( 4 )
Taking the whole province, it will be seen that, with an average of 703
additional vaccinators, there was an increase of 328,002 operations during
1893—96 as compared with 1890—93, and that this increase has been steadily-
maintained from year to year.
In municipalities the average number of vaccinators employed during each
of the three years under review was 279, against 270 in the previous three years.
The total number of operations was 109,805, against 92,467 in 1890—93, or an
increase of 17,338 during the period under review. The average per man is
also better, viz., 394 against 343, or an increase of 51.
In the Animal Vaccination Depôt, Calcutta, it will be seen that, with the
same establishment, an average of 3,146 more operations were performed in
1893—96 than in the previous three years.
In Calcutta there was a decrease of 1 vaccinator during the period under
review, but an increase of 13,216 operations, chiefly due to the small-pox
epidemic of 1894-95.
In rural areas there was an increase of 695 vaccinators and 294,302 oper-
ations, the average number of operations per man being 612 in 1893—96, against
665 in 1890—93. This decrease is chiefly due to a larger number of appren-
tices being employed since the reorganisation scheme, who are not as experienced
as the regular vaccinators and do less work. It is also due to District Board
and Government paid vaccinators working for short periods during times of
small-pox prevalence, who are included in the total number of vaccinators.
Thirty-five out of 49 districts (including Tributary Estates of Orissa and
the Political Estates of Chota Nagpur) show an increase of operations which
is satisfactory. The following fourteen districts show a decrease :—
Burdwan an average of 915 less in 1893—96 than in 1890—93.
Birbhum
Midnapore
Hooghly
Nadia
Rajshahi
Darjeeling
Bogra
Pabna
Saran
Cuttack
Balasore
Manbhum
Singhbhum
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
1,062
447
4,442
1,742
3,339
509
1,320
6,666
454
16,222
1,816
5,988
2,718
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto.
ditto.
ditto.
ditto.
ditto.
ditto.
ditto.
ditto.
ditto.
ditto.
ditto.
ditto.
ditto.
As regards Burdwan, Birbhum, Midnapore, Darjeeling and Saran, the
decrease is comparatively small and does not call for special notice.
The Civil Surgeon of Hooghly explains the decrease in that district to be
due to the excessive prevalence of malarial fever, especially among children, who
could not therefore be vaccinated, and also to the transfer of the Singtia outpost
of the Jahanabad sub-division to Howrah, in which an average of about 4,000
operations are performed yearly.
In Nadia the decrease occurred chiefly in the year 1893-94, when the
operations fell from 56,340 in 1892-93, to 38,338, i.e., 18,002 less. This was
at the time explained by the Civil Surgeon to be due to the health of the
district in that year having been very bad, owing to the excessive prevalence
of malarial fever and scabies. The annual number of operations have since
come up to and exceeded the average of the preceding three years, but the
district has not yet been able to recover the decrease of 1893-94.
The local officer's explanation of the decrease in Rajshahi is that there were
less subjects available for vaccination in the first year of the triennial period
under review than in the previous two years, and an unusually heavy pre-
valence of malaria in the district, especially in Natore thana, during the year
1895-96, which appreciably diminished the number of operations in that year.
In Bogra the decrease is said to be due to a severe out-break of cholera
during the working seasons of 1893-94 and 1895-96, which caused a panic
among the people and seriously impeded the work of the vaccinators, two of
whom died during the epidemic. The short work in this district is also attri-
buted to the strong opposition offered by the Rafadars—an influential sect of
the local community.