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Nága Hills, Sibságar, and Cachar. The inspection done was greatest in the Gáro Hills
and Nowgong, and least in Goálpára. The improvement in the second of these districts,
as compared with last year, is very creditable to the Civil Medical Officer.
Supply of lymph.
10. The Sanitary Commissioner has noticed the important question of the supply of
lymph at considerable length in the Report, and the Chief
Commissioner's special acknowledgments are due to him for
the care and thought he has bestowed on the subject. The record of failures is still too
long, but probably the arrangements which Dr. Clarke has recently made will show better
results in the coming season. In many instances the ultimate source of the lymph
obtained is not stated : it is said to have been supplied by such and such an officer, but
no information is given as to whether it came originally from England (as the Chief
Commissioner ascertained to be the case at Dhubri, where the lymph is shown in the
report as supplied by the Sanitary Commissioner, Bengal), or from one of the depôts
established in the Himalayas. So far as the report shows, it would seem that the best
results were obtained from virus supplied from England and from the Almorah depôt in
the North-Western Provinces. Mr. Elliott believes that, if the indent is received in time,
the Vaccination Department in those Provinces is always ready to supply as much lymph
as is required by applicants; its transport by post is easy and speedy, and no Civil Surgeon
should therefore find any difficulty in providing himself, at the commencement of the
vaccination season, with good and efficient virus with which to commence operations. A
separate correspondence has recently passed on this subject, and Mr. Elliott does not
therefore discuss it further ; but he trusts that next year's report will show not only a
much smaller proportion of failures, but a much earlier successful establishment of
vaccination for the season than that for 1881-82 shows for several districts.
Increase to vaccinating staff.
11. Dr. Clarke again urges an increase to the vaccinating staff, the entertainment
of a native superintendent or head vaccinator to supervise
the ex-inoculators in Kámrúp (paragraph 19), of more
vaccinators in the Gáro Hills (paragraph 17), and generally the introduction of the
"circle" system of vaccination, where it is found possible to carry it out. Regarding
these proposals, the Chief Commissoner can only repeat what he said last year,—that
he is quite prepared to grant funds to extend vaccination, so far as the resources of
the Province will allow, provided he is assured that the additional expenditure will
produce an adequate return in more and better work done. The figures given above
in paragraph 4 show that the increase sanctioned last year still requires to be properly
utilised before its full effect can be estimated ; but if Dr. Clarke will make separately any
well-considered proposals for a further addition to the staff during the coming season,
Mr. Elliott will endeavour to provide for it by the allottment of funds.
Aid which Deputy-Commissioners can afford
to vaccination.
12. The Chief Commissioner desires to commend to Deputy-Commissioners and
other officers while on tour during the cold weather the
expedient adopted in 1880-81 by Mr. Greer at Jorhát and
in 1881-82 by the Deputy-Commissioner of Nowgong, who carried a vaccinator about
with them in camp, and used their personal influence in furthering his operations.
Of this, Dr. Clarke writes:—
" This is an excellent plan, and I feel sure that good work might be done, and great and
influential aid given to the cause of vaccination, if it were more widely adopted. Very little practical
knowledge will soon teach any ordinary observer who takes an interest in vaccination the difference
between good vesicles and bad, and the work itself would, under the auspices of the Deputy-
Commissioner, in a few seasons take a far higher status than it has ever reached in this Province."
Conclusion.
13. The Sanitary Commissioner specially commends the work done in inspection
by Mr. McNaught, in the Gáro Hills, that done in inspection
and in performing vaccinations himself by Mr. Hughes at
Nowgong, and the exertions of Messrs. Bell in Kámrúp and Aitchison in Cachar in
promoting the spread of vaccination among garden coolies and the neighbouring popula-
tion. And the Chief Commissioner is glad to have the opportunity of tendering his
thanks to these gentlemen, and to Dr. Clarke himself for the careful attention which he
has devoted to the supervision of the department during the past year. Mr. Elliott would
suggest to the Sanitary Commissioner that future reports might be made still more
complete if he were to compare the results attained in Assam, in respect of the number
of operations to each operator, and the proportion of success attained, with those shown
by other Provinces.
By order of the Chief Commissioner of Assam,
C. J. LYALL,
Offg. Secretary to the Chief Commissioner of Assam.