No. 670S.
FROM
SURGEON-COLONEL C. P. COSTELLO,
Administrative Medical Officer and Sanitary Commissioner, Assam,
To
THE SECRETARY TO THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF ASSAM.
Shillong, the 27th May 1892.
SIR,
In accordance with the instructions contained in Government of India, Home
Department letter No. 28—1579-95, dated Simla, the 15th July 1887,I have the honour
to submit the Annual Vaccination Statements of the province of Assam for the year
1891-92, together with the following brief remarks.
Delay in submission of district
reports and returns.
2. The prescribed date of submission of the Annual Vaccination Reports and Returns
from the district officers to my office is 1st May, but those
from the districts of Cachar, Sibságar, and Manipur were
not received in my office until the 18th May 1892, and
much other information due was not received on the proper date, all of which circum-
stances have delayed the submission of this Report.
Explanation of annual statement
No. I.
3. The annual statement No. I appended to this report shows the particulars of
vaccination work done in each district, exclusive of the
operations done by the dispensary staff. During the year
under review there was a total of 205 operators, including
licensed vaccinators, in all the districts of the province, against 194 in 1890-91, and they
performed 180,211 operations, or an increase of 16,930 cases over the figures of the
preceding year.
Paid vaccination agency.
4. The regular vaccination establishment of the province, excluding licensed vaccina-
tors, consisted of 14 native inspectors, against 13 in the
previous year, and 151 vaccinators as compared with 135
in 1890-91, showing an increase of 16 vaccinators over that year. One native inspector
and 8 vaccinators were engaged from the Manipur State funds, and also 6 Local Board
vaccinators were added to the staff in the Sylhet district and 2 in the Cachar district.
Cost of the Vaccination Department.
5. Annual statement No. II gives the cost of the vaccination work in each district.
The total provincial expenditure on account of vaccination
was Rs. 15,993-0-3, against Rs. 15,841-2-2 in 1890-91, which
shows an increase of Rs. 151-14-1. Of that amount, Rs. 6,676-4-4 were contributed by
Government, Rs. 8,215-11-8 by Local Boards, Rs. 822-10-3 by the municipalities, &c.,
and Rs. 278-6 by the Manipur State, as compared with Rs. 6,672-7-8, Rs. 8,322-7-3, Rs.
846-3-3, and nil, respectively, in the previous year. The average cost of each successful
vaccination for the whole province was 1 anna and 6¾ pies in 1891-92, against 1 anna
and 9 pies in 1890-91.
Explanation of annual statement
No. III.
6. Annual statement No. III shows the number of operations performed by the
Civil Surgeons, Assistant Surgeons, hospital assistants, and
compounders, &c. They performed a total of 16,936 vaccina-
tions as compared with 10,466 in 1890-91, showing an
increase of 6,470 cases over the figures of that year. It is very satisfactory to observe
that in the Nága Hills district alone there was an increase of 6,449 cases, the operations
having increased from 947 in 1890-91 to 7,396 in 1891-92. The percentage of success
of primary vaccinations in the province rose from 86.58 in the preceding year to 91.59
in the past year. The excellent and improving quality of the lymph from the Shillong
Vaccination Depôt,—the lymph chiefly used,—had much to say to this increased success.