52
SONTHAL PERGUNNAHS.
all prophylactic measures, and who therefore make it their study to conceal the fact of any
occurrence of small-pox in their villages. Twenty-two lives were sacrificed at Palasbona
before the people gave us any notice of the outbreak; and even then, when we went to inspect
in their village and explained to them the noble mission which had brought us there, they
would not show us the cases that had occurred, or give us any certain information regarding
them.
Such, unfortunately, is the sad case with the people generally of this district. Rude and
ignorant in the extreme, they exhibit a lamentable degree of apathy and indifference to the
invasions of any epidemic disease, and are not roused from their lethargy until they see their
village about to be depopulated. I am convinced that, were it not for the spread of vaccination
and the extreme vigilance exercised by our men, most of these outbreaks of small-pox would
never have come to light. The want of a regular police here, combined with the stupid
inactivity of the people, rendered it extremely difficult to obtain information of these occur-
rences.
In eleven of the infected places mentioned above, including the town, vaccination was
introduced; in seven of these it was completely established, and in four only partially so.
Owing to the obstinate resistance of the people, it was not introduced in the three villages
Kankjole, Islampore, and Newabdewree; and owing to the people being protected by vaccination
in previous years, it was not undertaken in the two villages Gurgaon and Maharajpore, where
the epidemic did not show any tendency to spread. Owing to the heat of the weather at
this season, as already stated, extreme difficulty was experienced in affording protection to the
infected localities. Many persons who had imbibed the poison were liable to be affected, even
after vaccination had been performed and before it had taken effect; and this circumstance
rendered us liable to distrust and suspicion. It was therefore under extremely disadvantageous
circumstances that the work had to be carried on during the non-working season. Thirty-two
cases of small-pox took place after vaccination, seven of which died. In these cases the
vaccination had either failed, or the eruptions had appeared before the fifth day of the operation,
when it had not taken effect. Twelve cases were ascertained to have occurred in persons who
had old inoculation, five of which died.
13. During the working season, i.e. from October to March, the following villages in
Rajmehal sub-division were known to have been infected, viz. Motyjhurna, Dhanbita, Oodwa,
Jhubree, Banspahar, Rangamatea, Gadye, Puturchapti, Simuldhop, Pungro, Kelabaree,
Tetulia, Ramchowkee, Pokhoria, and Hurnadanga.
In these 15 villages, 107 cases, with 37 deaths, were known to have occurred. Seventeen
of these deaths, or nearly half the total number, had occurred at Dhanbita, a hill village in
the interior, whereas at Palasbona, mentioned above, the disease had been raging for months
previously without any notice having been given us by the people. In 10 of the villages
vaccination has been introduced, and the disease thereby checked. Nineteen of the cases of
small-pox had taken place after vaccination, generally before the fifth day of the operation,
two of which died. Two cases of old inoculation were known to have been affected, both of
which died.
Epidemic in Godda.
14. Towards the close of December 1873 information reached us of an epidemic of
small-pox at Godda. The principal vaccinator of my staff, Peary Mohun Doss, was imme-
diately ordered to the spot, with instructions to afford protection to the people of infected
villages, and if possible to train up as many inoculators as he could find there, in order that
they might be taken to assist him in stamping out small-pox. Subsequently another
vaccinator was detached from my staff and sent to Godda. I myself went there in February,
and found that vaccination was established in 13 infected villages. The epidemic was
found to have spread itself very widely. I have already, in my special reports on small-pox,
submitted a long list showing the villages infected and the total number of cases and deaths
that had occurred. I need not therefore swell this report by an unnecessary repetition of the
names of those villages. I think it will suffice to say, generally, that in pergunnah Godda,
of the sub-division of Godda, we had up to the end of March 1874 a total number of 33
villages infected, of 269 cases, and 58 deaths; in pergunnah Barkop, 19 villagas, 180 cases,
and 19 deaths; in pergunnah Muneehari, four villages, 25 cases, and five deaths; in pergunnah
Pursunda, three villages, 14 cases, and one death; and in pergunnah Pusye, eight villages,
14 cases (besides several others in three of the villages, whose exact number could not be
ascertained), and 21 deaths.
Thus up to the end of March 1874 67 villages in the whole sub-division of Godda
were known to have been infected, with a total number of 502 cases of small-pox, of
which 140 died. Vaccination had up to the same period been established in 22 villages
in pergunnah Godda, five in Barkop, one in Muneehari, and four in Pusye, giving a total of
32 villages protected more or less completely by vaccination.
As in the case of Rajmehal sub-division, mentioned before, the disease in some of the
villages of Godda was ascertained upon inquiry to have been raging since September or
November 1873 ; and in the case of one village the outbreak was said to have commenced
in February 1873, no notice having been given by the people till the epidemic had affected