2
The cause for this sudden increase in the number of re-vaccinations is no
doubt to be found in the epidemic of small-pox that prevailed in certain districts
of the Provinces during the year 1895-96, especially in the neighbourhood of
Nagpur, the fear of contagion inducing a greater number of persons to submit
to re-vaccination.
4. The number of children under one year of age vaccinated in the years
1894-95 and 1895-96 as compared with the number shown as available for vacci-
nation was as follows:—
1894-95 ... ...
1895-96 ... ...
Vaccinated.
231,097
192,229
Available.
240,103
213,557
The figures shewing the number of children available are however of little
value, as they include children who were under one year of age in any given year
though born during the previous year; while deaths among the class of children
so included are not shown in the deductions made on account of the deaths of
children under one year of age. Such as they are, however, the figures serve
to strengthen the suspicion alluded to in the recent Resolution on the Sanitary
Report, that the results obtained at present by the registration of births are
extremely untrustworthy.
The districts which appear to have had the least success in effecting vacci-
nation on infants were—
Mandla ... ...
Bilaspur ... ...
Raipur ... ...
Vaccinated.
5,557
16,072
25,554
Available.
8,473
23,622
35,501
5. There was much diversity in the amount of inspection work done by Civil
Surgeons. While the Civil Surgeons of Jubbulpore and Nimar succeeded in seeing
37 and 43 per cent. respectively of the total number of cases operated on in
their districts, the Civil Surgeons of the following districts failed, in the Chief
Commissioner's opinion, to exercise an adequate amount of check over the opera-
tions of their subordinates, judging from the percentages given against each :—
Raipur...
Saugor
...
Bilaspur
...
Wardha
...
7.54
9.03
9.11
12.04
The first of these districts especially needs closer inspection, and the Civil
Surgeon, who has no jail to supervise, should spend more time on tour than an
ordinary Civil Surgeon. Vaccination work in Raipur, the Chief Commissioner con-
siders, is very indifferent, and suffers from insufficient supervision. The district
report indicates that the Native Superintendents were in some cases anything but
trustworthy.
In Bilaspur the returns do not seem to indicate that the Superintendents are
very reliable as inspecting officers, the percentage of cases returned by them and
by the Civil Surgeon as successful being 79 and 67 respectively.
6. The Chief Commissioner has noticed that the diagram prescribed by
Government of India, Home Department, letter No. 47, dated the 8th February
1894, to show the comparison between the death-rate from small-pox and the
percentage of the population protected by vaccination has not been correctly
prepared. The equal spaces into which the diagram is divided are given quite
arbitrary values, and represent numbers varying between .01 and 10,000. The
diagram should be prepared in a similar manner to that appended to the vaccination
report of the Madras Government for the year 1894-95.
7. There was little difference in the cost of vaccination operations during the
triennial period. The average cost of a successful operation was, excluding
dispensary vaccination:—
1893-94 ...
1894-95 ...
1895-96 ...
Rs.
0
0
0
A.
1
1
1
P.
10
8
9