Resolution on the Vaccination Report for 1894-95.
Extract from the Proceedings of the Chief Commissioner of Assam, in the General
Department, No. 3510G., dated the 25th June 1895.
Read—
The Annual Vaccination Report for 1894-95.
RESOLUTION.
THE average number of Native Inspectors and Vaccinators employed throughout the
year was 230, as compared with 217 in 1893-94; this number excludes the dispensary
staff and tea garden agency, but includes 46 licensed Vaccinators. Notwithstanding
the increase in the vaccination staff, the total number of operations performed by it fell
from 184,426 in 1893-94 to 181,477. Of the total operations, 177,492 were primary vaccin-
ations, and 3,985, as compared with 4,939 in the previous year, were revaccinations;
87.80 per cent. of the former and 61.25 per cent. of the latter were returned as successful.
The average number of operations performed by each Vaccinator was only 789, as
compared with 849 in the previous year. The proportion of persons successfully
vaccinated fell slightly, from 28.33 per 1,000 in 1893-94 to 28.09 per 1,000 in 1894-95.
2 It is much to be regretted that the steady improvement in vaccination which had
taken place in this province up to 1892-93, has not been maintained during the last two
years. The results for 1893-94 were far from satisfactory, but those now reported are
still less favourable. The Chief Commissioner notices that 12,055 fewer operations were
performed in the Sylhet district than in the previous year, though there were four
more Vaccinators at work, and that 3,543 fewer operations were performed in the
Darrang district than in the previous year, although in that year the number of
operations done in the district was 8,208 less than in 1892-93. In the Cachar district, too,
there was a decrease of 1,615 in the number of vaccinations done. The chief cause of
the deterioration in vaccination work during the last two years, seems to be the bad quality
of the lymph supplied from the Shillong Lymph Depôt. But, as the Principal Medical
Officer and Sanitary Commissioner points out, the lymph was no worse in 1894-95
than in the previous year, and better results were obtained with it in some districts,
notably in Kamrup and Sibsagar, in the year under report than in 1893-94. So that this
cause cannot account for the falling-off in vaccination work in the year dealt with in
the report as compared with the year immediately preceding; and this result the
Chief Commissioner can only attribute to want of proper supervision in the districts
concerned.
3. In addition to the work done by the vaccination staff, 12,302 operations were done
at the dispensaries. On tea gardens there were 7,207 operations, of which 6,358, as
compared with 9,282 in the previous year, were done by private agency. The large
decrease under the latter head is unsatisfactory.
4. A larger amount of inspection work was done during the year both by Civil
Surgeons and by Native Inspectors than in the previous year. This is so far satisfactory,
but there is still room for improvement in this respect, especially in the inspection
by Civil Surgeons of licensed Vaccinators' cases. The Chief Commissioner is glad
to find that the Principal Medical Officer and Sanitary Commissioner has drawn the
attention of Civil Surgeons to this point. Of the total number of cases inspected, 80.56
per cent. were found by Civil Surgeons and 87.22 per cent. by Native Inspectors to be
successful.