FOR THE YEAR 1875-76.
11
circle, vaccination was also carried on by the ex-inoculators of Manbhoom. Altogether 75
ex-inoculators were employed during the season in the district of Manbhoom ; they visited 748
villages and vaccinated 48,495 persons, of whom 26,872, or 77 per cent., were inspected by the
Civil Surgeon, Mr Wilson. In the Singhbhoom district 14 ex-inoculators worked and vaccin-
ated 8,205 cases, of whom 3,504 were verified by the Civil Surgeon, Mr. Manook.
Hazareebagh.
In Hazareebagh several ex-inoculators received perwannahs to carry on vaccination, but
they have submitted no returns of their work. They should have been made to do so, or
measures taken to prohibit them from continuing to carry on their operations.
Lohardugga.
In Lohardugga 27 inoculators were employed in vaccination with the superintendent's
perwannah, and worked in almost all the thanas in the district. Fifteen of them returned
7,963 operations, but without any information regarding the rate of success—a circumstance
which the superintendent was bound promptly to see to.
Mortality from
small-pox
40. Small-pox prevailed in all the districts, and counted 303 deaths, which were thus
distributed:—Lohardugga 203, Manbhoom 35, Hazareebagh 41, and Singbhoom 21. If
these figures are trustworthy, Lohardugga appears to be the least protected district in the
Ranchee circle.
41. No account is given in Dr. Roy's report of the number of cases inspected by his
predecessor, who paid two visits to one gang and one visit to each of the other two gangs.
Dr. Roy took charge at the close of the season, and paid one visit to the party that worked
north of Ranchee, inspecting 127 cases.
Jail population
unprotected
42. No vaccine census was collected by Dr. Wood. The jail convicts and the police
of Ranchee were examined with the following result, viz. 25 per cent. of the jail and 1.19
per cent. of the police population were found unprotected. If what is stated of the convicts
be correct, the officer in medical charge of the jail should lose no time in vaccinating all the
unprotected prisoners ; and to this serious omission his attention has now been most peremp-
torily drawn.
SONTHAL
PERGUNNAHS.
Establishment.
43. Sonthal Pergunnahs.—The establishment underwent several changes. Assistant
Surgeon Sonatun Bysack was transferred, and Assistant Surgeon Mothoora Nath Sein was
appointed in his place as Deputy Superintendent, from the beginning of October. The
working staff, which mustered 25 strong in 1874-75, was reduced by dismissal and desertion
to 12 men! The Civil Surgeon of the Sonthal Pergunnahs tried to procure trained men to fill
up the vacancies, but failed. Only one vaccinator was found to accept an appointment, thus
increasing the number to 13.
Adoption of a
concentrated
system of
vaccination.
44. Agreeably to instructions, a concentrated system of vaccination was adopted, and
operations were confined to two subdivisions, viz Rajmehal and Godda. The work made
good progress during October and November, when outbreaks of small-pox at several places
greatly interfered with systematic vaccination. Another obstacle presented itself, viz.
sickness, chiefly fever and enlargement of the spleen and liver, among the vaccinators.
During the year eight vaccinators worked in the Rajmehal subdivision, visited 200 villages,
and vaccinated 11,528 persons. In the Godda subdivision three vaccinators and three
ex-inoculators were employed, who visited 73 villages and vaccinated 5,416 persons. In the
Pakour subdivision small-pox broke out in several villages in the month of February, and
two vaccinators were sent to arrest the disease. The people at first refused to accept
vaccination, but with the assistance of the subdivisional officer (Baboo Sosheebhoosun Dutt)
80 villages were protected and 4,495 persons vaccinated A few villages in the Jamtara
subdivision were done during the recess, and also in October and November. No work was
done in Deoghur.
Total vaccinated
45 The total number vaccinated during the year was 30,306, against 22,867—an
increase of 7,439; with a success of 93.23, against 93.98 in 1874-75. The average cost of each
successful case is also less than before.
Inspection by
Deputy
Superintendents.
46. The Deputy Superintendent inspected each vaccinator's work four or five times, and
saw 9,037 cases, or 29.81 per cent. of the total number of operations. He visited 190 villages.
The ratio of success according to his inspection was 97.24, against 98.23 of the general
returns. The work of vaccination and inspection in the Sonthal country is beset with
difficulties, owing to jungles, want of roads, and a sparse population. The people themselves—
Sonthals and Paharees—are docile, and do not offer much opposition; while Mahomedans and
low caste Hindoos are greatly opposed to vacination.
Extracts regarding
small-pox and
inoculation.
47. The following extracts regarding small-pox and inoculation are taken from the
report:—
" During the non-working season, i.e. from April to the end of September, five villages
in Rajmehal, and six in Pakour subdivision, were visited with small-pox. A total number
of 66 persons were ascertained to have been attacked. Of these 14 died and 52 recovered.
In six of these villages vaccination was performed around the infected persons, and the
spread of the disease was arrested. In five the people refused to take it.
" From October to the end of March 42 villages were infected with small-pox. A total
number of 226 persons were attacked with the disease. Of these 22 died. One hundred and
thirty-five of these cases were reported from Rajmehal with fifteen deaths, 65 from Pakour