Eighth Annual Report of the Darjeeling Circle of Vaccination, by SURGEON-MAJOR
R. LIDDERDALE, M.D., Superintendent.
Establishment.
2. Establishment.—The vaccine establishment paid by Government in 1872-73 consisted
of one superintendent, one deputy superintendent, seven native superintendents, and
42 vaccinators. Bengal Government letter No. 4066, of 18th October 1873, sanctioned an
increase of 42 apprentices and three inspectors, but the number of vacancies for apprentices
could not be entirely filled up, and no inspector could be procured at the rate of pay given.
The highest number of apprentices at any time was 27, 12 being absorbed in the department
as vaccinators from vaccinators being dismissed or incapacitated by sickness.
Changes during
the year.
The Government letter reached me after the native superintendents and their gangs
had taken up their fields of operation for the season. In several instances the native
superintendents were so far removed from sudder stations as to prevent them being able to
obtain suitable men as apprentices. The old inoculator class was drawn on as much as
possible, three being procured in Julpigoree, six in Purneah, and four in Maldah, but none
consented to be instructed in other districts.
Deputy Superintendent Taroknath Gangooly went on leave, and Native Superintendent
Tujummul Hosein was appointed to officiate for him.
The wisdom of the appointment of a man trained for the work and taking an interest
in it has as yet been fully sustained.
Evil effects of
appointing
vaccinators to
dispensaries.
The attachment of vaccinators to dispensaries had a very bad effect on their conduct;
they there learned the whole details of vaccination as formerly carried on in these institutions,
and many of them apparently resolved that as this plan had been long in use and seemed to
have given satisfaction to civil surgeons, that they would adopt it. This was especially
noticeable in Maldah, where service unfortunately was given to an old dispensary vaccinator,
who seemed to have devoted much time and trouble to teaching the younger vaccinators all
it was desirable they should have left unlearned. This unfortunate order is happily now no
longer enforced, but the evils which have followed it will take some time to get rid of. It
has greatly delayed getting together an efficient vaccine establishment for this circle, as will
be further shown below.
Difficulties in
recruiting.
There is great difficulty in obtaining suitable men to recruit as vaccinators. Men of two
classes only generally come forward—old inoculators of the weaver caste, and low class
Mussalmans. I have been on the look out for Brahmins and men of good caste, but as yet
with no great success.
It would be a great advantage to recruit locally for the grade of native superintendent,
as pointed out in Surgeon-General's letter No. 617 of 27th August 1873, paragraph 30;
and this I have kept steadily in view, picking out one or two of the most deserving vaccin-
ators to fill vacancies as they occurred, but the result has been in several instances sadly
disappointing, and even good class vaccinators in Rajshahye and Bogra will not take double
pay and come as native superintendents to the sub-terai districts, such as Julpigoree or
Purneah, on account of the bad character of the climate and the absence of all people of
similar castes to themselves with whom they can live when on duty in the interior of
districts. So hardly pressed was I at the beginning of the season for native superintendents,
that I had to put an old inoculator into that grade in Julpigoree. The appointment could
not be called a success, but I had ample evidence during a very searching inspection that the
man had been trying to do his best. There are now two vacancies in the grade of native
superintendent in this circle, and I would submit that it would be advisable to detail head
vaccinators from either the Metropolitan or Presidency circles to fill them before next work-
ing season. As they have been trained entirely to arm-to-arm vaccination, their services
would be most valuable in introducing it into districts where the people hold out against it.
The Promothonath Fund of Nattore, which formerly supported a vaccinator, ceased to
do so early in the season,—a matter to me of regret, as the vaccinator had done excellent
work for some years.
Vaccination in the
Darjeeling hills.
3. Darjeeling Hills.—The full complement of vaccinators could not be kept up here
during the season from my inability to procure a fit man to train and from one requiring to
be dismissed. He was a brother of the vaccinator attached to the dispensary, and no
amount of teaching or trouble would induce him to work properly. His brother had so long
been allowed to follow his own devices under a busy civil surgeon, that my constant inspec-
tions were looked upon as inquisitorial and vexatious, and my demand for good vesicles from
which I might take lymph stoutly resisted. The dispensary vaccinator's evil example has,