner has recently visited the
Vaccine Depôt at Belgaum, which is one of; the most modern and recently constructed in
India, to study the lines on which a similar depôt may be built for this province.
The annual report on the Depôt has been written by Major Innes, I.M.S , the
present Civil Surgeon of Shillong ; but the work of the two past seasons has been
supervised by Major MacLeod, to whom thanks are due for the great care and trouble
which he has taken in its management, and to whom its success has been in great part
due.
Expenditure.
The cost of the Depôt during the past three years is shown in the accompanying
statement:—
—
Purchase of cales... ...
Establishment...
...
Purchase of vaccine
tubes...
...
Miscellareous...
...
Total... ...
1908-1909.
4,055-3-11
6,609-0-0
7,156-12-4
3,005-2-1
20,826-2-4
1909-1910.
4,184-12-1
8,820-0-0
5,551-8-0
3,095-1-6
21,651-5-7
1910-1911.
4,290-410
7,020-0-0
10,247-11-6
2,663-0-0
24,221 9-6
There is nothing specially worthy of notice, except that the money which was paid
for the purchase of capillary tubes appears higher than usual, as it included the cost of
some which should have been paid for in the previous year.
875 calves were purchased at an average price of Rs. 8. So far no great difficulty
has been found in obtaining as many as we require, and no epidemic has been reported.
An additional Sub-Assistant Surgeon was sanctioned for six months in 1910-1911
and two loaders who were formerly temporary hands were engaged permanently.
Vaccine.—
1,781,075 capillary tubes were loaded during the past year, 2,145,024 in 1909-1910
and 1,866,457 in 1908-1909. Control is exercised by the Superintendent to ensure as
little waste as possible. An unusual number of complaints were received from the districts
in the early part of the seasons about the quality of the vaccine. They were by no