FOR THE YEAR 1878-79.
5
13. I must refer to the reports of Superintendents which follow for
details as to the working of the different circles. I have merely a few remarks
to make in reference to these reports. Dr. Charles has sent a full report
on the small-pox epidemic which has prevailed in Calcutta during the past
year. That small-pox should so extensively prevail in Calcutta is of course
an indication of a want of sufficient vaccination, but whether this is owing
to any deficiency in the Presidency Vaccine Department I have not the
means of ascertaining. It must also be fully admitted that probably Calcutta,
from its position and from the large numbers of strangers in the shape of
emigrants, pilgrims, and people in search of work who flock to it, can never be
properly protected till such people believe more fully in vaccination than they
do at present. Dr. Charles gives details of the extraordinary arrangements
which he made for the protection of the population in May 1879, when
he employed the staff of the Metropolitan Circles for that purpose. I find that
each of the 20 extra vaccinators thus utilized vaccinated on an average
2.42 cases daily during the 60 days they worked in the town. In fact, the
proportion was rather less, for I have calculated as if all the vaccinators
commenced work on the 23 rd May, whereas some had started before that
date. This result of vaccination practised during the prevalence of an
epidemic of small-pox does not seem to indicate any great amount of zeal on
the part of the extra establishment.
14. Compulsory vaccination.—I have been asked by Government and
have stated my opinion that in Calcutta vaccination should be made compul-
sory. I would further recommend that it should be made compulsory in all
municipalities in which Act IV (B.C.) of 1865 is in force.
15. Influence of temperature on small-pox.—In his report, Dr. Charles ex-
presses an opinion as to the influence of temperature on the diffusion of small-
pox, and he believes, as the result of inquiries made in Calcutta during many
years, that a temperature of 75° F. allows the disease to spread with fatal freedom.
A temperature of 80° F. checks its progress materially, though it does not
stop it, while at 85° "the contagion becomes so promptly affected as to
become if not inert at least so enfeebled as to be able to spread the disease with
great difficulty." He is further of opinion that the rainfall has no influence
in spreading small-pox. Now, in order to show how far these surmises in
regard to the disease in Calcutta are confirmed by the experience of other
parts of India, I give a table, for which I am indebted to Dr. K. McLeod,
relating to Lahore, Lucknow, and Jubbulpore as typical stations of the
Punjab, Central Provinces, and North-Western Provinces and Oudh. The
mean monthly temperature and rainfall of previous years have been extracted
from Blanford's Vade Mecum. The same data for 1877 are taken from the
annual report of the Sanitary Commissioner with the Government of India
for that year :—
Small-pox and Rainfall in connection with Temperature.
LAHORE.
LUCKNOW.
JUBBULPORE
Mean temperature for 10 years ...
„ „ „ 1877 ... ...
Rainfall for 10 years ... ... ...
„
„ „ 1877 ... ... ...
Small-pox in Punjab for 3 years
„ „ „ 1877 ... ...
Mean temperature for 9 years ...
„ „ „ 1877 ...
Rainfall for 11 years
...
...
...
„
„ „ 1877
...
...
...
Small-pox in North-Western Provinces
and Oudh for 2 years, 1875-76 .
„ „ „ 1877
Mean temperature for 8 years ...
„ „ „ 1877
...
...
Rainfall for 33 years
...
...
...
„
„
„
1877 ... ... ... ...
Small-pox in Central Provinces for 3
years
...
...
...
...
...
„ „ „ 1877 ...
January.
53.4
54.1
0.51
1.60
849
705
59.9
61.4
0.99
3.00
1,538
1,109
61.9
62.2
0.60
2.33
1,399
341
February.
59.5
54.5
0.92
3.80
966
620
66.4
60.9
0.16
1.20
1,916
1,209
66.2
63.2
0.47
1.09
1,437
188
March.
69.0
67.5
0.97
060
1,227
778
76.2
74.6
0.25
0.10
3,365
2,113
75.3
74.8
0.46
1.98
1,752
256
April.
81.2
74.4
0.28
2.50
1,545
1,074
86.7
82.1
0.19
0.90
5,821
4,070
84.9
79.1
0.13
3.52
2,118
232
May.
88.7
85.0
0.92
0.40
2,261
1,542
92.2
90.6
0.56
0.10
7,156
5,854
91.1
85.1
0.35
2.62
1,984
320
June.
93.0
93.3
1.24
...
1,845
1,470
91.5
93.7
4. 66
0.26
6,992
4,321
87.0
87.3
7.66
17.26
1,716
264
July.
88.3
93.2
6.51
1.90
1,287
975
86.4
90.5
14.10
2.90
3,966
3,079
78.4
81.8
18.41
7.05
1,204
262
August.
87.4
93.8
3.91
...
562
518
85.3
91.1
10.93
1.00
1,874
1,548
77.9
78.9
14.12
9.82
712
123
September.
83.5
87.5
2.40
1.68
324
307
83.5
91.1
9.90
0.90
1,063
796
78.3
80.2
8.55
1.63
322
120
October.
76.7
76.1
0.63
0.50
269
394
78.3
78.4
1.27
2.40
685
733
73.6
75.5
1.33
1.07
205
117
November.
69.9
68.7
...
1.20
319
1,283
68.7
73.2
...
...
602
2,328
65.9
68.8
0.30
...
397
168
December.
55.3
54.9
0.50
2.50
507
2,630
61.0
60.9
0.34
1.70
1,135
8,842
61.7
65.4
0.19
...
790
272
Total.
75.1
75.2
18.87
16.60
11,951
12,293
78.0
79.0
48.35
14.40
36,113
36,022
75.2
75.2
52.57
48.37
14,036
2,768