REPORT ON VACCINATION IN THE PROVINCE OF ASSAM FOR THE
                                              SEASON 1886-87.

Basis of the Report and of vaccination the
same as before.

1. There has been no change introduced during the year either in the sources of

lymph or in the class of operators. The tables and the
general plan of the report are also the same as heretofore.

Sources of lymph.

2. There were 150 tubes of English lymph received through the Sanitary Com-
missioner with the Government of India on the 28th Sep-
tember 1886, and distributed without delay in proportion
to the size of each district. With this first stock the Civil Surgeons began local production,
and this was supplemented all through the season by periodical supplies from the depots
in Dacca, Darjiling, Calcutta, and Almora.

Quality of the lymph.

3. Very especial pains has been taken of late years to secure the purity and

genuineness of the vaccine medium. It was recognized that,
naturally, one of the main difficulties in the way of winning
the people's confidence would gradually disappear if the absolute protective quality of
vaccination was fairly established, that in order to secure this the utmost care must be
taken to establish healthy vaccination only, regardless of figures, and to support it by
adequate inspection. It is impossible as yet to say that any material results have
affected the Provincial population at large, but the statistics of mortality from small-pox
have now been unusually small for the last three years, and there is frequent mention in
the district reports that the confidence of the people is being slowly gained, and that in
many places there would be no difficulty in extending the provisions of Act V. of 1880
to the general population.

                                                                                                                                          TABLE I.

                                                                         Showing the agency employed in each district of the Province during the past two years.
                                                                                                                                          1885-86.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             B