9
As noted in former reports there appears to be little relation between the death-
rates from small-pox in the several districts, and the amount of protection afforded in
them by successful vaccination. The proportion of the population protected by success-
ful vaccination is comparatively small. As means of communication in the interior of
districts in this province are comparatively difficult, small-pox is frequently not seen in
the remoter portions of districts for several years in succession, and, when the disease
is afterwards introduced into these tracts, very severe outbreaks occur.
Animal Lymph Depôt at Shillong.
28. The Annual Report of the Bovine Lymph Depôt at Shillong, by Surgeon-
Captain Carroll, is given as Appendix A to this Report.
Including the amount debited to the Manipur State,
the expenditure on the depôt during the year amounted to Rs. 7,217-3-11, an
increase of Rs. 113-1-11 on Rs. 7,104-2-0, the amount spent on the depôt during the
previous year. The expenditure would have been somewhat smaller than it was in 1894-
95 if a new pump had not been supplied at a cost of Rs. 147, and if capillary tubes had
not cost Rs. 261 more than they did in the previous year. There were 239,386 tubes
loaded, as against 250,249 loaded in the previous year. In the eleventh paragraph of his
Report, Dr. Carroll gives the number of loaded tubes supplied weekly to Civil Surgeons.
The Civil Surgeon of Sylhet received, on an average, 500 tubes and the Civil Surgeon
of Kamrup 2,000 tubes weekly ; and the returns show that 75,712 persons were vaccin-
ated in the Sylhet and 29,818 in the Kamrup district. As only 11,500 loaded tubes
were received by the Civil Surgeon of Sylhet, the method of arm-to-arm vaccination
must have been extensively resorted to in that district. Dr. Carroll observes that
vaccinations done by lanoline paste in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills gave excellent results,
and he states that if lanoline paste was substituted for glycerine lymph, the expenditure
incurred would be little more than one-half of the present expenditure. After making
experiments in 1892, Dr. Campbell came to the conclusion that glycerine lymph
was more efficient than lanoline paste. A supply of lanoline paste might be sent to
selected Civil Surgeons next vaccinating season for favour of report after vaccinations
have been done with it under their personal supervision. All Civil Surgeons have
reported that the vaccine lymph supplied by the Shillong depôt during the season 1895-
96 was of excellent quality. I inspected a considerable number of vaccinations in almost
all the places which I visited during my cold-weather tour, and found that the results
were in almost every case very satisfactory. Much credit is due to Surgeon-Captain
Carroll for the very efficient manner in which he supervised the depôt during the year.
He reports very favourably on the manner in which Hospital Assistant Chandra Nath
Chand, who was in subordinate charge, performed his duties.
Vaccination with fresh calf lymph.
29. The results obtained during the past season from lymph preserved in glycerine
at the Shillong depôt have been quite as good as those-
which are obtained when fresh lymph of good quality is
used. It is, however, not always possible to prepare a sufficient supply of efficient lymph
at the depôt, in consequence of epidemic disease occurring occasionally among calves
and for other reasons, and it is, therefore, advisable to arrange to have an independent
source of supply. The Chief Commissioner has accordingly directed that arrangements
be made with a view to adopting next season the method of vaccinating with fresh calf
lymph at the headquarters stations of districts.
Instructions issued with a view to
obtaining efficient vaccination.
30. A copy of two circulars which were issued to Civil Surgeons, containing
measures which should be taken to obtain efficient vaccin-
ation, is given in Appendix B to this Report.
I have the honour to be,
SIR,
Your most obedient Servant,
A. STEPHEN, M.B., Surgeon-Colonel,
Principal Medical Officer and Sanitary Commissioner, Assam
D