MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENT.
SANITATION.
DARJEELING, THE 26TH JULY 1905.
RESOLUTION No. 1824T.—M.
READ—
The Triennial Report on Vaccination in Bengal for the years 1902-1903, 1903-1904,
and 1904-1905.
Read also—
The Annual Statistical Returns and Short Notes on Vaccination in Bengal for the
years 1902-1903 and 1903-1904.
The number of vaccinators has remained almost unchanged since 1888,
but each man now performs on the average 50 per cent. more operations than
he did at that time. The improvement in this respect has been continuous.
The average number of operations performed in each year of the triennium
under review was 2,809,506, or 978 per vaccinator, as compared with 2,420,552,
or 834 per vaccinator, during the previous three years. Less than 5 per cent.
of the total number of operations consist of revaccinations. According to the
returns nearly two-fifths of the total infant population of the Province was
vaccinated in 1904-1905. The improvement which has taken place in the
period under review is confined to rural areas. There has been a falling off
in Municipalities, especially in Calcutta, where only one-quarter of the infant
population was protected by vaccination in 1904-1905. This is most unsatis-
factory, and the Sanitary Commissioner should give the matter his close
personal attention during the coming season.
2. There are marked variations in the amount of work done in different
parts of the Province. In the Dacca and Chittagong Divisions there were
respectively 48 and 46 vaccinations per thousand of the population in
1904-1905; in the Burdwan, Bhagalpur, Orissa and Chota Nagpur Divisions
the number ranged from 36 to 38; while in the Presidency Division it was only
32, in Rajshahi 30 and in Patna 27 per mille. Of individual districts the
best results were obtained in Faridpur and Darjeeling (63 and 62 per mille
respectively); and the worst in Patna, Saran and Shahabad (from 21 to 22 per
mille). There is no correlation between the number of operations and the
varying prevalence of small-pox; and the greatest success has been attained
in the tracts which are least afflicted by that scourge. The Sanitary Commis-
sioner is of opinion that an epidemic of small-pox leads to a larger number
of vaccinations; but although such a result might be anticipated, it is not
borne out by the statistics; nor are the figures to be explained by the reputed
attitude of the people towards vaccination. The Ferazis of East Bengal are
said to be exceptionally hostile, but this is precisely the part of the Province
where the greatest success has been attained. The backward state of the work
in Shahabad is attributed to the character of the people; but it is almost
equally backward in Patna, where the inhabitants are supposed to be less
obstructive.
3. The real factors affecting the results are doubtless the efficiency of
the staff, the degree of supervision exercised by the Civil Surgeons and the
officers of the Sanitary Department, and the interest taken in the work by
District Officers. The Lieutenant-Governor notices that the improvement
which took place last year in Midnapore, Cuttack and Noakhali is attributed to
the active co-operation of the District Officers; while that in the Tributary
States of Orissa is accounted for by the supervision exercised by one of the
Deputy Sanitary Commissioners. The Sanitary Department is now at its full
strength for the first time for some years; and Sir Andrew Fraser hopes that
this will lead to a marked improvement in the outturn in the more backward