No. 3301 1/2.
FROM THE SURGEON-GENERAL FOR BENGAL,
To THE SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF BENGAL,
JUDICIAL, POLITICAL, AND APPOINTMENT DEPARTMENTS.
Dated Calcutta, the 24th September 1880.
SIR,
IN submitting the report on vaccination in Bengal for the year
1879-80, I beg to say that the sole reason of its having been delayed beyond
the prescribed date is that orders were received for the preparation of statis-
tical tables in new forms at a period of the year too late to admit of the
forms being sent to the officers of the department in time for current record
of the additional points of information required. The forms were received
in my office on the 9th February 1880, when the working season was approach-
ing its end, and all that could be done in conformity with orders was to direct
Superintendents of circles to give the new information that was required as
completely as possible.
2. When the comparative decennial statements were obtained, the figures
returned were found to differ materially from those given in former reports,
and corrections and explanations occupied much time. Even now the figures
of the decennial statement do not correspond with those of the former reports
of this office. Some officers acknowledge omissions, and others excessive entries,
in previous years; in some, re-vaccinations have been included in the figures
of primary vaccinations, and in some the work of ex-inoculators was shown
both by Civil Surgeons and Superintendents of circles, resulting in double entry.
The past records of Civil Surgeons do not seem to be trustworthy. Dr. Jackson
reports that his returns for certain dispensaries show more successful cases
than the total number of operations. The manuscript returns exist in my
office only from the year 1877-78, all earlier manuscripts having been
destroyed, as I am told, in the office of the Surgeon-General, Indian Medical
Department. The printed annual reports of the early years have therefore been
used for comparison, but these, where they differ from the figures now returned,
do not enable me to say which is correct. I have endeavoured to adjust
discrepancies as far as possible by calling for explanations and otherwise, and
it was not until the 23rd August that the last corrected return reached me.
3. During the year under report Surgeon-Major T. E. Charles was
Superintendent-General of Vaccination in Calcutta and its suburbs. This office
has been abolished under the new arrangements for compulsory vaccin-
ation, which provide that vaccination in the town shall be controlled by the
Health Officer, while the suburbs will become a part of the Metropolitan
circle. Surgeon-Major R. Lidderdale continued to superintend the Darjeeling
circle in 1879-80, and Surgeon K. P. Gupta held charge of the Metropolitan
circle. Surgeon D. Basu controlled the Ranchi circle till 8th October 1879,
when he was relieved by the return of Surgeon-Major Wood. Assistant
Surgeon Kali Doss Bose officiated for Dr. Wood towards the close of the
season. The Eastern Bengal circle was Superintended by Apothecary A. Lyons
during the year. Assistant Surgeon Mathoranath Sen took charge of the
Behar circle on 19th August 1879, and from 15th idem Assistant Surgeon
P. C. Bose superintended the Sonthal Pergunnahs. The Orissa circle was
under Assistant Surgeon Prisitosh Haldar.