2
5. Dispensary vaccination.—The total number of persons vaccinated by the
dispensary staff during the year 1919-20 was 11,119 as compared with 3,878 in
1918-19 and 3,270 in 1917-18, the annual average of the triennial period being 6,089
against 2,534 in the preceding triennium.
6. Percentage of successful operations.—T.e percentage of successful operations
performed by all establishments was 95.71 in regard to primary operations and 72.04
in regard to re-vaccination, as against 95.16 and 68.53 in 1918-19 and 93 90 and
67.05 in 1917-18.
The lymph supplied during the year appears to have been of excellent quality.
From only one district were reports of October failures received, and it is not clear
that the complaint was well founded. During the triennium, the system of keeping
all lymph in cold storage for a period of 3 months prior to issue was introduced with
very satisfactory results, both in the reduction of septic complications and excessive
reactions, and in the administrative convenience of having a reserve in hand to meet
emergencies.
7. Different methods of vaccination.—As usual, all vaccination operations were
performed with glycerinated lymph manufactured in the Vaccine Depôt at Shillong
and no other methods were practised.
8. Vaccination work in different districts.—The following tabulated statement
shows the progress of vaccination in different districts during the triennial period
under review as compared with the preceding one. As noted in the report of 1918-19,
work in that year was much below the average, owing to the widespread outbreak of
influenza, and the withdrawal of the staff of vaccinators from their legitimate work
to aid in measures aimed at alleviating the distress caused by the epidemic, and the
work of the year 1919-20 was also hampered by the same cause, although in a lesser
degree. From a scrutiny of the district figures it appears that the Manipur State
showed the largest increase of vaccination operations, the reason being that unlike
previous years, vaccination work in 1919-20 was carried on throughout the year,
the number of vaccinators having been largely increased. It is remarked that " the
entire valley and a large part of the hill area were very thoroughly treated ". One
notices that the unusual number of 4,314 operations per vaccinator was claimed, that
an unusually large percentage of success in re-vaccination was claimed and that
there was a large number of cases, both primary and re-vaccinations of which the
results were not ascertained, and while there is little doubt that a commendable in-
crease in the number of vaccination operations took place, the actual figures must be
accepted with a considerable degree of scepticism.
In Sylhet, the number of vaccinators now employed is larger by 35 than it was
in the previous triennium and in spite of the influenza epidemic, 21,431 more opera-
tions have been performed in this triennium than in the one before it. The Local
Board of Sunamganj has accepted the recommendations for an increase of vaccinators
' in tota ' and with the help of the Subdivisional Officer, Mr. Mufizur Rahman, whose
assistance Colonel Wood, the Civil Surgeon, gratefully acknowledges, great progress
has been made. North Sylhet, Habiganj and South Sylhet Local Boards in part
accepted our views, increased their staff and shared in the improvement, and only
the Karimganj Local Board has proved obdurate and refused to provide the extra
staff.
In 1919-20, an average of some 1,200 operations per vaccinator was returned
and Colonel Wood and staff are to be congratulated on the result of their efforts.
In regard to the change from licensed to paid vaccinators recently effected in
Goalpara, the Civil Surgeon Dr. Bancroft remarks " While I quite recognise that
it is much too premature to comment optimistically on the change, yet if statistics
speak true and make for anything, the change appears to have justified itself in its
first season ". The difficulties attending the change of system are shown by the
observation that " Owing to strict supervision, eighteen vaccinators resigned, two were
dismissed for falsifying their returns, and reliable men were not available to replace
most of them ". For the fall of 9,563 operations in the district the pandemic
of influenza in 1918-19 is blamed. The fall of 8,371 operations in Kamrup is reported
to be due to stricter supervision of the vaccinators' work, which in former years was
very corrupt and dishonest, falsification of returns being very extensively practised.
The opposition of Mahapurushias is being gradually overcome by co-operation of the
District and Subdivisional Officers. The large fall of 7,011 operations in Darrang is
due to the influenza epidemic of the year 1918-19. The Civil Surgeon Major McCoy,
I.M.S , acknowledges with thanks the assistance of the District Magistrate in over-
coming the occasional opposition of Kacharis and Mahapurushias to vaccination, and
he describes how, through the Deputy Commissioner's assistance, he was able to secure