8
REPORT ON VACCINATION IN ASSAM.
Vaccination on tea-gardens.
15. Vaccination on tea-gardens by private and official agency is detailed in Table No. 5.
There were 6,930 men, women, and children vaccinated by
garden agency, of whom 5,294, equal to 76.36 per cent.,
proved successful. In addition, 4,117 primary vaccinations took place on tea-gardens
by Government officers, of which 3,768, or 91.52 per cent., were successful. The total
figures for 1886-87, therefore, are 11,050, 9,062, and 82.01, compared with 11,542, 9,239,
and 80.04 last year. Except in Sylhet and Cachar, nothing to speak of is reported else-
where. As explained last year, the table is quite defective, as no returns are enforced
by law, and the figures given are only those which it pleases managers to give.
Expenditure
16. In Table No. 6 is detailed, in a very complex and minute form, the cost of vacci-
nation in Assam for 1886-87. The print is very small, and it
is most trying to compare years gone by. The table ought to
occupy two pages instead of one. Broadly speaking, the income side of the accounts stand
at Rs. 15,131, made by budget grants of Rs. 6,644 from Provincial revenues, Rs. 7,616
from Local Boards, and Rs. 871 from municipalities; whereas the expenditure is less by
nearly Rs. 3,000, being Rs. 6,247 of Provincial, Rs. 5,366 Local, and Rs. 521 Municipal.
It is wrong to leave so large a balance unexpended. In some instances, there is a real
saving by lower salaries than in previous years; but in most it is due to the full period
of six months' employment not having been put in. In Goálpára there was a saving of
Rs. 961 caused by licensed vaccinators being freely employed, whose remuneration was
from the patients themselves.
Government cost.
17. The Provincial budget grants for vaccination amounted to Rs. 6,644, and
the actual expenditure was Rs. 6,247-14-7. The expendi-
ture for last year was Rs. 7,349-8-9. The economy practised
has been due to a more rigid supervision of the travelling allowances. A circular was
issued by my orders restricting the maximum travelling allowance in any month to
Rs. 15. The result has been a drop under this head from Rs. 2,546-13-9 to
Rs. 1,652-13-8 without any diminution of efficiency. There is no doubt that vacci-
nators in districts removed from supervision were taking advantage of unrestricted
allowances.
Local Boards
18. Provision had been made in the various Local budgets for a further expenditure
of Rs. 8,487, of which only Rs. 871 was subscribed by the
municipalities. An examination of Table 6 will show
how feeble is the support given by them to vaccination; and it may be added that nowhere
is its progress more dilatory and imperfect. It has already been stated the total expen-
diture from local and municipal funds was Rs. 5,887, leaving an unexpended balance of
Rs. 2,600. Civil Surgeons must, in future, be more careful to acquaint themselves with
the budget grants. More vaccinators might have been employed, and more work done.
Goálpára is particularly referred to in this respect, and the Khási Hills, Nowgong, Gáro
Hills, and Sylhet have all suffered considerable balances to lapse.
Summary.
19. Summing up the various totals, it is found that the total expenditure on
vaccination for the season amounted to Rs. 12,135-11,
compared with Rs. 12,978-2-3 in 1885-86. The total
number of successful operations by paid agency increased from 83,277 to 94,202, and the
average cost of each was reduced from 2 annas 5 ¾ pies to 2 annas 0¾ pies. If the total
number of unpaid vaccinations be included, the total was increased from 108,992 to
117,766 and the cost of each reduced from 1 anna 10¾ pies to 1 anna 7¾ pies.
Mortality from small-pox.
20. During the last four years the decrease in the mortality from small-pox has
been very remarkable. In 1883, 6,162 deaths from this
disease were registered, in 1884 4,781, in 1885 1,980, and
in 1886 564. It is too soon to draw any reliable inferences in favour of general
protection to the population; but all accounts agree that inoculation has been materially
driven out of the field, and that vaccination could be widely substituted if the least show
of authority were superadded.