ABSTRACT OF REPORTS BY CIVIL SURGEONS REGARDING
DISPENSARY AND MUNICIPAL VACCINATION.
BURDWAN DIVISION.
Burdwan.—Vaccination was limited to municipal bounds. Three vaccinators were
employed by the municipality, each on Rs. 12 per mensem : one at Burdwan, from October
1879 to March 1880 ; another at Raneegunge, from November 1879 to March 1880 ; and
another at Cutwa, from December 1879 to March 1880. The total number of vaccinations
performed was 1,714, and the average number done by each vaccinator was 571.33. Of the
1,697 primary operations 1,657 proved successful, or 97.64 per cent. Of 17 re-vaccinations
six were successful, or 35.29 per cent. As the operations were confined to municipal limits,
no villages were inspected by the Civil Surgeon. Of those vaccinated, 179 were seen either
by the Civil Surgeon or the Assistant Surgeon in Burdwan, all of which cases were successful.
No inoculation was practised, and no opposition was offered to vaccination. There was no
necessity therefore to secure the aid of civil authorities or influential natives. The Civil Surgeon
states that from personal observation, and from the various reports, it seems to him that the
people of the district are not averse to vaccination. In fact, the better classes are generally
anxious to have their children vaccinated. In Burdwan the confectioners, and in Raneegunge
the Marowary classes, are averse to vaccination, but they, he says, form only a small proportion
of the population. Two outbreaks of small-pox were reported during the year—one in April
1879 in the village of Kalikapore, in thana Ausgram, and the other in January 1880 in village
Culna, in thana Khondghose. In both cases application was made to the Superintendent
of Vaccination, Metropolitan circle, to take steps for vaccinating the unprotected. Small-
pox appears to have been present in a sporadic form through the year, and there was not a
single month in which a death from this cause was not reported. The total number of
deaths was 303.
Bankoora.—Two vaccinators were employed, one in each of the municipalities of
Bankoora and Bishenpore, on Rs. 10 per mensem, from November 1879 to March 1880.
The least protected parts of the municipalities were first undertaken. The Municipal
Commissioners of each mohulla of the Bankoora town, as well as the municipal
police, were asked to give information concerning vaccination and to help the vaccinator.
The total number of persons vaccinated was 1,588, and the average number vaccin-
ated by each vaccinator was 794. Of 1,487 primary vaccinations, 1,444 were successful,
or 97.11 per cent., and of 101 re-vaccinations 75 were successful, or 74.25 per cent.
The Civil Surgeon states that the number of operations has been less this year than that
of the previous one, in which, on account of the prevalence of small-pox, a greater number of
children were vaccinated. He thinks the operations of the year under review have been care-
fully done and the results carefully noted. He saw many of the cases operated, and no case
of inoculation came to his notice. He visited three villages, and of the 109 persons he found
operated on, 102 were successfully vaccinated. The Civil Hospital Assistants of Bankoora
and Bishenpore visited four villages, inspected 1,065 operations, and found 1,041 successful.
There was some opposition at Bishenpore against vaccinating children of tender years, but
it gave way on the sub-divisional officer's careful explanation. No measures were adopted
to train inoculators. All this is done by the Superintendent of Vaccination, Metropolitan
circles, who has charge of the district.
Beerbhoom.—There was no paid vaccinator attached to any dispensary in the district.
In Soory one ex-inoculator was licensed for carrying on operations. He charged a fee of
two annas on every successful case. In Rampore Hât, Ryepore, and Hetampore vaccination
was also performed by local ex-inoculators under the inspecting vaccinator of the Metro-
politan circle. The ex-inoculators who had worked in previous seasons are granted licenses.
The new applicants are told off to learn work under the Inspector, on whose certificate of
proficiency they are enlisted as well. The Civil Surgeon says that the object of sending them
out is to afford them a fair opportunity of training and to test their qualification. In the
station the operations being limited, opportunities for training are very insufficient. The
total number of persons vaccinated was 107: all of them were primary cases
The
number successful was 91, showing a percentage of 85.04. The persons vaccinated in Soory
and Sonatore were seen by the Civil Surgeon. He found 46 operated on, of whom 43 were
successfully so. Inoculation has been prohibited since 1878, and no prosecution took place
during the year under review. The Civil Surgeon thinks it is practised nowhere in the
district. He says the attitude of the people is still one of passive indifference. They have
not yet taken to vaccination kindly, and, like a flock of sheep, wait to be led by a wealthy
zemindar, who generally wants to abide his own time for accepting vaccination in his family.
Until he can be prevailed upon it is no use arguing with the others. In Kuddea, only a mile
distant from the sudder station there has been no vaccination for 12 years, and about 1,000
unprotected children still remain at large. In Sonatore the people secreted their children, and
the co-operation of the police was necessary. Dr. Roy thinks that the people not being
actually opposed to vaccination, it requires only a little compulsion from outside to bring
them to a sense of duty, and that under the compulsory Act recently passed, if its operation
be extended to the mofussil as well, the progress of vaccination will be smooth.