REPORT ON VACCINATION IN ASSAM.
5
Provincial vaccinators
Municipal
ditto
Local Fund ditto
Licensed
ditto
10. The local vaccinators constitute the great body of operators in the Province;
collectively numbering 74, and accounting for 55,076 vacci-
nations. The Provincial vaccinators are by far the most able
of this class, being generally men of experience and local
influence. There are 42 altogether, and their record is an average of 982 each. In Sylhet
ten have an average of 1,177 each. Of course, populous districts give much larger
averages. The nine municipal vaccinators have an average of 462, which is a further decrease
on the statistics of 1885-86. These men are a lazy set, getting their pay too easily.
Sylhet has again the laziest man in the laziest class. It would be an excellent move if
these men were paid by results for a year or two. One is so paid already by the municipality
in South Sylhet. The municipal vaccinator at Sibságar is the only one of nine who earns
his pay under the present system.
The 74 Local Fund vaccinators have a fair average of 744 each ; last year
the figures were 70 and 638. Their work is often greatly hindered by exposure, sickness,
distances to travel, new faces, and objections.
The 30 licensed vaccinators are paid principally by results, receiving two annas for
each successful case. Under this system each achieved an average of 521 operations, but
of only 488 successes, which represent Rs. 61. I am rather at a loss to understand
how Dr. Dobson finds applications for licenses so numerous that they actually prefer to
work on this system to regular wages ; unless, as is only too likely, the two-annas fee is
taken both at operation and at cure.
Percentage of successful operations in
each class
11. The success attending operations by each class is not given in the preceding
table, but can be found in Provincial Statement III., printed
at page 23. It is unfortunate that what constitutes a
" successful operation " is nowhere precisely defined, and hence we meet with considerable
variations in the proportions. Dr. Macnamara is of opinion that " a successful operation "
means that the virus has been communicated, and has " taken. " The development of the
vesicle and its ultimate protective value are not taken into account, and he cites
in support his personal inspection of a vaccinator's register, which he found correct,
and in which there were only 26 failures in 745 entries. There can be no reasonable
doubt but that some men are more and some less conscientious in respect of their view
as to successful operations. Taken as they stand together in the Provincial tables,
Civil Surgeons show an average of 88.57 per cent. of successes, Hospital-Assistants and
compounders of 86.69 per cent.; local vaccinators of all classes 92.57 ; and licensed
vaccinators of 92.60 per cent. ; and this is very much in harmony with Mr. Knox Wight's
remarks:—
" I notice here, as elsewhere, that the lower we go in the scale of (presumed) ability, the larger
percentage of success do we find."
TABLE No. 4.
Showing the number of vaccinations actually inspected by the Civil Surgeons, Hospital-Assistants, and
Native Inspectors, and the number of those found successful during the year 1886-87.
Number.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Districts.
Goálpára..................
Kámrúp..................
Nowgong..................
Darrang..................
Sibságar..................
Lakhimpur..................
Nága Hills..................
Khási „ ..................
Gáro „ ..................
Sylhet..................
Cachar..................
Total..................
Number of vaccinations
inspected
By Civil Surgeons.
3,927
1,959
2,568
629
2,076
547
75
68
1,184
1,345
1,293
15,671
By Hospital-Assistants,
&c.
...
160
...
...
894
...
...
115*
...
2,072
...
3,241
By Native Inspectors.
3,219
5,089
5,541
5,208
1,873
......
......
......
...
15,070
3,644
39,644
Number of vaccinations
found successful.
By Civil Surgeons.
3 570
1,674
2,142
504
1,936
464
61
58
1,019
1,290
1,201
13,919
By Hospital-Assistants,
&c.
...
90
...
...
818
...
99*
...
1,979
...
2,986
By Native Inspectors.
2,908
4,687
4,951
4,238
1,687
...
...
......
...
14,602
3,366
36,439
Number of vacci-
nations found
unsuccessful.
By Civil Surgeons.
357
285
426
125
140
83
14
10
165
55
92
1,752
By Hospital Assistants,
&c.
...
70
...
...
76
...
16*
...
93
...
255
By Native Inspectors.
311
402
590
970
186
...
...
...
...
468
278
3,205
Percentage of
successful
cases
actually
verified
by inspection.
By Civil Surgeons.
90.91
85.45
83.41
80.12
93.26
84.82
81.34
85.29
86.06
95.91
92.88
88.82
By Hospital-Assistants,
&c.
...
56.25
...
...
91.50
...
...
86.08*
...
95.51
...
92.32
By Native Inspectors.
90.34
92.10
89.35
81.37
90.06
...
...
...
...
96.89
92.37
91.92
* By Dr. Griffiths at Mauphlang.
C