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bad and in the municipal areas of the districts of Patna, Bhagalpur, Hazaribagh
and Cuttack. In Rajshahi the system, it is stated, was not introduced owing
to three changes of Civil Surgeons during the vaccination working season and
in the district of Muzaffarpur, it was tried only in the town of Muzaffarpur.
The Civil Surgeons concerned report that selected vaccinators were employed
in the work and that practical instructions as to the use of the new method
were given them before they commenced work. The result is reported to be
satisfactory. In Hazaribagh the experiments were carried on under the direc-
tions and personal supervision of the Civil Surgeon, Captain Newman, I.M.S.,
who has shown by facts and figures the superiority of the antiseptic method
of vaccination over the ordinary method. His report is very interesting, and
I am submitting it to Government separately with my remarks.
Supply of lymph to the Nepal
Durbar and Sikkim.
15. One hundred and ninety grains of lymph were supplied from the
Animal Vaccination Depôt, Darjeeling, to the Nepal
Durbar. Five hundred and thirty grains were also
supplied to the Sikkim State. The results are
reported to have been satisfactory.
Inspections.
16. During the past year the Deputy Sanitary Commissioners of the
Metropolitan and Eastern Bengal, Northern and
Western Circles, inspected each 5,119, 17,855
and 7,408 cases respectively. The percentage of success in primary and
revaccination cases inspected by them was 98.59 and 75.87 respectively.
Among Civil Surgeons two only, viz., Pabna and Champaran, inspected
over 10,000 operations; 13 between 5,000 to 10,000; 19 between 2,000 and
5,000; 6 between 1,000 and 2,000, and 8 less than 1,000. The percentage of
success in primary and revaccination cases inspected by them was 97.86 and
61.93 respectively.
Of the subordinate inspecting staff, 22 District Inspectors of Vaccination
inspected more than 50 per cent. of the primary operations in their respective
charges; 9 between 40 and 50 per cent., and 18 between 20 and 40 per cent.
Inspections.
In 15 districts, the Sub Inspectors of Vaccination inspected more than
80 per cent. of the primary operations performed
in their jurisdictions; in 26 districts between 50
and 80 per cent., and in 9 only below 50 per cent.
The percentage of success reported by the Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors
of Vaccination was 97.71 and 97.37 respectively in primary cases, and 53.60
and 54.09 in re-vaccination, the success reported by the vaccinators in the
returns being 98.15 and 58.23 respectively under the above heads.
Suitable notice has as usual been taken departmentally of the inadequate
inspections performed by the subordinate inspecting staff.
General remarks.
17. The question of the re-organization of the Vaccination Department is
still under the consideration of Government, hence
very little need be said on the subject of changes.
To my mind the change that is most needed on the score of economy is a
reduction in the number of Sub-Inspectors. Many of these men are useless,
lazy to an almost incredible degree and are completely out of touch with the
Civil Surgeons.
Rewards for good work are being distributed for the first time this
year, and it is hoped will act as a stimulus to further exertions on the part
of the vaccinators.
It is not so much radical change of system that is required in this Depart-
ment, as carefully thought-out gradual improvement. The great imperfections
under which we labour are (i) want of education of vaccinators and inspecting
officers; (ii) the lack of inducements for vaccinators to improve their work or
their knowledge of English; (iii) the enormous preponderance of arm-to-arm
vaccination over other methods.
These three are the greatest defects that exist at present, and it is very
desirable that steps be taken to remedy them. Following on these, aseptic
method of vaccination can be taught to the vaccinators and introduced through-
out the Province, but it is futile to expect the average vaccinator left to himself
either to understand or carry out more scientific methods. These points have
been brought to the notice of Government in separate notes.
Another point that requires considerable attention is the systematizing of
the work of vaccinators in municipal towns; at present in many places nothing
like all the available children are vaccinated. This is simply a matter of
organization, and great improvements should be made in a comparatively short
time.
CALCUTTA,
The 29th May, 1905.
W. W. CLEMESHA, M.D., D.P.H., CAPTAIN, I.M.S.,
Offg. Sanitary Commissioner, Bengal.