Triennial Vaccination Report.
1. As the number of vaccinations performed in the hill tracts and in the feudatory
State of Manipur are known, the statistics given in this report include the population
of those regions, and are based on the total population of the province of Assam, viz.,
6 126,343, according to the revised figures of the census of 1901.
Vaccination agencies.
2. The main work was done by the provincial establishment, aided by the Hospital
Assistants in charge of dispensaries to a small extent, as
shown by Statement No. III, and also to a still smaller
extent by the medical officers and assistants employed on tea gardens. The total num-
ber done by all agencies for the last three seasons was 272,265, 271,466, and 280,827,
against an average for 15 years of 191,356, showing that steady progress has been and
is being made all over. The work done in different districts will be alluded to further on.
3. The average number of operators was 239 in the first two seasons under review
and 248 in the last.- The work done by individuals on the paid establishment varied
from 2,201 in Manipur, 1,627 in the Garo Hills, and 1,582 in the Naga Hills to 1,318
in Sylhet, 1,176 in Sibsagar, 604 in Kamrup, and 458 in Goalpara. Four districts have
licensed vaccinators, and the average work done by them also varied considerably. In
Goalpara 858, in Sibsagar 594, in Sylhet 369, and in Darrang 212 operations only were
done by each person so engaged.
4. The number of vaccine operations done by the dispensary establishment fell
from 24,715 in 1899-1900 to 17,904 in 1900-1901. As I considered this was distinctly
due to apathy and indolence in many instances, I recommended the Local Administra-
tion to withhold the special allowances given at several dispensaries where the greatest
falling-off had taken place, and others concerned were warned to make greater efforts.
The good effect of these measures was marked, and in the last working season the
number of dispensary vaccinations rose to 23,441. The tea-garden staff have gone on
steadily increasing their work in this respect; their average for 15 years was under ten
thousand and for the last three seasons they have done over eleven, thirteen, and fifteen
thousands, for which I beg to render my thanks.
5. As above stated, the total number of operations performed in the last working
season was 280,827, which includes 264,574 successful primary and 7,632 successful
revaccinations. This gives a ratio of 44.46 protected persons per mille of population.
For the preceding season the ratio was 42.03, and for the one before that, viz.,
1899-1900, it was 46.62, but this having been calculated on the census of ten years back
may be left out of calculation. The figures for the last two seasons thus show some, if
only small, progress. The prescribed diagram showing the death-rates from small-pox
during the year 1901 and the average proportion of the population protected during the
past 7 years is attached.
Percentage of successful opera-
tions.
6. As shown by Statement No. I, the percentage or successtul primary operations
for the last season was, for the whole province, 97.48, and
of revaccinations 81.09. From most of the districts a
percentage of about 98 for primary vaccinations is reported ;
the lowest ratios coming from the Lushai Hills (91.50), the Naga Hills (95.03), and the
Darrang district (95.02) and the highest from Kamrup (98.62), Goalpara (98.79), and
the Khasi Hills (99.76). On the whole, I consider the figures as fairly reliable. I am
a little more doubtful in the case of revaccination ; a percentage of 81.09 successful
revaccinations is not the usual experience ; still the Shillong lymph while fresh
is so undoubtedly efficacious, that I cannot say I think the vaccinators fudge the
entries in their books to any great extent, but I think they are sometimes inclined to
consider the production of small and insignificant vesicles as successes.
Vaccination work in different districts.
District.
Cachar ...
Sylhet ...
Goalpara ...
Kamrup
...
Darrang ...
Nowgong ...
Sibsagar ...
Lakhimpur ...
Naga Hills
...
Khasi „
...
Garo
„ ...
Lushai „ ...
Manipur ...
Tea gardens ...
Total ...
Population
according to
the census of
1901.
455,593
2,241,848
462,052
589,187
337,313
261,160
597,969
371,396
102,402
202,250
138,274
82,454
284,465
...
6,126,343
Total number vaccinated by all agencies.
Average for
15 years, 1884-
85 to 1893-99.
9,604
51,036
16,466
19,718
14,265
11,869
20,635
11,783
6,485
4,307
7,346
485*
10,701†
9,767
191,356
Actuals
for
1899-1900.
11,606
84,359
21,153
25,371
13,067
10,259
25,082
14,211
4,214
4,809
28,071
1,331
17,213
11,519
272,265
Actuals
for
1900-1901.
12,380
75,591
20,413
25,668
13,089
9,019
32,435
15,552
14,086
4,484
15,694
2,482
17,319
13,254
271,466
Actuals
for
1001-1902.
12,296
98,241
21,750
21,298
12,042
11,38l
30,551
15,292
7,976
4,369
12,390
1,367
16,240
15,634
280,827
* Average for 7 years.
† Average for 11 years.
7. The marginal statement shows the districts into which the province is divided,
their population and the
average number of vaccin-
ations performed in each
of them during a period
of 15 years, as well as the
actual number done in the
three last working seasons.
In Cachar as shown by State-
ment No. I, the proportion
per mille of persons protect-
ed by vaccination is 22.
This is far the lowest, except
in some small hill districts,
and I cannot help saying it
reflects no credit on the
District Medical Officer and
his vaccinating staff.
In
Darrang, the proportion was
B