14
REPORT ON VACCINATION IN BENGAL
Conduct and work of establishment.—The three 1st grade Deputy Superintendents
have as usual worked with unremitting energy and industry.
They were constantly out inspecting, more so this year as it was an experimental one. The
4th Deputy Superintendent is a young man of great energy and promise; but unfortunately
owing to repeated attacks of fever in October and November, he could not work hard in
the season. In December he devoted himself to extending vaccination through the influence
of zemindars and other agents; and commencing from January he inspected Midnapore once
and Bankoora twice, seeing himself 21,325 cases.
The 24 Inspectors sanctioned, 20 for the three circles and 4 for Midnapore and Bankoora,
worked well on the whole, inspecting and comparing with the registers 291,745 cases, that
is about 75 per cent. of the grand total. Of this number the 20 did 252,362 cases, and
the four, 39,383.
The licensed men and office establishment have also worked well and given satis-
faction.
DARJEELING CIRCLE.
Dr. Lidderdale, Superintendent of Vaccination, reports as follows:—
Establishment.—" For financial reasons the extra establishment given in December 1877
was reduced and the strength remained as formerly, viz. 1 Superintendent, 1 Deputy
Superintendent, 7 Native Superintendents, 1 Head Vaccinator, 45 Vaccinators, and 39
apprentices throughout the working season, but six of the extra men were kept in Purneah
in April, and three in May with a Deputy Superintendent.
" Since coming to the northern districts of the circle, it is found that the vaccinators
are seriously discontented with their lot, and this was followed during the season by a
strike on the part of the Bogra Mussulmans, who had in former years done such good service,
and who now tried to lay down their law as to the amount and quality of work to be done.
As this was small and bad, most of them went off to their homes on various pleas, such as
sickness or illness in their families, and had to be replaced by inexperienced men. Some deserted
and were not afterwards heard of. As I have often pointed out before, it will always be a
matter of great difficulty to keep up a good, thoroughly-trained establishment in such districts
as make up some of those in the Darjeeling Circle, on account of their unhealthiness.and the
enormous difficulties under which vaccination is carried on in them. The men become so
sick of the treatment they receive from the people that none of them remain long in the
service. They were several times assaulted, and constantly threatened with violence through-
out the whole season. Insult and annoyance were daily experienced.
" The Deputy Superintendent, Tajummul Hossein, did his duty well, but suffered a
good deal from fever, as did many others.
" Plan of operations.—Thanas Molung, Peergunge, and Gobindgunge had been pro-
tected in previous years, the rest of Rungpore district had never been systematically done,
though much vaccination had been carried on in it. The plan for the season was, therefore,
to get all the southern and eastern parts of the district completed in the cold weather
of 1878-79. The thanas undertaken were Bhowamgunge, Soondergunge, Sadoolapore
Mygunge, Nisbetgunge, Konigunge, Borobari, Nagueisuri, and Oolipore with outpost
Chilmari. All the churs belonging to Oolipore and Nagueisuri on the west side of the
Berhamputer were included in the season's programme; those belonging to Oolipore, but
connected with Mymensingh district, east of the river, were not taken up, the Berham-
puter being a good limit of operations. Their population is very scanty. This plan only,
left out the Bagdogra sub-division of Rungpore, consisting of thanas Durwani, Laldakha,
Dimla, and Torunbari, into which the Act forbidding inoculation was not introduced.
" The nine thanas taken up contain a population of upwards of a million souls, and
with great difficulty the task of their protection was finished. I have been accustomed to
every kind of opposition to vaccination, but never met with it in such persistent or varied
forms as in the Rungpore district. For some years the exertions of the department had kept
it fairly free from small-pox, and the dread of the disease had much lessened. The police
for weeks suppressed the Bengali notices about vaccination, and only under extreme pressure
from higher authority could be got to distribute them. They seldom gave information to
the village chowkidars about the coming of the vaccinators, so that my men, on arrival in
the villages, were much distrusted. The zemindars, as a rule, were strongly opposed to
vaccination, and threw every obstacle in the way, and a generally rich, well-to-do population
took upon themselves to dictate to the vaccinators at what time they would accept vaccina-
tion, conduct which at once brings continuous full work to a standstill.
" One of the greatest difficulties was to get the people to give lymph from their children's
arms, many supplies of good virus dying out on account of their refusal, and, as a rule, it
was obtained only after great delay and much persuasion.
" The occurrence of the Mohurrum early in January was a severe blow to successful work,
as the Mussulmans would not be vaccinated for sometime before the festival, and many
vaccinators' operations at the most favorable season fell to three or four cases a day.
" The Brahmins of the district generally were much opposed to vaccination, and spread
many false reports concerning it. The leader in this was the Monthana zemindar and his
family connexions. The statement he offered to the Magistrate when asked to explain his
conduct was false. His family and those of the Brahmins about his house are still
unvaccinated.