4

General remarks.

19. Vaccination as a whole is in its early stages as far as the North-
West Frontier Province is concerned, only three towns
in the Province enforcing the vaccination Act. With
imperfect registration of births especially out of notified areas it is difficult to
guage the numbers of unprotected children. More work could be done by
vaccinators if they had greater facilities in getting from village to village which
are often far apart. Also the grant of horse allowance to all Native Supervisors
and Divisional Inspectors would give a greater power of supervision, and
better work and more accurate figures would be obtained. Village registers
are now as far as this Department is concerned somewhat inaccurately kept
and corrections have to be continually reported for registration.

As regards the Vaccine Lymph Supply for the North-West Frontier
Province we are at present largely dependent on the Punjab. There appears
to have been some difficulties in the way of obtaining buffalo calves for maintain-
ing sufficient lymph for our requirements. I am however about to formulate
some poposals for Central Depots at large towns in districts,—where buffalo calves
may be regularly inoculated and supplies of points or tubes sent out from them
to the Vaccinators in the districts weekly or monthly as the case may be—each
district to run its own supply. This may not be possible at first in the Agencies
but I see no reasons against its adoption in the notified areas. A small bonus
would be given to the owners of calves per head for their temporary use. The
plan if it meets with approval—I propose to start at certain Centres on a small
scale at first and gradually enlarge.

                                                            I have the honour to be,
                                                                        Sir,
                                                                  Your obedient servant,
                                                V. HARINGTON, LT.-COL., I. M. S.,
                                                                        Offg. Administrative Medical Officer,
                                                                                          North West Frontier Province.