10
REPORT ON VACCINATION IN ASSAM.
year, except 1878-79 and 1881-82, with this disadvantage, however, that there was no
district inspection owing to the Civil Surgeon's absence on field service and pressure of
duty in the station.
Statistics.
34. Of the 1,544 successful vaccinations, 66 were done by the Civil Surgeon, 1,417
by the dispensary vaccinators, and 61 by Hospital-Assistants.
There are no ex-inoculators employed; and according to
the report the practice is unknown; neither were any outbreaks of small-pox recorded.
35. The area selected for the season was between the towns of Jaintia and Nongiri.
The people generally were not averse to vaccination, but the operators met with tiresome
delays either from the whim of a local chief, or pleas of bad weather, or the obstructions
of divination. The Civil Surgeon considers the work done satisfactory; and probably it
is so, taking into consideration the scattered villages and the above-mentioned obstacles.
36. There were 114 people of different ages vaccinated in Shillong. Within the
Municipal area Act XIII. of 1880 is not in force. Protection afforded by the work of
previous years is said to be considerable. I advise thorough inspection of the work done
in previous years to ascertain individually, by the present condition of the scars, whether
the protection is sufficient.
37. The supply of lymph was obtained from various sources and of various kinds:
fresh calf lymph from Bombay, three distinct supplies of bovine lymph and crusts from
Bengal, and vaccine lymph both from Bengal and the Punjab. Six of the seven supplies
were found efficient.
38. The total cost in this district was Rs. 379-8, of which Rs. 288 for salary and
Rs. 91-8 travelling allowances. The additional pay of Rs. 16 a month appears to have
secured efficient trained vaccinators; but the average cost of each successful operation,
viz., As. 4-3, should not be passed unnoticed. Every operator who does less than 1,000
successful cases in six months should give special explanation; inspection should be
arranged for the district as well as for Shillong.
Small results of 1882-83
39. Gáro Hills.—The vaccination work of this district was considerably
retarded in 1882-83 by the illness of operators, the difficulty
in obtaining trained vaccinators, and the new practice to search
thoroughly a definite area, instead of the larger villages only. The result was that 1,973
successful operations only were registered, compared with 2,603 of 1881-82.
Details of work in 1883-84.
40. During 1883-84 the definite area plan was continued, but no mention is
made of untoward sickness, nor any want of trained assist-
ance. The staff consisted of six dispensary vaccinators and
one ex-inoculator. The Hospital-Assistant at the dispensary performed no operations
"for want of opportunity;" but the Civil Medical Officer during inspection tours primarily
vaccinated 128 persons with 87 successes, or 68 per cent. nearly. The six vaccinators
performed 6,902 operations, equal to an average of 1,150.3 for each, and of these 6,659, or
96.4 per cent., are said to have been successful. Of these figures the Civil Medical Officer
verified during his inspections 1,950 and a successful percentage of 87.28, which the
Deputy-Commissioner considers, with reason, much more likely to be correct than the
higher ratio given by the vaccinators' return.
Operations very satisfactory
41. It is impossible not to be struck with the extraordinary advance which, according
to these figures, mark this year's operations among the Gáros.
The Sanitary Commissioner was of opinion that much credit
was due to Mr. McNaught for the results (1,973) obtained under the depressing draw-
backs of 1882-83, and I consider that under the more favourable conditions of 1883-84 he
has also shown able administration of this department, and the operators much zeal and
energy. It should be in the power of the district officer, on the recommendation of
the Civil Surgeon and with the approval of the Deputy-Surgeon-General, to reward such
special labour with a gratuity not exceeding one month's pay.
Cost of vaccination for the season.
42. The total sanctioned cost of vaccination in the Gáro Hills for 1883-84 was
Rs. 664, and Rs. 724-4-11, including travelling allowances,
Rs. 279-3-6, was expended, being at the moderate cost of
1 anna 8 pies for each successful operation. Last year under the reduced figures the
average cost was 3 annas 8 pies.
Inoculation favoured on account of increased
protection
43. Mr. McNaught is of opinion that the decreasing population of this district
under the desolation of malarial fevers cannot sustain the
unusually high numbers vaccinated in 1883-84. He states
that the whole adult population bears the scar of inoculation, and that in the north-
east portion of the district this practice has again come into favour, under the plea that