NOTES ON VACCINATION IN THE CENTRAL PROV-
INCES AND BERAR FOR THE SEASON 1911-12.
Area served by the Vaccina-
tion Department and popula-
tion.
The area served by the Vaccination Department remained the same as in
the previous year, i. e. 99,857 square miles of British
Districts and 31, 168 square miles of Feudatory States. The
population according to the census of 1911 was 16,033,310
(13,916,308 for the British Districts and 2,117,002 for
the Feudatory States).
Vaccination Establishment.
2. The total number of Assistant Superintendents of Vaccination—31 for
the Khalsa and 4 for the Feudatory States—remained the
same as in the previous year, but some re-distribution was
made. In Raipur and Bilaspur districts the supervisory staff was excessive, so
one Superintendent was removed from each of these two districts and transferred
to Jubbulpore and Bhandara districts which were too large for a single Assistant
Superintendent to manage. An additional Assistant Superintendent was sanc-
tioned for Yeotmal also, but the appointment could not be filled in before the
close of the season. The staff of vaccinators was increased by three (one each in
Chhindwara, Raipur and Amraoti), making a total of 286 vaccinators for the Khalsa,
but as the Municipal vaccinatorship of Tumsar town in the Bhandara district
remained vacant throughout the season, only 285 vaccinators remained on duty
during the season. In the Feudatory States, Sirguja reduced its establishment
by two men, the total number that remained on duty in the States being 53.
STATEMENT I.
Total number of operations
performed in the Khalsa and
Feudatory States.
3. The total number of operations performed (both primary and re-vaccinations)
rose from 654,114 in 1910-11 to 682,177 in 1911-12, the
increase being 28,063 (13,034 in the Khalsa and 15,029 in
the Feudatory States). Though the total increase in the
British Districts was only 13,034, in many districts a satis-
factory amount was done in spite of plague which prevailed in the Province
throughout the season. Thus, 14 districts show an increase, of which Nagpur
heads the list with an increase of 3,990 operations and Balaghat follows with 3,198.
In Yeotmal the increase was 2,806, in Amraoti 2,679, in Raipur 2,667 and in
Bhandara 2,223. In the remaining districts the increase ranged between 1,923
and 368. The districts showing a decrease are Jubbulpore (—6,255), Buldana
(—2,109,) Betul (—1,232), Nimar (—782), Mandla (—681), Seoni (—593), Wardha
(—289) and Bilaspur (—177). Plague accounts for the decrease in all these
districts except in Bilaspur where it is ascribed to the discontinuance of collecting
children at certain centres for vaccination purposes. Vaccinators are now required
to visit every village, which takes a good deal of their time. I am not prepared to
accept this reason for in no other district was such an explanation offered,
on the contrary, it was proved that the adoption of such a system resulted in
considerable improvement. It seems that the vaccination staff of Bilaspur
requires stricter supervision ; the district has a very strong establishment, and it
is to be regretted that the work turned out shows a tendency to decrease. It is
hoped that here, as well as in Buldana, where also the work is getting unsatis-
factory of late, an effort will be made during the coming season to show better
results. Of the Feudatory States, eight show an increase, Bastar showing the
largest increase (20,176) and the remaining seven a decrease.
Work done by Vaccinators.
4. Of the total operations performed during the season, 579,782 (511,131
primary and 68,651 re-vaccinations) were done by the
Khalsa Vaccinators against 569,260 (501,123 primary
and 68,137 re-vaccinations) in 1910-11. Had it not been for the prevalence of
plague by which much of the town work was disorganized, there would have
been a still greater improvement. Good work is evidenced by an increase in
the average number of operations performed per vaccinator, which has, in some
districts, risen considerably during the season. This is mainly due to the interest
taken by some Civil Surgeons such as Lieut.-Col. Banatvala of Amraoti,
Lieut-Col. Buchanan of Nagpur, Major Rainier at Chhindwara, Captain
Fraser at Chanda, Lieutenant Robertson at Yeotmal and Assistant Surgeons
Doyle and Cutler at Balaghat and Bhandara, and also to the help given by
some Tahsildars, of whom I would like to mention. Messrs. Nanheram Singh