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office on the 18th idem. It closes (paragraph 5) with a suggestion that the religious
prejudices of certain sections of the community in Kámrúp and Upper Assam might
possibly be removed if the use of buffaloes as vaccinifers could be brought into practice.
The opinion of the department, after enquiry, was not in favour of such a change. In this
office No. 92S., dated Shillong, the 20th February 1888, I reported that no advantage
corresponding to the additional expense and uncertainty was likely to result. The objection
is less to the source of the lymph originally, than to the propagation through children of
every caste. I also pointed out that the effort to introduce vaccination into Manipur by
buffaloes has entirely failed, whereas the present year has seen human lymph accepted
for the first time. But, perhaps, the strongest objection is that in Assam bovine lymph
in any form loses its vitality very rapidly; so that Civil Surgeons' reports almost
invariably mention that supplies of it received periodically from the Bengal depôts, are of
no use at all. It would never do to substitute inefficient operations.

                                                                        A. ETESON, M.D.,

                                                Deputy-Surgeon-General, and Sanitary

                                                                                Commissioner, Assam.