3
Vaccine Depôt.
12. The total number of tubes loaded at the Animal Vaccine Depôt at Shillong
with vaccine virus was 444,404 in 1904-1905, as compared
with 429,080 in 1903-1904, and 401,870 in 1902-1903, and
the average number loaded from each calf was 1,262, 966, and 815. So that during the
last year of the triennial period under review the amount of work was the greatest, though
the number of calves purchased was less by 55 than in the preceding year. This finan-
cial gain was effected by fixing the minimum of the height of each calf delivered by the
contractor at 33½ inches.
13. The total of deaths among calves, both protected and unprotected, was 29,
most having been caused by an epidemic of a catarrhal nature. The quality of the
lymph was excellent throughout the year. A special form was delivered with each box
of tubes to enable the vaccinator to report on the quality of the vaccine, in order to
ascertain whether failure could be traced to vaccine taken from any special calf. The
report did not show a single instance of failure due to faulty vaccine. Most of the
civil surgeons reported that the vaccine was of a very high standard. A number of
tubes was sent to the Civil Surgeon of Dacca who reported that there was not a single
failure in primary operations personally done by him. Captain Leventon and Dr.
Gravely of Silcuri also found all their personal cases successful. On only four occasions
during the triennium was any fault found with any of the lymph, and delay in using may
have been the cause of deterioration. An attempt is being made to maintain the local
supply and strain of vaccine without the usual refreshment from Bangalore.
14. The total expenditure for the year 1904-1905 was Rs. 10,289-10-9 including the
Superintendent's allowance and the amount of Rs. 764-14-6 realised from the Manipur
State. In the years 1903-1904 and 1902-1903 the amounts were Rs. 10,815-6-6 and
Rs. 10,805-8-0, respectively. The cost per loaded tube was nearly 4½pies, against 5 pies
in the two previous years. The decrease in expenditure was mainly under the head
" Purchase of calves."
15. Major E. C. Hare, I.M S., was in charge of the depôt from the 18th April 1904,
and managed it with efficiency. He calls attention to the very intelligent way in which
the work was carried on by Hospital Assistant Kamal Chandra Datta, who took a great
personal interest in his work, and considered no detail to trivial to merit his attention.
Cost of the department.
16 The total cost of the department for the year 1904-1905 was Rs. 25,490-10-7,
as against Rs. 24,381-0-1 in 1903-1904 and Rs. 24,955-4-5
in 1902-1903. The increase in the expenditure was mainly
under the head " Travelling allowance." Of the total expenditure of Rs. 25,490-10-7
during 1904-1905, Rs. 10,044-3-10 were paid from provincial, Rs. 13,133-2-9 from local,
and Rs. 841 from municipal funds, and Rs. 1,472-4-0 were contributed by the feudatory
State of Manipur.
The amount contributed by the local boards in 1904-1905 was greater than in the
year before, but less than in 1902-1903. The contribution of government increased
from Rs. 9,312-4-0 in 1902-1903 to Rs. 10,044-3-10 in 1904-1905. The average cost
of each successful vaccination was one anna and seven pies, which is the same as in
1902-1903, but less by 2 pies than in 1903-1904 ; and is higher than in Bengal or the
United Provinces only among provinces.
General.
17. The practice of inoculation appears to be prevalent only in the Surma Valley :
it is rare in the Brahmaputra Valley, and unknown in the
hills. Even in the Surma Valley people are beginning to
realize the danger of the practice to the neighbours of the subject, and to adopt vaccina-
tion on account of its greater safety. Some outbreaks due to inoculation occurred in
1902-1903 in Sylhet and Cachar, and Major Wood found in some instances that the
people acknowledged the connexion. It is probable that the time has come for forbid-
ding the practice of inoculation.
Opposition to vaccination is mostly mild and yields to persuasion or an order from
the district authority. But there are certain sects or tribes which have long been very
stiff and consistent in their opposition, such as the Mahapurushiyas, the Muttacks, the
Thakurias, the Bhakats, the Kacharis, the Lalungs. However, in 1903 and 1904, the
Lalungs of Nowgong made a beginning, and in 1904-1905 the Mahapurushiyas and
Muttacks of Sibsagar allowed their children to be vaccinated, and a number of the
Kamrup Mahapurushiyas also gave in. Some of the Khasis fear to oftend a god by
adopting vaccination, and the Muttacks in Sibsagar were for the same reason afraid to
take measures against either small-pox or cholera. The hill tribes, except the Garos,
are still shy and distrustful of the process. But among the Mikirs the aid of the mission-
aries has enabled some work to be done.