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ABSTRACTS OF REPORTS FROM CIVIL SURGEONS.
Attitude of the
people.
when every village under him willingly comply. In some instances, even, the moonda,
or head of. a single village, had, at the instigation of an ex-inoculator applied to me
that lymph may be given to the tekaits to vaccinate in his village. Other castes, likewise,
have been willing to get vaccination performed in their villages; and there has not been any
active interference against the performance of vaccination conducted by tekaits. Villagers
have sometimes objected, however, but owing to two reasons: when they consider themselves
unable to pay the Brahmins, and when a new tekait is inclined to take the place of their
old one. This last objection will, in time, I have hopes, be got over, not by forcibly thrusting
a new man in the village, but by persuasion. The people alone are not to blame for this.
The tekaits themselves, considering certain areas as their vested rights for the purposes of
vaccination, always try to frustrate any attempt that may be made to introduce a new man to
take their place. A very good instance of this occurred during the season under report.
Wishing to extend the vaccination area from Chyebassa, as a centre, I told one of the
manleys that a vaccinator would be sent to work in his jurisdiction. He very willingly
assented and I sent a tekait to him. On this coming to the ears of certain tekaits, who
considered this manley's illaka as their vested right, they went to the manley, and by every
means of persuasion in their power, even so far as to threaten him with dire results from the
anger of their gods, if he allowed the other tekaits to vaccinate in his villages, tried to make
him send away the vaccinator I had appointed. The manley very wisely came and reported
the circumstances to me; and the deputy commissioner, on being informed, had the men sent
for and judicially fined. They also received a warning from me that, on a repetition of such
actions on their part, they may not be allowed to vaccinate at all. The punishment of these
men will have a very good result on the others, and in time it may be possible to make
these tekaits work wherever they are ordered.
Ex-inoculators.
Number protected.
"7. The register shows the names of 52 ex-inoculators. Among these, only four were
added during the year, and one has been reported dead. Of the 51 registered tekaits, only
26, or half the number, applied for lymph. They worked in eighteen localities, and were
allowed to retain their old beats, so far as this could be done without depriving certain areas
of vaccination. In last year's report it was mentioned that certain vaccine centres were formed,
which would be extended year by year. These were Chuckerdhurpore, 16 miles to the north-
west ; Holdipookur, in Dhulbhum, 22 miles to the east; a part of the Colehan, six miles to the
south-east; and Chyebassa central. Vaccinators were this year also made to work round
their points. The Chyebassa centre has extended towards the east and south, and the Colehan
centre to the south-east has also extended; but I have not been able to unite it to Chyebassa.
There are still some villages intervening, and next season the protection of these will be taken
in hand. Work has also been going on in the Holdipookur centre by two sets of vaccinators.
The men set to work in Chuckerdhurpore, after vaccinating the remaining villages in their own
beats not protected last year, came away, as they would not encroach on the beats of others.
But from this point also the extent of protection has increased, as two vaccinators have been
working in Kera Pir, which is adjoining Chuckerdherpore. Of the 18 sets of inoculators
working in the district, 15 have submitted returns; against 12 sets of inoculators, and eight
sets who submitted returns during last year. The number vaccinated, as shown in this return,
is more than double that of last year, being 17,155 against 8,358. The number of villages
vaccinated during the year was 291 against 120 last year. This is good season's work, if
the results could be more closely inspected. Unfortunately I could inspect the work of only
two. I visited sixteen villages and inspected 541 cases. Of these 254 only were very
successful cases of vaccination, the vesicles being whole and well formed; 225 were very
indifferent, the vesicles having burst and turned into ulcers; and 62 were quite unsuccessful.
This result would give only 46.95 per cent. of successful cases, a very unsatisfactory result
if only the best kind of vaccination, as it ought to be, should be insisted on. This I took
every care to impress on the vaccinators ; and if inspection could be more methodically and
frequently carried out, improvement would follow. But to inspect such a number of vaccin-
ators' work, spread out in several parts of the district, requires at least one person who could
devote his whole time to this work alone.
" In Chyebassa the numbers vaccinated were not many; 21 were vaccinated by the
hospital assistant attached to the police, and 13 by me. Of these 34 cases, 30 were
successful, or 88.23 per cent.
" Some catechists, attached to the Lutheran Mission, who were taught vaccination last
season, have also vaccinated in Bandgown, the western limit of the district; but I am sorry to
say I have received no return from them up to date.
Small-pox.
Number of deaths
during the year.
" 8. There was no report during the year of an outbreak of small-pox in an epidemic
form in any part of the district. But from the mortuary returns it appears that sporadic
cases must have occurred, if what is shown in the mortuary returns as deaths from small-pox
was really small-pox, and no other kind of eruptive disease. The returns show the number of
deaths from small-pox to have been 32.