REPORT ON VACCINATION IN ASSAM.
15
Lymph supply
66. Dr. Moran reports that the English lymph in tubes supplied through the
Sanitary Commissioner of Assam was successful, and of
excellent quality.
Expenditure.
67. The cost of vaccination in these hills has always been very high, owing to the
extraordinary scale of travelling allowances claimed by the
staff. Last year they drew Rs. 879 under this head, and the
average cost of each successful case was 6 annas 1½ pies each. A rule was accordingly
made that not more than Rs. 15 monthly would in future be sanctioned. The total
budget grant for the year was Rs. 834, and the actual expenditure Rs. 734-14-3. The
travelling allowances were reduced to Rs. 324-10-8, and the average cost of each successful
vaccination to 4 annas 42/3 pies. Dr. Moran will be good enough to make his subordinates
understand that this sum is still considered extravagant; and that it is expected they will
so far extend their operations that the average cost shall not exceed 3 annas.
GÁRO HILLS.
Superintendence and working staff
68. Dr. P. M. Gupta, Civil Medical Officer of Tura, was Superintendent of Vacci-
nation in this district, and had under his orders 6 provincial
vaccinators and one Hospital-Assistant.
Supply of lymph.
69. He was supplied early in the season with 10 tubes of English lymph through
the Sanitary Commissioner of Assam, and found them all
good and successful. He was also assisted by a few tubes
from Dacca and Darjiling.
Results.
70. Dr. Gupta's assistants worked very well and thoroughly, although there is some
doubt on the reliability of their figures, seeing so little of
their work is ever inspected. His six operators had an
average of 1,369 cases each, which is by far the highest on record; followed by 98.38 per
cent. successful cases. I recommend some careful checks on the registers, but the men
are often far distant from head-quarters, and Dr. Gupta complains that his duties as
treasury officer prevent his adequately supervising these subordinates. Only 1,184 of
the operations were inspected; but it is significant, both here and elsewhere, that the
verified successes were 86.06 per cent. only.
Attitude of the Gáros and prevalence of
small-pox.
71. Among the Gáros there is little real opposition to vaccination. For many years
it has been accepted willingly, and inoculation is nowhere
favoured. Many times parents have come to Dr. Gupta,
and begged his personal visit to their village, to assure them their children were fully
protected. There was no outbreak of small-pox reported.
Expenditure.
72. The budget grant was Rs. 1,074, of which Rs. 839-13-2 only appears to have
been expended, viz., Rs. 477-0-2 in salaries and Rs. 362-13 in
travelling allowances. The total expenditure, compared with
results, is not the least satisfactory feature of the report, and shows the average cost of
each successful vaccination to have fallen from 1 anna 9¾ pies in 1885-86 to 1 anna 7¾ pies
in 1886-87.
SYLHET.
Superintendence and staff.
73. Dr. Macnamara, Civil Surgeon, has been Superintendent of Vaccination in this
populous and extensive district all through the season. He
had under his orders two Inspectors, 10 provincial, 2
municipal, and 22 Local Board vaccinators, beside eight Hospital-Assistants and four
compounders. The staff of all classes engaged numbered, therefore, 48, being an addition
of two to the number engaged last season.
Results
74. Briefly stated, the number of vaccinators having increased from 46 to 48, the
operations have also risen from 25,015 in 1885-86 to 28,083
in 1886-87. Of this last figure, 27,951 were primary,
with a professed average of 95.56 successful and 132 re-vaccinations, with 95.45
successful. The average number of vaccinations for each operator is 585 only, the Hospital-
Assistant and municipal vaccinators having very insignificant totals. On the other hand,
ten Provincial vaccinators had an excellent average of 1,177, and a few of the Local Fund
men also did good work.
Inspections.
75. On the important subject of inspection I regret not to find any satisfactory
explanation to the objections raised in last year's report.
Statement III gives a total of 18,487 as having been
verified, divided 1,345 to the Civil Surgeon, 15,070 to the Inspectors, and 2,072 among
Hospital-Assistants. It is stated that 8,000 were tested in the Sunámganj sub-division,