4
teen thousand, the performance of nearly twenty thousand vaccinations would be very
satisfactory. I am inclined to attribute the decrease in 1898 to the great interest taken
by Mr. Ward, the late District Superintendent of Police, in all hygienic measures, and I
think he managed by his personal efforts and influence to get work done in 1897 at a
higher level than can be kept up, now that he has left the district on furlough.
Sylhet.
15. This large and important district suffered so severely from a fearful outbreak
of malarial fever in 1897, that the general stamina of the
whole population was seriously lowered, the mortality was
very high, especially of children, the birth-rate decreased from 35.17 to 30.46 per mille,
and the natural consequence is that there were fewer children to be vaccinated in
1898-99. The decrease was large, viz., from 87,004 to 72,292, but I think the explana-
tion given above is the correct one, and I cannot attribute blame to any one.
Sibsagar.
1894-95...
1895-96...
1896-97...
1897-38...
1898-99...
21,889
33,312
41,283
33,024
20,380
16. For the sake of easy reference the number of vaccina-
tions done in this district during the last five working
seasons is given in the margin. Major Fink, the district
Civil Surgeon, reports as follows :
There were 20,380 cases operated on during the current year, against 33,024 in the previous
year. This number, though smaller than in the previous year, is somewhat explainable by the fact
that recent epidemics of small-pox in previous years have caused a fairly large mortality among
the unprotected, whilst those who have survived bear distinct marks of pitting.
In another place he reports that —
The decrease in number during the current year might be accounted for somewhat owing to
more careful attention being given to the keeping of forms and registers in accordance with rules
and the checking entries of names and the results, as well as the visiting of children on the proper
date after vaccination, which possibly took up more of the vaccinating establishment's time than
they apparently had been accustomed to give.
17. I regret that I cannot myself accept these explanations as satisfactory, and it is
evident that the Civil Surgeon knows that the work done by his vaccinators has been bad,
for he has fined them severely, no less than Rs. 103 having been mulcted from their pay.
The four Local Board vaccinators at Golaghat have apparently been fined Rs. 3 each
regularly every month from December to March : as these men only draw Rs. 10 a month
for half the year, it is a wonder that they have worked at all; I have directed that two-
thirds of the fines inflicted on them and one half of those on others should be suspended,
and remitted altogether if they do satisfactory work next year. All classes of operators,
except the Native Inspector, have done less work; thus, the three Provincial vaccinators
did 1,047 less cases; the three Municipal vaccinators did 869 less; the 14 Local
Board vaccinators did 8,741 less; the one licensed vaccinator did 1,325 less ; the six
Hospital Assistants did 241 less; and the two compounders did 469 less. The condi-
tion of vaccination affairs in this district appears to be unsatisfactory all round; and
unless a great change for the better is shown next year, I should advise some very
drastic remedies.
Nowgong.
Names of
dispensaries.
Nonoi...
Jaluguti...
Puranigudam
Silghat...
Dimu...
Roha...
Nokhola...
Dhing...
Telahi...
Potoni...
Pathori...
Jagi...
Kampur...
Barjoha...
Doboka...
1897-98.
107
64
212
247
287
342
266
77
293
148
252
127
204
94
123
1898-99.
Nil
20
40
18
55
19
17
66
9
12
22
20
36
27
24
18. In 1897-98 the number vaccinated in this district rose to 19,659 in conse-
quence of increased exertions during a bad epidemic of small-
pox; the average number for 1894-1895-1896 and 1897 being
about 12,000, the number of operations that might have been expected to be done
in 1898-99 was therefore about 13,000, but the number done was only 9,347. The Civil
Surgeon reports that in his opinion the causes of the decrease were first the late falling
of the Durga Pujah holidays, which lasted from October 17th to October 30th, and
shortened the usual vaccinating season by a fortnight; secondly, the fact that so
large a number having been vaccinated in the previous year
and so many children having died, coupled with a generally
lessened birth-rate, there really were many less children to
be done. This is true no doubt so far as it goes, but I
cannot accept it as accounting for the great decrease, and
I consider the vaccinating and dispensary staff to blame ;
one of the vaccinators was found to have falsified his re-
gister and did no work for the whole of' the first month ; his
services were therefore dispensed with ; in all probability
others were working badly. The statement in the margin
shows the vaccination work done at the dispensaries, and
I regret to have to say that I consider the falling off here
shown to be unsatisfactory and discreditable to all con-
cerned. One Hospital Assistant, Amrita Lal Bose, was fined three days' pay last year by