38
DARJEELING CIRCLE.
vaccination, but they have spread reports that all vaccinated persons die, so that the villagers
who have been told this are prepared to resist it by violence. This attitude of the people,
however, is by no means general.
Fifteen inoculators of Julpigoree, Purneah, and Maldah, were brought on the establishment
as apprentices and instructed as vaccinators. They all belong to the weaver class, of whom
a large number live in the north of Purneah, spreading themselves all over northern Bengal
when pursuing their calling.
Ex-inoculators.
The magistrate of Purneah granted purwanahs to thirty-five inoculators to practise
vaccination, but of the proceedings of most of them nothing is known. Mr Picachy
mentions in his report, which he has been good enough to communicate to me, that one man
sent in a return of what he had done. These men resorted to the magistrate of the district,
as they knew they would not get certificates of proficiency from me until I was satisfied
they knew their work, and would insist on inspecting it and taking returns. I have had
correspondence with Mr, Kemble on this subject, and he seems desirous of giving me every
assistance, so that these men may be made efficient vaccinators. With such a number, each
one performing 1,500 operations, the birth-rate of Purneah would yearly be exceeded.
Inspector of
inoculators
required.
The want of an inspector of inoculators was severely felt during the season, as no one
would, at the rate of pay granted, undertake the work, which is one of constant travelling and
exposure for half the year. If three suitable men are obtainable at the Presidency, I trust
they may be ordered up in September, or at latest October, as I see no present prospect of
getting men in my circle. The pay granted for a man who has for so many months to pay
for food and lodging: every night away from his home is too small to attract trustworthy men.
Apprentices.
The plan of paying 42 apprentices while under instruction is a most admirable measure,
from which I have the highest hopes as soon as it is brought into full working. The order
reached me too late last year to enable me to get the full number, or to pick out the best men.
I had to take almost any one who came forward. Native superintendents will be instructed
during the recess season to look out for promising men.
Darjeeling hills as
a lymph depôt for
Bengal.
16. Darjeeling hills as a source of lymph supply for Bengal.—It was proposed by the
Superintendent-General of Vaccination in Bengal, in his last report, that on account of
the many disappointments which followed the use of lymph collected in Calcutta
towards the end of the rainy season, when it was wanted for distribution for the cold
season's operations, that supplies should be issued from the Darjeeling hills instead.
Dr. Charles thought that at similar elevations in these hills lymph could be procured of
as good quality as in Kumaon and Gurhwal. I have no doubt that he was correct in this
opinion, as I have found that good lymph can be produced at high altitudes, when there are
subjects for the purpose. Unfortunately for this proposal the high elevations in British Sikkim
are not inhabited, but are kept as Government forest preserves, almost all the population, except
in the immediate neighbourhood of the station of Darjeeling, living at elevations lower than
5,000 feet. The majority may be said to live at about 3,000 feet in close, damp, and hot
valleys, unfavourable to the production of a good vesicle. The entire area in the hill territory
in the Darjeeling district is 960 square miles, with a population of 46,727, or 49 persons to
the square mile. More than half of these are Nepalese, who are chiefly employed working in
gangs in tea gardens under sirdars, some of whom object to their coolies being vaccinated, as
they lose " sirdari" if coolies take leave for a day or two when subject to the vaccine fever.
Many Nepalese object to vaccination entirely, and openly state that when they want protection
from small-pox they will employ their own Bards to inoculate them. Most of them disbelieve
in the protective effect of vaccination, and I have learned that some submit to it merely to
please the superintendent, when he has been at the trouble of coming to their houses for the
purpose. It is to combat this opinion that I require a Nepalese translation of Dr. Charles's
pamplet on inoculation, small-pox, and vaccination, for distribution.
Inoculation is only forbidden within the limits of the municipality ; all are at liberty to
submit to it beyond them. The staff of hill vaccinators is three, not one of whom has ever filled a
tube with lymph, although I make frequent demonstrations of the process in their presence.
A supply of fresh lymph is constantly being sent from the hills in the hot weather to vaccin-
ators of the circle in the plains, when engaged in stamping out the small-pox following
inoculation. Much of the collection is thus yearly used up.
From these considerations it appears how far beyond reasonable expectation it is to hope
that the Darjeeling hills can ever be turned into such a source of lymph supply as Kumaon
and Gurhwal.
The differences of the circumstances may be briefly contrasted.
Darjeeling and
Kumaon
contrasted.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Kumaon and Gurhwal have a population of 634,532; that of the hill territory in
Darjeeling is 46,727.
The people of the former live at higher elevations than those of the latter, and are
free agents, which most of the Nepalese here are not.
The climate of the north-west Himalaya is distinctly different from that of British
Sikkim.
Inoculation is forbidden in Kumaon and Gurhwal; this is only the case within the
limits of the Darjeeling municipality.