20
CALCUTTA AND THE SUBURBS.
It is impossible for me to express in a more vivid form the mistake it would be to leave
such small unprotected localities for small-pox to keep itself up unchecked by vaccination,
and month by month be carried into Calcutta and into the surrounding districts for which
vaccine establishments have been provided. Small-pox thus spread about costs the Govern-
ment heavy sums to stamp out; and not only so but, as frequently pointed out before,
a vaccinated tract of country only receives relative, and not absolute, immunity from small-
pox, and each vaccinated person who takes the disease after having been vaccinated naturally
shakes the confidence of the community among whom it occurs in the efficacy of the
prophylactic.
A few years hence all of those included within the vaccine circles will have had
sufficient reason afforded to them to believe in the value of the protection they receive, and any
stray instances of small-pox after the protection afforded by vaccination will produce little
effect on their minds. After they have been witness to the comparative immunity from small-
pox of a well vaccinated population, they will listen to reason and appreciate at their true
worth any cases in which vaccination falls short of what they expected.
For the present, while vaccination is on its trial among ignorant millions, I conceive
it to be the duty of all to arrange as far as possible that its shortcomings shall be kept
out of sight. One point of importance to secure this end is so to arrange that no unprotected
spots remain in the centre of vaccine circles.
For the above reasons, as well as for the protection of Calcutta, I beg to urge that nothing
should be allowed to stand in the way of providing vaccination for the four districts which
stand out conspicuously for their want of vaccination, while being surrounded on every side
by other districts which hem them in by a population for which vaccination has been
provided.
Memorandum by H. B. BUCKLE, ESQ., Deputy Surgeon-General, Presidency Circle,
(No. 10, dated Fort William, the 17th June 1874.)
FORWARDS the annual returns and report of the Presidency Vaccination Department for
the year 1873-74, submitted by the Superintendent-General of Vaccination.
The working of the establishment and the practical results demonstrated by the small
number of cases of small-pox treated, and of deaths from that disease in the populous city of
Calcutta and its suburbs, and which can only be ascribed to the thorough manner in which
protection by means of vaccination has been given, is most satisfactory.
This office memorandum No. 9L,
dated 3rd June
Bengal Vaccination Report for 1872-73.
With reference to Dr. Charles's proposal for extending the area of vaccination round
Calcutta, he recommends that Midnapore should be included in the vaccinating circles.
At present a scheme of vaccinating by the local inoculators who have been instructed in
vaccination is under trial; the magistrate and the civil surgeon are very sanguine of success.
In forwarding the vaccine report of the Superintendent of
Vaccination, Metropolitan circle, attention was requested
to Dr. Mathew's report for the year 1872-73, and it is
suggested that further inquiry should be made as to how the system has answered this year
before putting a stop to it and introducting another. A
great point would be gained if it were possible to encourage
and develop a local scheme of vaccination in a district rather than the more forced one
of vaccination by a special agency. The real difference is in the thorough supervision and
inspection of the work that is provided for in the latter; but surely it would be possible to
provide for this in a system like that in practice in the Midnapore district.