4
RESOLUTION ON THE REPORT ON VACCINATION IN BURMA
environs of Rangoon. Inspections were insufficient also in the Prome and
Henzada districts, especially in the former, where the vaccinators' returns of
successful cases appear to have been excessive. The Civil Surgeons of these
districts have other onerous duties at headquarters and can pay only flying visits
to the interior. If the District cess funds can afford it, Native Superinten-
dents should be appointed, but the experience of Hanthawaddy shows that
great care is necessary in the selection of these men. In the case of the Rangoon
Municipality explanation should have been offered of the similarity of the figures
in the last three columns of Statement V. A special paragraph should be devoted
in future reports to vaccination in Rangoon. The Civil Surgeons who did the
best work in superintending vaccination in Lower Burma were Surgeon-Major
Rundle at Thayetmyo, Surgeon-Captain Kanta Prasad at Pegu, Assistant Surgeon
Robert
Tharrawaddy, Assistant Surgeon Omerto Lal Munshi at Ma-ubin,
and Mr. Maddox at Mergui.
Inspection work was on the whole much better in Upper than in Lower Burma.
The amount of work and the results were specially satisfactory in Sagaing, the
Lower Chindwin, and Minbu, where the Civil Surgeons (Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colo-
nel Mukerji, Assistant Surgeon Nolan, and Surgeon-Captain Dewes) appear to
have devoted much time and attention to this important branch of their duties.
Dispensary vaccination.
6. The number of vaccinations performed at dispensaries (other than dis-
pensaries which have been appointed vaccine-stations
under the Act) increased considerably in both Upper
and Lower Burma during each of the past three years. The amount of vaccination
work done in Upper Burma dispensaries was more than double the amount done
in Lower Burma dispensaries, the reason being apparently that a larger proportion
of the Lower Burma dispensaries have been appointed vaccine-stations. The aggre-
gate number of successful dispensary cases in 1895-96 for the whole province was
only 6,060. Mr. Smeaton thinks that dispensaries, outside of municipal limits might
well do more than this. The returns show that in several districts the Hospital
Assistants in medical charge of outstations did no vaccination work at all.
The percentage of successful primary cases is satisfactorily high—92.02 in
Lower Burma and 91.46 in Upper Burma. At the dispensaries of the Magwe
district in 1895-96 more persons were revaccinated than were vaccinated for the
first time and the percentage of success in revaccinations is returned as 89.68.
The Magwe returns are probably wrong and should be rectified.
Vaccination in municipalities
and cantonments.
7. The Vaccination Act, 1880, is now in force in 38 of the 41 munici¬
palities, and in eight of the nine cantonments of the
province. Of the 38 municipalities in which the Act
is in force 23 are in Lower Burma and 15 in
Upper Burma. The three municipalities to which it has not yet been extended
are those of Gyobingauk, Letpadan and Kyaikto in Lower Burma. The two
former have only recently been constituted. The Municipal Committees should be
invited to consider the advisability of applying for the extension of the Act. The
unnecessary. In this decision the Chief Commissioner cannot concur. It is true
that Kyaikto has been almost free from small-pox in recent years. But past
immunity affords no guarantee for the future, and the returns of vital statistics