( 8 )
TABLE No. 8.—( Concluded.)
District.
Nowgong ............
Gáro Hills ............
Class of persons examined.
Brought forward ...
Dispensary patients
Jail prisoners ............
Total
Schoolboys ...............
Dispensary patient .........
Total ............
Grand Total ......
Number examined.
26,897
2,155
408
2,563
110
1,734
1,844
31,304
Vaccinated.
8,117
391
46
437
44
963
1,007
9,561
Inoculated.
13,470
552
210
762
52
614
666
14,898
Had small-pox.
3,969
1,175
104
1,279
12
106
118
5,366
Unprotected.
1,341
37
48
85
2
51
53
1,479
Percentage of
Vaccinated.
30.19
18.14
11.27
1705
40.00
55.53
54.61
30.54
Inoculated.
50.12
25.61
51.47
29.73
47.27
35.41
36.11
47.59
Had small-pox.
14.77
54.52
25.49
49.90
10.91
6.11
6.39
17.14
Unprotected.
4.92
1.71
11.76
3.31
1.82
2.94
2.87
4.72
Proportion of protection against small-pox
of certain classes examined.
14. The above table shows the results of the examinations made by the Civil Surgeons
among certain classes of the general population to ascertain
to what extent they were protected by vaccination, &c.,
against small-pox; 31,304 persons were examined, and of these 9,561 were found to have
been vaccinated, 14,898 had been inoculated, 5,366 had had small-pox, and 1,479 were
unprotected, showing a percentage of 30.54, 47.59, 17.14, and 4.72 respectively, of those
more or less protected by (a) vaccination, (b) inoculation, (c) small-pox, and also of (d)
those altogether unprotected. Those protected by vaccination are, I am glad to note, in
excess of the corresponding ratio for the previous year, while the inoculated ratio is
less, and those remaining altogether unprotected is somewhat less, the four sets of ratios
showing improvement as over the previous year. As similar information would be
useful for the remaining districts, especially the Sylhet district, I am issuing orders to
secure their inclusion in this Table, No. 8, for the future. I am surprised that this has not
been done before now.
Inoculation in Sylhet and Cachar districts
15. Inoculation is much practised in Sylhet, and in a less degree in Cachar, and this
practice interferes much with the success of vaccination.
The Civil Surgeons of Sylhet and Cachar believe, taking
their opinion from the extensive evidence at their disposal, that small-pox epidemics are
often produced through inoculation. During the past year 2,055 deaths occurred from
small-pox in the Habiganj sub-division of the Sylhet district alone, as compared with
1,255 in the previous year, and in both years the Civil Surgeons, Drs. J. W. U. Macnamara
and Henderson, have attributed. the sudden rise in the deaths from this disease to
inoculation. To show the advantage arising from vaccination being made compulsory,
the Civil Surgeon of Sylhet states that in the Sylhet municipality, where it is compulsory,
only 1.26 per cent. of the population are unprotected, and that there has not been a single
death there from small-pox since 1885.
Employment of licensed vaccinators in the
Goálpára district.
16. In the Goálpára district Dr. Dobson, as mentioned in paragraph 8, finds unpaid
or licensed vaccinators more useful than paid or Government
vaccinators, and explains this difference on the former finding
it to their interests to work satisfactorily, while the latter class does not necessarily (to
provide a means of livelihood) find it to be so much so. There is something in this
reason. The only objection is that once vaccinators can openly claim a fee (2 annas) for
vaccinating, there is the fear of some of them demanding more than this sanctioned
fee, and such an instance was tried and punished lately at Goálpára. Still this is the only
case recorded, as far as I am aware of, and the results have often been far and away before the
other districts of the Province, for which, however, we have, in a great measure, to thank
Dr. Dobson's own untiring energy and vigilance. I may state here that the Civil
Surgeon of Kámrúp, where these licensed vaccinators are also employed, states that, as a
rule, they are not as good vaccinators as the paid or regular vaccinators. Drs. Mullane
and Dobson are careful to train and educate their licensed vaccinators, and in some cases
in the Goálpára district fees are not given until the operator has proved his skill by
success. Of course, this plan would only answer in the older and more advanced
districts, but it is a remarkable example of the belief of the people of the Goálpára district
in vaccination when they are willing to pay this fee of 2 annas to have it done.