3
Inspectors and one chief vaccinator in Manipur State inspected 179,737 primary and
32,682 revaccinations or 58.58 per cent. and 43.30 per cent., respectively, of the total
number of vaccination of each class performed. The percentage of inspection of
primary operation (23.01) done was the lowest in the Kamrup district. Amongst
districts in the plains, the inspections in the districts of Goalpara (31.94) and Sibsagar
(49.69) were comparatively low.
11. Vaccination in compulsory areas.—Vaccination has been made compulsory in
all Municipal towns and in a few selected village areas under Act IV (B. C.), 1873.
During the year, 1,831 infants under one year of age in Municipal towns out of an
estimated number of 4,137 or 44.25 per cent. were successfully vaccinated, as compared
with 45.72 per cent. in 1923-24. In Goalpara, Tezpur and Nowgong the results were
satisfactory as almost all infants in each of these towns were successfully vaccinated.
The results were very unsatisfactory in Sunamganj in which area no infant under
12 months was vaccinated during the year. In Sylhet, Karimganj and Gauhati, only
1.04, 14.44 and 12.59 per cent., respectively, of those under one year of age were
vaccinated. Similar unsatisfactory returns were made in last year's report from
Sunamganj and Karimganj Municipalities. These figures do not represent the actual
state of vaccination of adult population. In these areas parents show a marked reluc-
tance to have children under one year of age vaccinated. Two thousand six hundred
and four operations were performed in village areas of Baniachong in Habiganj, Derai
and Pagla in Sunamganj and Beani Bazar in Karimganj subdivision of the Sylhet
district to which Compulsory Vaccination Act has been extended against 2,532 opera-
tions in the preceding year. The Karimganj Local Board has provided a permanent
vaccinator for the compulsory areas in that subdivision. The Civil Surgeon recom-
mends that Habiganj and Sunamganj Local Boards should each provide a permanent
vaccinator for rural compulsory areas in those subdivisions to ensure efficient vaccina-
tion. The total number of operations performed in rural compulsory areas in the
Sibsagar district fell from 545 operations in 1923-24 to 519 in the year under report.
The Chairmen of Local Boards of Jorhat and Golaghat have agreed to appoint one
permanent vaccinator each for work in rural compulsory areas in their subdivisions
from next year, and it is hoped that it will result in better vaccination in those
areas.
12. Vaccine Depôt.—The total number of capillary tubes loaded during the year
was 617,855 against 587,386 in the preceding year. The total number of tubes issued
during the year was 583,573, as compared with 557,395 in 1923-24, showing an increase
of 26,178 tubes. The number of calves inoculated during the year was 482 and lymph
was taken from 421 calves, the remaining 61 calves being rejected—25 for failure of
operation, 3 for illness and 33 for ulceration and unsatisfactory vesicle against 69 calves
rejected in the preceding year. The total cost of working of the depôt was Rs. 14,361
as compared with Rs. 13,561 in the preceding year, the increase is mainly under
establishment due to a senior Sub-Assistant Surgeon being placed in subordinate
charge. During the year, 93,169 tubes were issue 1 by value payable post to various
tea estates and the Manipur State, and a sum of Rs. 5,809-5-0 was credited into the
Treasury. If this amount is deducted from the total depôt cost, the cost of working the
depot would be Rs. 8,551-11-0 only. Major A. F. Babonau, C.I E., O.B.E., I.M.S., held
charge of the depôt throughout the year. The subordinate charge was held by Sub-
Assistant Surgeon Narayan Chandra Das Gupta from the beginning of the year to
the 18th June 1924 and Sub-Assistant Surgeon Narendra Nath Dam from 19th June
1924 to the end of the year.
13. Cost of the Department.—The total cost of the department was Rs. 89,484-7-6
as compared with Rs. 86,373-15-10, showing an increase of Rs. 3,110-7-8 which is
mainly due to the appointment of additional vaccinators by local bodies to deal with
small-pox outbreak. The average cost of each successful case of vaccination was
4 annas 4 pies, as compared with 4 annas 5 pies in 1923-24.
14. General.—The great percentage of vaccinators is employed for the cold
weather months only. The average number of vaccinations performed by each vacci-
nator was 878 during the year. This number does not compare favourably with those
of other provinces, but conditions are different. A large percentage should be
permanent vaccinators so that epidemics during the hot weather could be adequately
dealt with Experiments are this year now being made to send vaccine to districts
in ice in Thermos Flasks so that it may reach there without losing its potency which
it otherwise would do during the hot months.
J. B. HANAFIN, Major, I.M.S.,
Offg. Director of Public Health, Assam.