( 2 )
Out of the 49 districts of Bengal, including the Tributary States of Orissa
and Chota Nagpur, there was an increase of operations in 28 and a decrease in
21 districts. The increase is most marked in the following districts:—
Faridpur ... ...
Mymensingh ... ...
Rangpur ... ...
Cuttack ... ...
23,788
14,355
14,347
12,264
Nadia
...
...
Political States of Chota
Nagpur ...
Chittagong ... ...
Backergunge ... ...
8,954
7,911
7,695
7,586.
The decrease is specially noticeable in the following districts:—
Midnapore ... ...
Dinajpur ... ...
Balasore
...
...
Manbhum
...
...
Sonthal Parganas ... ...
54,286
17,561
17,342
12,546
9,690
Patna ... ...
Gya
...
...
Puri ... ...
Birbhum ... ...
Khulna ... ...
8,257
8,112
7,337
6,711
6,098
In Midnapore, the decrease is due to much less prevalence of small-pox as
compared with the previous year. The Civil Surgeon also attributes the
decrease to the obstruction of some of the vaccinators who have been punished.
In Dinajpur, it is said to be due to unusual prevalence of malaria in
October and November last and to there being a much smaller number of small-
pox cases as compared with the previous year.
The decrease in Balasore is said to be due to the illness of some of the
vaccinators and to the negligence of the staff who will be suitably dealt with.
In Manbhum, it is due to much less prevalence of small-pox, as compared
with the previous year.
In the Sonthal Parganas, the decrease occurred in revaccination. This is
due to the great reluctance of the people to submit to the process, especially on
account of the payment of fees.
The decrease in Patna and Gya is due to greater prevalence of plague in
those districts.
In Puri it is said to be due to more accurate reporting, the Civil Surgeon
doubting the accuracy of the previous year's figures.
In Birbhum, the Civil Surgeon, being new to the district, has not been
able to furnish any satisfactory explanation of the decrease. It seems to be
due to less number of operators employed during the year and to the negli-
gence of the staff. The attention of the Civil Surgeon has been drawn to the
matter.
The decrease in Khulna is said to be due to the illness and resignation of
some of the vaccinators whose places could not be filled up. This explanation
is unsatisfactory.
5. Vaccination in Municipalities.—In the Calcutta Municipality 18,352
operations were performed during the year, against 16,303 of 1902-1903. There
was an increase of 2,049 cases.
In mufassal municipalities, dispensaries, &c., the number of cases was
128,945 against 132,831 of the previous year. There was a decrease of
3,886 cases.
The average work of a vaccinator in the mufassal municipalities was 623
against 638 of the previous year. The average work of Licensed and District
Board vaccinators was 972 and 1,359 respectively, against 990 and 1,739
respectively of the previous year.
The fluctuation in the average work of a District Board vaccinator is due
to : (1) the abolition of the posts of District Board vaccinators of Chittagong
who used to do a fair amount of work, (2) the employment of the Cuttack paid
vaccinators in helping the licensed vaccinators in overcoming opposition to
vaccination, (3) the employment of the vaccinators for a limited period only
in certain districts, and (4) the decrease of work in Puri, explained above.
6. Protection afforded to infants.—During the year under review, out
of 2,440,676, the estimated number of infants under one year available for
vaccination, 877,810, that is 359.66 per thousand were successfully vaccin-
ated against 360.51 of the previous year. In 15 districts, viz., Ranchi,
Malda, Bhagalpur, Palamau, Faridpur, Jalpaiguri, Darbhanga, Angul,
Monghyr, Burdwan, Darjeeling, Political States of Chota Nagpur, Hazaribagh,
Manbhum and the Sonthal Parganas, the protection was over 500 per mille,
while in 8 districts, viz., Tippera, Mymensingh, Midnapore, Tributary