FOR THE YEAR 1878-79.
13
To make this check really effective, Mr. Gupta is of opinion that the police should be
empowered to call upon all working vaccinators to produce their licenses, and convince them-
selves as to their genuineness, they being furnished with copies of the same from the office
of the Superintendent of Vaccination. Something also should be done to prevent ex-ino¬
culators cheating the people with spurious vaccination. This takes place in the hot and
rainy seasons when the regular trained men retire.
The practice of small-pox inoculation though rendered penal by law, was practised
very largely in parts of Nuddea, Jessore, and Midnapore. The Magistrate and police do
not apparently enforce the law as they should do. Reports against the practice were made
to some of the District Magistrates, but hitherto no notice has been taken. The Act prohi-
biting inoculation, Mr. Gupta further thinks, should be enlarged and amended so as to
include offences which are not now punishable.
Small-pox.— Small-pox prevailed to a great extent in some parts of the Circles,
especially in Raneegunge, where a number of vaccinators were engaged during the
months of April and May. In the other parts the disease was generally imported
from Calcutta. In a village in Howrah called Narih, the Brahmin Pundits who chiefly
inhabited it and who refused vaccination on two former occasions, after much persuasion
and argument, yielded at last when small-pox broke out severely among them last year.
They were surprised at its good effects in staying the progress of the disease. Fifty seven
reports on outbreaks of small-pox were received during the year ; of these, 53 were true, one
was found to relate to chicken-pox, and three were groundless. Of the 53, 25 occurred in the
24-Pergunnahs district, 6 in Hooghly, 5 in Howrah, 4 in Burdwan, 3 in Beerbhoom, 2 in
Bankoora, 2 in Jessore, 3 in Nuddea, and 3 in Midnapore, affecting altogether 91 villages.
733 persons were ascertained to have been attacked, of whom 25 were vaccinated, 61 inocu-
lated, 5 had had previous attacks, and 642 were unprotected; 574 recovered, while 159 died.
Of the 53 reports, in 43 instances the villages were protected by vaccination ; in 8 by
inoculation, and in 2 they were unprotected. In 30 the disease was traced to small-pox,
and in 23 the origin could not be discovered.
Besides the above, other reports were received, but owing to either the places being
thoroughly protected, or the unwillingness of the people to take vaccination, no vigorous action
was taken.
Deputation allowance.—The vaccinators could not be sent to small-pox infected places
for want of any deputation allowance, and the local system has not yet been introduced.
To do so everywhere will take years, but in the mean time it is necessary either to have
a paid number of vaccinators, or to allow them a certain deputation allowance when employed
in stamping out small-pox. Mr. Gupta has been told that neither proposal can be enter-
tained.
Cost.—The cost of the whole establishment is Rs. 31,979-12, against Rs. 38,134-5 in
1877-78, showing a decrease of Rs. 6,154-9. The average cost of each successful case is
1 anna 3¼ pie. The average number done by each man is 1340-7. This falling off in the
average was owing to the employment of a larger number of licensed men than in previous
years.
Superintendent's tour.—As the travelling allowance of the Superintendent was reduced
from Rs. 900 to Rs. 750, that is, for five months, he commenced his tour of inspection from
the beginning of November last. In that month, five thanas were inspected in the
Nuddea district, and one in Howrah, also Biddybatty and Sonerpore were looked into; in
December three thanas in Nuddea and one in Jessore district; in January two in
Burdwan, and work at Beerbhoom which was just begun; in February five in Midnapore, and
three in Howrah district; in March three in Nuddea district from Kissengunge, and three
in Jessore. In the last week of March it was intended to visit Bankoora district, but the
place was not inspected owing to the Superintendent having been called away to Dacca
to act as President of the Committee for examining the students of the medical school
there. Altogether seven districts were travelled over by the Superintendent, who visited
34 thanas and 455 villages, and inspected 29,270 cases, the particulars of which are shown
in the following table. It will be seen from it that the largest number was inspected after
the sixteenth day.
After the 16th day
13th to 16th
„
9th to 12th
„
5th to 8th
„
1st to 4th
„
Grand total
Vaccinated in four points of which there
were successful
4
22,690
2,108
1,383
843
581
27,905
3
552
45
18
15
1
631
2
282
26
18
7
...
333
1
105
... ... 1
...
106
Failed
54
2
15
4
...
75
Vaccinated in two
points of which there
were successful
2
139
12
3
8
1
163
1
4
21
...
...
...
25
Failed
...
3
...
...
...
3
Doubtful.
20
4
... 4
...
28
Sore arms
...
1
...
...
...
1
Compared with
register
23,846
2,522
1,437
882
583
29,270
Total.
23,846
2,522
1,437
882
583
29,270
Absent.
566
19
6
10
6
607
GRAND TOTAL.
24,412
2,511
1,413
892
589
29,877
Excluding the 583 cases seen from the 1st to the 4th day, there are cases vaccinated
28,687, of which 28,609 were successful, that is, 99.72 per cent.; and 112,727 the number of
points, of which 112,421 were successful, or 99.72 per cent.