12
REPORT ON VACCINATION IN ASSAM.
Dr. Dobson and the working staff com-
mended.
49. I have great pleasure in bringing to special
notice the excellent work of the season by Surgeon
E. Dobson and his subordinates.
KÁMRÚP.
District work and progress fairly good.
50. The annual report for this important district exhibits a fair amount of
progress, especially when the reduction in the working
staff is taken into consideration, but it is the only district
which appears to have had more vaccination ten years ago than it has to-day. In
1875-76 the total number of vaccinations was 9,875; in 1876-77, 13,110; in 1877-78,
the number fell to 7,857; in 1878-79 it rose to 13,206; in 1879-80, 12,099; in 1880-81
it again fell to 6,244; in 1881-82 it rose to 11,689; in 1882-83 fell again to 5,677; in
1883-84, 8,718; in 1884-85, 9,742. These fluctuations are explained by the employ-
ment of ex-inoculators. At one time these numbered 70 in one season; and practically
their returns were uninspected and unreliable. At present there are only 18.
Careful preliminary preparation.
No aid from either landowners or police.
51. Dr. Mullane began the season in the first week of October by preliminary
successful operations in the municipality and on the
Mundakata tea-garden with lymph obtained from the Sani-
tary Commissioners of Assam and Bengal. The Hospital-Assistants, the old and new
paid vaccinators, and the ex-inoculators received personal instruction, and when the
supply of lymph had been locally established, each operator proceeded to district areas
within which their work was ordered to be strictly confined.
The mauzadars and the police in Kámrúp pay little heed
to the vaccinators' parwanas, and give them no aid.
Working staff.
52. There were in all 30 working staff, inclusive of 18 ex-inoculators; the Civil
Surgeon, a native superintendent, or inspector, four provin-
cial, one municipal, three local vaccinators, and two Hospital-
Assistants were the others.
Results.
53. The result of the season's work was 9,872 vaccinations, being 9,742 primary
and 130 secondary operations. Of the former 89.84 per
cent. and of the latter 88.46 per cent. are reported to have
been successful. The average work of each man is a distinct advance on 1883-84. The
ex-inoculators had only 154 last season, and have 253 this season; the municipal
vaccinator, who was warned for dismissal with only 147 cases last year, shows 685 this year.
Inspection very good.
54. The inspection has been good; Dr. Mullane himself saw 1,508 cases, and reports
90.24 per cent. successful; the native inspector saw 3,940
cases, with an average of 83.60 per cent. successful. Even
these averages, which are much less favourable than last year, are considered by Dr.
Mullane (and I agree with him) too good. He states that unsuccessful operations are
generally concealed from inspection.
Result of a school inspection at hazard.
55. He has again given the result of a chance inspection of a páthshála on the
roadside. There were 34 children present, and of these 10
were vaccinated, 8 inoculated, 5 protected by small-pox,
and 11 altogether unprotected. These chance enquiries are very useful, and might with
advantage be imitated in other districts. The age of the vaccinated children should be
added, and especially the condition of the vaccine scar.
Expenditure.
56. The cost of vaccination in Kámrúp is in marked contrast to the adjoining
district of Goálpára. In the latter it has been shown that
the average cost of each operation by paid operators was
1 anna 8 pies only, whereas in Kámrúp it is 3 annas 2¼ pies. This is due to each
vaccinator showing a less average of results in Kámrúp than in Goálpára. It is not
possible to bring all the districts to the same standard; because in each opposition or
concession on the one side, skill and persuasiveness on the other, must vary; but
in Kámrúp there is considerable improvement possible; although it is rather ungenerous
so to criticise work which has made a decided and genuine advance during the two
seasons vaccination has been superintended by Dr. Mullane. The total cost of the season
was Rs. 841-11-4, of which the Government share was Rs. 450.
The work of ex-inoculators in Kámrúp con-
sidered.
57. There are two points connected with vaccination in Kámrúp that require
special notice; the first is the continued employment of ex-
inoculators. The opinion of Dr. Dobson as to their useful-
ness and reliability in Goálpára has been quoted at length (paragraph 45). But it was
chiefly in Kámrúp that both these qualifications had been called in question in the report
of 1883-84. When it was seen that the Chief Commissioner's distinct orders as to their
non-employment generally, conveyed in paragraph 10 of the Resolution on that year's
working of the department, had been followed by the continued employment of 18 men.