OF THE PROVINCE OF ASSAM.
11
Lymph supplied from the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, from Calcutta, from
England, all reported a failure until the 30th November, when one successful case
supplied good lymph, when operations gradually commenced.
SIBSÁGAR.
22. Sibságar District.—Three district and two municipal vaccinators were employed
during the season.
The Civil Medical Officer, Sibságar, performed 40, and the Medical Officer at Golá-
ghát 33 operations, showing a total of 73. Seven Hospital-Assistants performed a total
of 908 operations: four of these men worked in the stations of Sibsagár, Jorhát and Golá¬
ghat, 3 of them worked at the mukhs about and around the emigration coolie depôts.
The two municipal vaccinators worked in and about the sadr stations of Sibságar and
Jorhát, and performed respectively 817 and 951 operations; the three district vaccinators
work—the one at Sibságar, within a radius of ten miles of the sadr station; the one at
Jorhát, within a given area, visiting and working also in the Majuli; and the one at Golá¬
ghát in and around the station: and they performed a total of 2,533 operations. Of the
foregoing work by the agency shown, there was a total of 5,282 operations performed.
Of these, 4,725 were primary vaccinations, and 4,071 were successful; re-vaccinations
557, of which 553 were successful. This compares favourably with the work of last year,
which shows only a total of 2,515, with a total of 2,388 successful cases.
One ex-inoculator only worked during the season, and he performed 102 primary
operations, with a total reported success of 95.
Inoculation is prevalent throughout the district. During his inspections, the Civil
Surgeon found three men in different parts of the district inoculating the children.
Severe outbreaks of small-pox are common in this district. During the past year (1881)
the disease prevailed and carried off 493 persons.
The lymph supplied was received from Bengal, Darjeeling, and Almorah. The best
quality was from Almorah. Dr. Meiklejohn has stored lymph and buried it, and intends
to test its efficacy for next season's operations.
KOHIMA.
23. Nága Hills District.—The work of vaccination was during the past season, for the
first time introduced in the Nága Hills, and it was carried on at Kohima and Dimapur.
At Kohima the work was entirely supervised and carried on by the Civil Surgeon.
At Dimapur, a trained compounder vaccinated, and the Civil Surgeon visited and
inspected the work.
The Civil Surgeon performed 22 primary operations; the Hospital-Assistant and a
subordinate 41; the Nága vaccinator (a Nága trained with much delay and difficulty) 5
operations. The compounder at Dimapur performed 112 operations. All this work was
primary: 180 vaccinations were performed, and 178 reported successful. The following
table shows the class of persons successfully vaccinated:—
Police ........................................
Nágas ................................
Other classes ............................
Total ........
Number
vaccinated.
28
100
50
178
The lymph was obtained from Bengal, and proved successful.
Inoculation is not practised among the Angami Nágas. But these people have
enough of common sense to understand the value of segregation when an epidemic of
small-pox overtakes them, for they at once vacate their villages and encamp in their
" arrah" fields until the epidemic has ceased. Meanwhile, the small-pox cases are all
segregated and kept in the fields until well. Here we have at once the most effectual
means of battling with this loathsome disease adopted by a people in the rudest and
lowest state of civilisation.
DIBRUGARH.
24. Lakhimpur District.—Two vaccinators (Assamese) were engaged in this district
during the past season.
The Civil Surgeon performed 183 primary vaccinations, of which 138 were successful.
Six Hospital-Assistants, including the one at the debarkation depôt, performed 722 primary
vaccinations, of which 537 were successful. The two vaccinators worked—the one around
Dibrugarh and Jaipur, the other on the north bank and at North Lakhimpur, and they