( 2 )
Out of the 33 districts of Bengal, including the Tributary States of
Orissa and excluding the district of Sambalpur of which the figures for the
last year are not available, there was an increase of operations in 23 districts,
whereas a decrease occurred only in 10 districts. The increase is specially
noticeable in the following districts:—
Saran 24,254, Midnapore 17,016, Jessore 12,643, Tributary States 12,142,
Shahabad 11,631, Nadia 11,273, Howrah 8,850, Patna 8,688, Monghyr 7,609,
and Angul 4,770.
The decrease is most marked in the districts of Balasore 13,273, Sonthal
Parganas 12,465, Birbhum 6,310, and Purnea 5,782.
In Saran, the increase is said to be due to careful supervision of work
and to the introduction of good vaccinators from other districts. It is satis-
factory to note again an increase of work in Midnapore, which is due to the
active co-operation of the District Magistrate and the exertions of the District
Inspector of Vaccination. In Jessore, the cause of increase is ascribed to the
better health of the year and to greater prevalance of small-pox, while in
Nadia it is said to be due to greater activity on the part of the Inspecting
staff, specially of the District Inspector of Vaccination. The Civil Surgeon
of Shahabad attributes the increase to less prevalence of plague and to the
stimulus given to the work of the vaccinators by the introduction of the
system of rewards. In Angul also, competition among the vaccinators for
rewards accounts for the increase. In Howrah, it was due to greater activity
on the part of the staff to cope with the small-pox epidemic; while in Patna,
it was due to less prevalence of plague in the district. No explanation has
been furnished regarding the increase in the Tributary States and in the
district of Monghyr.
The Civil Surgeon of Balasore attributes the decrease to the inefficiency
of the staff, some of whom have been dismissed. In the Sonthal Parganas and
Birbhum, it is said to be due to the greater prevalence of malaria, cholera,
etc. In Purnea, it was due to the prevalence of cholera.
Vaccination in Municipalities.
5. In the Calcutta Municipality, 85,287 operations were performed
during the year, against 28,052 of 1904-05.
There was an increase of 57,235 cases owing to
greater activity displayed by the Corporation in coping with the severe
outbreak of small-pox which prevailed in the town.
In Mufassal Municipalities, Dispensaries, etc., the number of cases was
1,22,105 against 99,936 of the previous year. There was an increase of 22,169
cases.
The average work of a vaccinator in the Mufassal Municipalities was
709 against 598, while that of Licensed and District Board vaccinators was 986
and 1,905, against 936 and 1,613, respectively, of the previous year.
Protection afforded to infants.
6. During the year under review, out of 1,698,618, the estimated number
of infants under one year available for vaccina-
tion, 809,606, that is 476.62 per thousand, were
successfully vaccinated against 395.16 of the previous year. In 16 districts,
viz., Ranchi, Darjeeling, Palamau, Nadia, Bhagalpur, Sambalpur, Hazaribagh,
Gaya, Sonthal Parganas, Midnapore, Singhbhum, Manbhum, Darbhanga,
Burdwan, Purnea and Monghyr, and in the Political States of Kharsawan and
Seraikela in the district of Singhbhum, the protection was over 500 per mille,
while in one district only, viz., Puri, it was below 200 per mille. It appears
from the above that infant vaccination is making fair progress from year to
year.
The protection afforded to infants in municipalities is shown in Appendix
VII attached to the report. It will be seen that 858.20 per mille of the
surviving infant population was protected during the year against 650.85 of
the previous year.
Recess work.
7. During the recess or non-working season of the past year, 1,18,937
operations were performed in connection with small-
pox epidemics and the upkeep of lymph for emer-
gencies against 1,26,715 of the previous year.
Six-puncture vaccination.
8. The total number of successful primary and re-vaccination operations
in six points was 730,800 and 6,336, respectively,
against 686,020 and 6,265, respectively, of the
previous year.