( 4 )
1895-96, or the transfer of some villages to the Faridpur district in 1895 can in
any way have led to a falling off in vaccination, as compared with the opera-
tions performed during the previous year. The Civil Surgeon has been written
to on the subject.
Mymensingh.—Decrease of 10,516. Was due to the following causes:—
(1) Smaller amount of work done during the first three months of the
working season, owing to difficulties in communication caused
by the earthquake of 12th June 1897 and by floods;
( 2) sickness among vaccinators; and
(3) prevalence of fever and cholera among the general population.
Noakhali.—Decrease of 17,721. Due to field work which used to be ex-
tensive in previous years among the Ferazi Muhammadans having dwindled
down considerably, owing to whole villages consisting of that sect having been
vaccinated during 1895-96 and 1896-97.
Chittagong Hill Tracts.—Decrease of 866 vaccinations was due to the
distress caused by the cyclone which passed over the district on 24th October
1897.
Patna.—The small decrease of 418 operations was due to ordinary fluc-
tuation.
Purnea.—Decrease of 1,561. Due to ordinary fluctuation.
Sonthal Parganas.—Decrease of 3,507. Was almost solely due to the
prevailing scarcity and to several families having emigrated to other districts.
Angul and Khondmals.—Decrease of 3,429. Due to the fact that great
difficulty was felt in getting vaccinators willing to work under the licensed
system, which was for the first time introduced here during the year under
report. Even those who came forward to work as licensed vaccinators did not
work with earnestness, in the hope that the paid system might be introduced
again.
Hazaribagh.—Decrease of 2,110. Was chiefly due to sickness among the
vaccinators of thana Hunterganj, and to some extent to sickness amongst the
children.
Lohardaga.—Decrease of 1,054 operations here was due to ordinary fluc-
tuation.
Tributary States of Chota Nagpur.—Decrease of 7,661. The large falling
off of over 3,000 vaccinations in Sirguja and Udaipur was due to more reliable
figures having been supplied this year, owing to the presence there of the
Deputy Sanitary Commissioner at the time of the preparation of the annual
returns. The Sub-Inspector, who exercised no supervision and used to run up
figures, has been dismissed. Then, again, the very severe prevalence of small-
pox in some of the States (in some places 70 per cent. of the people bearing
small-pox scars) materially retarded the progress of vaccination work, which
is entirely suspended during an epidemic on account of the people refusing to
accept vaccination, and preferring to rely on the performance of pujas to avert
the evil.
Calcutta.—The decrease of 7,676 in Calcutta was solely due to a smaller
number of revaccinations this year than during the previous year, when small-
pox prevailed in the town.
Taking the Province as a whole, the average number of operations per man
was considerably higher than in the preceding year. Twenty-five districts
returned an increased outturn of work, against 20 during 1896-97.
Primary vaccination.
5. The subjoined table compares, district by district, and in municipalities,
separately, the number of primary vaccinations per-
formed during the year under report with those of
the preceding year:—