7

pox was proved to have originated directly from the practice. The Lakhimpur Civil
Surgeon states that inoculation is still practised among the Assamese in that district.
The Inspector of Vaccination, who was sent to Kathalguri to report on an outbreak of
small-pox in that mauza, gave reasons for supposing that the outbreak took its rise from
persons who had been recently inoculated. The Civil Surgeons of all other districts
reported that there was no evidence that inoculation was practised in their districts.

Small-pox mortality compared
with amount of protection obtained
by successful vaccination.

27. In accordance with orders contained in Government of India, Home Depart-
ment letter No 49, dated the 8th of February 1894,
the following diagram has been prepared in order to
compare the death-rate from small-pox registered in 1897,
district by district, with the amount of protection afforded by successful vaccinations
during the seven years 1891-92 to 1897-98. From the diagram it appears that the
highest small-pox death-rates in 1897 occurred in the Sibsagar and Lakhimpur districts,
in which the greatest protection was given by successful vaccination during the last
seven years. The small-pox death-rate in 1897 was lowest in Cachar, in which district,
with one exception, the protection afforded by successful vaccination was smallest. As
noted in previous reports, the proportion of the inhabitants of Assam successfully
vaccinated is comparatively small, means of communication in the interior of districts
is difficult, there is often no small-pox in large tracts of the country for a good many
years in succession, and, when the disease is afterwards introduced into these tracts,
very severe outbreaks take place.