Resolution on the Vaccination Report of Assam for 1898-99.
Extract from the Proceedings of the Chief Commissioner of Assam in the General
Department, No. 4720G., dated Shillong, the 22nd June 1899.
Read—
The Vaccination Report of Assam for 1898-99.
RESOLUTION.
EXCLUDING dispensary establishments and vaccinators employed on tea gardens,
the vaccinating staff employed during the year consisted of 183 paid and 29 licensed
vaccinators, compared with 182 paid and 30 licensed vaccinators in the preceding year.
The number of Inspectors of Vaccination employed was the same as in the preced-
ing year, viz., 18. The number of vaccinations performed by all agencies was 258,905,
compared with 283,914 in 18 7-98. While there was an increase in the number of
revaccinations, primary vaccinations show a serious falling off from 272,707 to 237,088.
In Sylhet, where the greatest decrease occurred, the result is attributed to the
effects of a very severe outbreak of malarial fever in 1897, which caused a lowering of
the general stamina of the population and a high rate of mortality amongst children,
together with a decrease in the birth-rate in that year, and in Goalpara the falling off is
partly due to similar causes.
The Chief Commissioner regrets, however, to notice that no satisfactory explanation
can be given of the heavy decrease in the number of vaccinations performed in Sibsagar
and Nowgong. In the former district, the state of vaccination work is evidently most
unsatisfactory, and a less outturn is shown by all classes of operators than that of the
preceding year, while very heavy fines have been inflicted upon the vaccinators by the
Civil Surgeon. The fines imposed appear excessive, in view of the low rates of pay drawn
by these men, and the Chief Commissioner quite approves of the orders passed by the
Principal Medical Officer and Sanitary Commissioner, directing that portions of the
fines shall be remitted if the vaccinators do better work next year. In Nowgong, the
falling off in vaccinations by the dispensary staff is specially marked, and the Chief
Commissioner concurs in Colonel Carr-Calthrop's opinion that the result is unsatis-
factory and discreditable to all concerned. Mr. Cotton trusts that the number of
vaccinations performed in the current year will show a substantial improvement in these
two districts. The Manipur State and all the Hill districts, except the Naga Hills,
show an increase in vaccinations in 1898-99. The decrease in the Naga Hills is said
to be due to the fact that alarm among the people caused by bad epidemics of small-
pox in 1894 and 1895 led to an abnormal number of vaccinations in the succeeding years.
Of the total number of operations, 232,419 were done by paid and licensed vaccinators,
compared with 255,583 in 1897-98. The total number of vaccinations performed by
dispensary establishments fell from 17,177 to 14,271, and the number by tea-garden
agency increased from 11,154 to 12,215. The average number of persons vaccinated
by each vaccinator was 981, against 1,064.93 in the preceding year. The total
cost of the department was Rs. 22,197-12-2, against Rs. 22,345-12-10, and the average
cost of each vaccination reported as successful was 1 anna 7½ pies, as against 1 anna
8 pies in 1897-98.
2. Of the total number of primary vaccinations, 233,173, or 98.35 per cent., were
reported as successful. On this subject, the Principal Medical Officer and Sanitary
Commissioner remarks—
I personally inspected a very large number of cases during my tours, especially in the
Nowgong district, and I am of opinion that the number of cases reported as successful is too
high. Vaccinators seem to report, as successful, cases in which the smallest vesicle follows the
operation, notwithstanding that no trace may be visible three months afterwards. From my
personal inspections I should think the primary operations were probably satisfactory in 95 per
cent., partially successful in 3 per cent., and failures in about 2 per cent. The percentage re-
ported of successful revaccinations, viz., 93.84, is suspiciously high, and is to my mind inconsistent