FOR THE YEAR 1880-81.
3
Scheme of Revision of the Vaccina-
tion Department.
9. I have submitted for orders, in accordance with the wishes of Govern-
ment and in consonance with the spirit of the orders
of the Government of India reorganizing the Medi-
cal Administrative Staff for India, a scheme revising the organization of the
working and establishment of the Vaccination Department at a considerably-
increased expenditure. The principal features of this scheme are:—
(a) The extension gradually all over Bengal of the licensed or
self-supporting system of vaccination under Government supervision, so that
the cost of a great portion of the paid staff would thereby be done away with
and cease to burden the revenues.
(b) The providing of expenditure for animal vaccine on account of the
agitation in England against humanized lymph, and with the view of meeting
a similar adverse feeling in this country.
(c) The granting to the Superintendents, Deputy Superintendents and
others of special allowances, with a view to attract to the service men who will
accept of the appointments permanently, and not merely till other better
appointments become vacant.
(d) The distribution of the districts into circles, so as to make them,
correspond as much as possible with the divisions of civil administration, and
in order that they may be better and more speedily protected.
(e) The creating of a Public Health Department, whose efforts to carry out
sanitation will reach every village in Bengal, as the sanitary state of districts
can never be improved by the occasional visits of civil officers. What is
wanted is some agency always employed and moving about in the interior of
districts and intimately acquainted with the natural features of the country,
the climate, the people, their habits and dwellings. This agency is to be
found alone in the Vaccination Department, which, if properly worked, becomes
acquainted with every village in the district to which it is attached.
Private practice by Superintendents
and Deputy Superintendents of Vacci-
nation prohibited.
10. From information received during the year that a Superintendent of
Vaccination was engaged in private practice, and
being of opinion that no Superintendent can be
engaged in this manner, even during the recess,
without detriment to his proper duties as a vaccination and sanitary officer, the
orders of Government were solicited on the point. The Government directed
that all Superintendents and Deputy Superintendents be prohibited from
engaging in general private practice even during the recess, but that
they may be allowed to engage in consulting practice, but only during the
recess (vide orders, Medical and Municipal Department—Medical, No. 133, dated
the 5th February 1880).
Areas and plan of operations.
11. The areas under vaccination and the plan upon which the operations
were conducted are described in the abstracts of
the circle reports. The chief points which claim
attention are the following:—
In the Metropolitan Circles the licensed system was more strictly enforced
and localized this year. This will have a good effect in restricting the work
within defined areas, so that the people will know where to apply for vaccin-
ation when they desire it.
The suggestion, which I entirely approve, made by the Superintendent
of the Sonthal Pergunnahs Circle, of vaccinating the districts of Bhagulpore
and Monghyr one after another, that is, taking up with a permanent staff of
vaccinators and inspectors one district and completely protecting it before
going to the other.
The extension of the licensed system of operations in Northern and
Eastern Bengal this year. The districts of Julpaigoree and Pubna, the former
under the Darjeeling and the latter under the Eastern Bengal Circle, were for
the first time worked by the licensed vaccinators. These areas extend over
4,884 square miles and contain a population of 1,630,259.
In addition to the above, systematic vaccination was extended through
the Government agency into the Terai, and into thanas Bahadurgunge,
Amour Kusba, Kaliagunge, Bulrampore, and Kishengunge in Purneah, under
the Darjeeling Circle; into thanas Mymensing, Attia, Madhupore, Pingna,