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Barpeta Municipality.
13. The inhabitants of this municipality, being the followers of Mahapurusia, are
opposed to vaccination. The two cases shown in the
table attached to the Municipal Report were amongst foreigners
only. It is stated that the people will not give their free consent to the introduction
of the Vaccination Act; but, if Government will introduce it for the public safety, they
will submit to it. ' The fact of this matter is that they are afraid of their Gossains, or
spiritual guides, who impose heavy fines on them for any violation- of longstanding
customs. It is true that, for some years past, there has been no epidemic of small-pox,
as actually reported, in Barpeta, yet there are numerous marks of small-pox on the person
of Mahapurusias, which indicate that they are as equally subject to the disease as other
classes of Assamese, and consequently that the prevalence of this disease amongst them is
concealed and not registered.
Dibrugarh Municipality.
14. The Vaccination Act was in force throughout the year. The work was carried
on by a vaccinator on Rs. 15 per month for the vaccination
season under the superintendence of the Civil Surgeon.
There were 499 vaccinations performed, against 528 in the previous year. There were
no prosecutions. It is reported that at present very few children are unprotected either
by vaccination or small-pox. The municipality contributed Rs. 85-4-1, against
Rs. 72-9-3 in 1887-88. The above report of alleged protection should be credited with
caution. More energy is required, and this, no doubt, will be given by the new Civil Surgeon.
Silchar Station.
15. No remarks have been made in the Municipal Report about vaccination, but the
statements appended to it show that 312 vaccinations were
performed during the year, of which 268 were successful.
One vaccinator was employed during 1888-89.
Sibságar Station
16. The vaccination work is carried on under the superintendence of teh Civil
Surgeon. A vaccinator was employed for six months, and
the municipality paid Rs. 55 for his pay. There were 162
vaccinations performed during the year, of which 133 were successful. The Vaccination
Act No. V. is not in force at this station; it should be introduced.
Shillong Station.
17. Out of a population of 2,250, the total number of vaccinations during 1888-89 was
279, and, of this number, 166 were successful. There is a
permanent vaccinator employed by the Station Committee,
and the total expenditure was Rs. 150.
Habiganj Union.
18. The total number of operations performed during the year was 75, and the
number of successful cases 55, against 68 with 50 successful
cases in the previous year. There is no paid vaccinator
in this union, the vaccinations having been done by the Hospital-Assistant of the
dispensary.
Balaganj Union.
19. There is no vaccination staff employed by the union. The Magistrate has not
made any remark on this subject. It appears that only four
cases of vaccinations were done by the Hospital-Assistant
with the help of the compounder, which is very unsatisfactory. The attention of the
Civil Surgeon of Sylhet is called to this deficiency.
Sunámganj Union.
20. The number of operations performed during 1888-89 was 147, against 49 of the
previous season, with 136 successful, against 87 in the pre-
vious season. There was no special union agency employed.
The work was carried on by the Local Board vaccinators as in the previous year.
Jorhát Union.
21. A Government vaccinator was employed on Rs. 10 per month for six months, and
another by the union on Rs. 10 for the two months of
February and March 1889. 591 vaccinations were performed
during the year as compared with 330 in 1887-88; but the rate of successful vaccinations
during the year decreased by 3.8 per cent. as contrasted with the figures of last two
years viz., 90.6 and 86.8 per cent. respectively. The attention of the Civil Surgeon is
called to this point with a view to its remedy. The cost of each successful case was one
anna and seven pies.
Golághát Union.
22. The work done in this municipality shows a somewhat better result than in the
previous season. There were 68 operations performed with
56 successful cases, against 67 with 47 successful cases in
the previous season. There were two vaccinators employed during the season viz. one
paid by Government and the other by the union. The expenditure on vaccination was
Rs. 380-0-11 out of the sanctioned budget allotment of Rs. 450. The Civil Surgeon is
requested to see that Government and the union are rewarded with more numerous vacci-
nations and better results for this expenditure, for two vaccinators, in future.