NOTES AND STATISTICS
ON
VACCINATION IN BURMA
FOR THE YEAR 1908-09.
StatementII.
1. Establishment. — Forty-eight Native Superintendents and 259 Vaccinators
were employed during the year under review. There was an increase of six
Vaccinators, distributed as follows:—
Pakôkku District three, Katha Dstrict two, and Meiktila District one.
2. Training School.—Fourteen Native Superintendents and ten Vaccinators
underwent training at the Meiktila Vaccine Depôt during the year. Difficulty is
still found in enlisting men with sufficiently thorough elementary education to
understand and profit by the education they receive at the depôt. Only a pro-
portion of those examined at the end of the course of six months training attain
the minimum 50 per cent. of possible marks necessary to qualify.
Statement I.
3. Work performed during the year.—Excluding dispensary operations, the s
total work performed in the Province in 1908-09 was 382,326 operations, which
is less by 5,076 than in the previous year. The following 12 districts show an
increase of works, namely, Kyaukpyu (3,461), Shwebo (2,000), Sagaing (1,769),
Tharrawaddy (1,620), Bassein (1,155), Minbu (1,108), Tavoy (746), Chin Hills
(422), Ma-ubin (960), Hanthawaddy (718), Prome (418) and Southern Shan States
(8,353). Twenty-six districts show a falling off, the largest decreases being—Akyab
(3,933), Upper Chindwin (3,101), Myingyan (2,198), Meiktila (2,571), Pegu
(1,491), Yamèthin (1,466), Rangoon (1,515), Thatôn (1,645), Sandoway (1,118),
Henzada (532), Mergui (660), Toungoo (700), Lower Chindwin (929), Kyauksè
(1,283), Thayetmyo (1,071), and Amherst (1,049).
If, for the sake of further analysis, we exclude the Municipality of Rangoon
and Native States and Hill Tracts, we find that the total decrease in the work done
in the more settled districts is 11,776 operations less than in the preceding year.
The Arakan Division shows a decrease of 1,590, confined to Akyab and Sandoway
Districts, Kyaukpyu showing an increase of 3,461. The Pegu Division shows a
total increase of 1,265, shared in by all districts except Pegu, which has a deficit
of 1,491. The Irrawaddy Division shows a total increase of 854, confined to
Ma-ubin and Bassein, the combined decrease of the other districts Henzada,
Myaungmya and Pyapôn being 1,261. The Tenasserim Division (excluding Sal-
ween Hill Tracts) shows a total decrease of 3,308. Of the five districts, Tavoy alone
returns an increase of 746. The Mandalay Division shows a total decrease of 919,
the Ruby Mines District alone returning an increase of 38. Sagaing Division shows
a decrease of 261. The considerable increase of 3,769 in the Shwebo and Sagaing
Districts was discounted by the decrease in Upper and Lower Chindwin Districts,
respectively of 929 and 3,101 totalling 4,030 operations. Magwe Division shows
a decrease of 299, in three out of the four districts, Minbu alone showing an
increase of 1,108. Meiktila Division shows a total decrease in all four districts of
7,518, all the districts showing a decrease of over 1,000 operations.
The Civil Surgeons of districts submit various explanations for the decrease,
among which are the following—Meiktila Division and Toungoo and Bhamo Districts
and Taungdwingyi Town unsettled condition of the people due to widespread epide-
mics of Plague and Cholera. Pyapôn and Mergui District and Pakôkku town, absence
of epidemic Small-pox. Myingyan, emigration of the poorer classes on account
of scarcity. Lower Chindwin, difficulty in getting children owing to lack of co-
operation of the Ywathugyis. In Upper Chindwin, Sandoway, Katha, Myitkyina, and
Henzada, the falling off is explained as due to inefficiency, or numerical inadequacy
of the staff, several vaccinators being dismissed, under suspension, or on leave.
In Henzada and Akyab, passive opposition by the people and their preference for
inoculation is preferred as the cause of the decrease.
Many of the explanations