( 4 )
of 1906-07 and 858.20 of 1905-06. The attention of Civil Surgeons has, as
usual, been drawn to their responsibility in the matter of infant vaccination in
towns wherever the protection is inadequate.
Recess work.
6. During the recess or non-working season of 1907-08, 187,735 opera-
tions were performed, chiefly in connection with
small-pox epidemics and the up-keep of lymph for
emergencies, against 162,966 of 1906-07 and 118,937 of 1905-06. The
average of the triennial period under review was 156,546, against 162,787 of
1903-05. With a large rise in the mortality from small-pox during the last two
years a much larger number of operations during the recess season might be
reasonably looked for, but in many cases the deep-rooted prejudice of the
people stands in the way. It is generally found, specially among the rural
population, that when a person gets small-pox none of the household would
accept vaccination until the patient is cured, and this helps the spread of the
contagion. Such being the case, it is satisfactory to notice that through the
active assistance of Rai Mani Lall Singh Roy Bahadur, an influential zamindar
in the Burdwan district, a large number of revaccinations were done in his
zamindari as well as in several other places, where small-pox was prevalent.
This is the second year that this zamindar has been of great help to the
subordinate officers of this Department in carrying on vaccination and in their
realising the vaccinators fees.
Six-puncture vaccination.
7. During 1907-08, 817,428 successful primary operations were per-
formed in six points, against 793,834 of 1906-07
and 730,800 of 1905-06. The number of revaccin-
ations was 17,813, against 13,049 of 1906-07 and 6,336 of 1905-06. The
average of the triennial period in primary vaccination and revaccination was
780,687 and 12,399, against 617,175 and 9,002 of the previous epoch. There
was thus an increase of 163,512 successful primary and 3,397 successful
revaccination cases.
Factory and tea garden vac-
cination.
8. During the past year the total number of primary and revaccination
operations performed in factories and tea gardens
in Bengal was 4,279 and 11,421, against 3,920 and
1,386 respectively, in 1906-07 and 3,813 and 1,745
in 1905-06. The ratio of success in primary and revaccination cases was
95.02 and 78.92, against 98.44 and 42.92 respectively during 1906-07 and
95.59 and 37.30 during the year before.
Cost of and contribution to-
wards vaccination.
9. The total average cost of vaccination in Bengal for the triennial
period under review was Rs. 1,78,233-5-2, against
Rs. 1,38,928-13-9 of 1903-05, the cost of each
successful vaccination being 1 anna 6 pie, against
1 anna 5 pie. The increase of cost during the period under review as
compared with the previous epoch is due principally to increase of pay of the
inspecting staff owing to revision of the scale of their salary sanctioned by
Government, the grant of grain compensation allowance, increased expenditure
in travelling and contingencies owing to increase of work and the inclusion of
of the cost of the districts of Sambalpur and some of the Tributary States
which was excluded from the previous report as the necessary figures were not
available.
Out of the total average cost of vaccination as shown above, Rs. 7,943
were contributed by District Boards, Rs. 8,035 by Native States, and Rs. 219
from other sources, the corresponding figures for the preceding triennial period
being Rs. 3,575, Rs. 2,235, and Rs. 212 respectively.