Resolution on the Vaccination Report for 1885-86.

Extract from the Proceedings of the Chief Commissioner of Assam in the General
            Department, No. 4,830, dated Shillong, the 19th August 1886.

READ—

The Vaccination Report for 1885-86,

                                              RESOLUTION.

THIS Report is submitted by Dr. Eteson, who was in charge of the department
throughout the year.

General results

2. The general record of the year is one of progress. The staff employed was
increased from 169 to 269 operators of all classes, and
though the number of vaccinations effected did not increase
in the same proportion, yet the total number of 115,642 operations stands higher by
20,360 than the total for the previous year. There were also 6,429 vaccinations
reported as having been performed by medical officers entertained on tea-gardens,
bringing up the grand total of the year to the figure of 121,891, against 103,731 of the
year before. This general increase in the amount of work done is due to a large addition
to the staff of local board vaccinators who have risen in number from 40 to 70. The other
notable features of the year are a great extension of inspection, covering more than half
the vaccinations performed, a result due partly to three new native inspectors or
superintendents, and partly to the exertions of Civil Surgeons.

District details.

3. The following table shows the total number of vaccinations, whether primary or
secondary, in each district, during each of the past five
years. It illustrates the great advance that has been made
by the department during that period, the total number for 1885-86 (exclusive of garden
vaccinations), being nearly treble the total for 1881-82:—

In proceeding to comment on these figures, the first step is to eliminate the tea-garden
vaccinations, which are imperfectly reported, and consequently vary much in their alleged
number from year to year.. This leaves 115,642 vaccinations by departmental agency
in 1885-86, against 95,282 in 1884-85. A glance at the figures in the table above shows
that four districts are mainly responsible for this increase, viz., Sylhet, with 6,119 vaccina-
tions more than last year, Cachar with 4,746, Kámrúp with 5,986, and Sibságar with
8,023 more than in 1884-85. Further, if Nowgong, Groálpára, and the Gáro Hills had
been able to work up to last year's standard, the total number of vaccinations by the
departmental staff would have exceeded 120,000.

The increase in Sylhet is due to the employment of 12 new local board vaccinators.
In Cachar also there has been a considerable addition to the staff of operators, and both
the Deputy-Commissioner and the Civil Surgeon have taken considerable interest in the
work of vaccination. In Kámrúp, one-half of the vaccinations were performed by ex-
inoculators, a class of men whom it is desirable to entertain with caution; the increase
in the total amount of work done is, however, very satisfactory. The large and sudden