2
RESOLUTION ON THE REPORT ON VACCINATION IN BURMA FOR THE YEAR 1893-94.
paragraph 17 of the report. In November last the Superintendent was asked to
consult Commissioners of Divisions about employing more vaccinators in rural
tracts, but nothing has yet been settled. The record of inspections by Civil
Surgeons leaves much to be desired, and it was not the busiest officers who
devoted least time to this matter. The Civil Surgeon of Tharrawaddy, where
there is no jail and in whose district communications are good, verified fewer cases
than the Civil Surgeon of Toungoo. Apothecary Davis of Henzada verified
only 78 cases. This officer has now left the province. As a general rule those
districts in which least inspection was done showed the lowest percentage of
cases found successful to cases inspected. The Chief Commissioner is satisfied
neither with the amount of verification done nor with its results. Sir Alexander
Mackenzie must insist that more attention shall be given to this part of a Civil
Surgeon's duties.
Upper Burma.
2. The number of vaccinations in Upper Burma was 98,726 as compared
with 77,991 in the previous year. The increase was
common to all Civil Surgeons' charges, except Man-
dalay, Mônywa, Meiktila, and Myitkyina. The decrease at Mandalay is attributed
to the resentment of the vaccinators against the appointment in June of a local
Assistant Superintendent of Vaccination, and coercive measures had to be adopted
to overcome their obstruction. At Mônywa, the Civil Surgeon was to blame. He
kept unfilled for some time the appointment vacated by a vaccinator who had
absconded. The backward state of vaccination at Meiktila was due to frequent
changes of Civil Surgeons: the post was held by military surgeons as a collateral
charge and they were unable to do the necessary work. In the Myitkyina sub-
division the decrease was 23 only. A separate Civil Surgeon has been appointed
to Mogaung, and it is hoped that the area of protection will be extended. The
decrease in the number of vaccinations in the Northern Shan States as compared
with the increase in the Southern Shan States may be attributed chiefly to the
wild character of the Shans, Kachins, and Palaungs who form the bulk of the
population in the former, and in some measure no doubt to the disturbed state of
parts of the area. The Superintendent would do well to utilize Dr. Kirkpatrick's
hospital at Hsipaw as a vaccine depôt and to enlist the enlightened sympathies of
the Sawbwa of that State, who has now a European adviser to assist him in his
administration, in the cause of vaccination. The percentage of success in primary
vaccinations was 86.35, nearly the same as in the previous year ; while in re-vaccina-
tions it fell, in consequence of greater care in classifying, from 73.61 to 44.73.
The Meiktila district showed the poorest result both in percentage of success and
in average number of operations per vaccinator. Improvement is also required in
the Lower Chindwin and Magwe districts. From Statement V it would seem that
the vaccinators' returns are more trustworthy in Upper than in Lower Burma.
The reduction in the average number of vaccinations performed by each vacci-
nator is not satisfactory, but the Chief Commissioner trusts that it will not
be continued in the current year. As the strength of the establishment is in-
creased, the total number of vaccinations should be increased in proportion. The
cost of each successful case was 2 annas 11 pies as compared with 3 annas 9 pies
in the Lower Province. It was highest in the Northern Shan States (Rs. 1-4-5)
and lowest in Shwebo (8 pies). The total expenditure of the Vaccination De-
partment in Upper Burma was Rs. 15,212, of which Imperial funds contributed