EASTERN BENGAL CIRCLE.
45
The following is a good illustration. A certain number of people who had turned deaf
to the words of vaccinators and refused to get their children vaccinated, adopted it when
Babu Poornoo Chunder Ghose, deputy magistrate, in charge of Manikgunge sub-division,
pointed out to them the beneficial effects of vaccination and the dangers of inoculated small-
pox, and showed them the arms of his own children. The cause of vaccination would have
been ruined had he acted otherwise. I am much indebted to this officer for the timely aid he
always rendered me in removing the opposition and overcoming the prejudices of those who
advocated the cause of inoculation.
Assistance of
influential natives.
7. Assistance of influential natives.—Whenever a change is going to take place in estab-
lished customs or practices, it is not the common people who take the lead, but those who
have received a high intellectual culture; the former, in these as in other matters, follow
the example of the latter.
I cite the following example by way of illustration.
The people of Komargah and its neighbourhood resisted all attempts to introduce
vaccination among them; after a time we succeeded in inducing an educated man of the place
to get his children vaccinated, and, as expected, his example was followed by his neighbours
and also by the residents of the adjoining villages. The Government of the Punjab bestows
thanks to those influential men who take great interest in promoting the cause of vaccination,
and it encourages others to tread their footsteps.
Babu Shama Sunker Roy of Tewota, and Babu Mohim Chunder Mondul of Komargah,
are the fit persons in this part of the country who deserve such an honor.
Virus imported
from Calcutta
8. Virus.—In order to offer to the people the best specimen of vaccination, I got, on
the 6th September 1873, a child vaccinated at Calcutta from lymph taken from the arm of
another; the former was sent to Goalundo by the evening train of the 9th, and the virus
was established there on the 11th at about 5 P.M.
On the next morning he was sent to Dacca by the steam-tug, and eight children were
vaccinated on the same day at about 4.30 P.M. from lymph taken from his arm.
The virus thus established was kept up throughout the vaccine season by arm-to-arm
vaccination, and great care was taken to preserve its integrity while transmitting from one
individual to another. It gave birth to genuine vaccine vesicles.
Unwillingness of
the people to
supply lymph
9. Unwillingness of the people to supply vaccine lymph.—Although the parents or guar-
dians showed great reluctance to supply vaccine lymph from the arms of their vaccinated
children, yet the vaccinators were able, after experiencing many difficulties, to induce some
poor people, who, on receiving a handsome gratuity, agreed to do so; thus in each division
a constant supply of lymph was kept up throughout the season.
Mode of
employment of
vaccinators
10. Mode of employment of vaccinators.—Of the five gangs in which the vaccinators
were divided, one was sent to Srenagur and Nawabgunge to complete the work commenced
there last year, and the others carried on vaccine operations in the thanas of Manikgunge,
Jaffergunge, Hurerampore, and Goalundo, where vaccination was for the first time offered.
The headman of each gang divided his men into batches, consisting of one experienced
operator and one or two novices, and a group of villages was assigned to each batch with
instructions to work in a progressive and systematic manner, and not to take new villages till
the area allotted to them was finished.
The head vaccinators examined the work of each batch every 4th, 5th, or 6th day; paid
especial attention to the character of the virus; taught the new men to vaccinate; and tried to
induce those who had not adopted the prophylactic to accept it.
Those new men who had learnt to operate were allowed to do so on a large scale before
the presence of an experienced vaccinator or of the headman: it is only in the months of
December, January, and February, when undue irritation is not apt to arise, that the novices
practice.
The vaccinators examined the arms of the vaccinated children every 6th or 7th day, and
on each of these occasions inquired after their health.
Area vaccinated
11. The area vaccinated.—Vaccination was regularly performed in the thanas of
Jaffergunge, Manickgunge, Hurerampore and Goalundo, Srenagur and Nawabgunge; the
first four have been efficiently vaccinated, with the exception of those villages where fever
was most rife, or where the residents opposed to submit to vaccination. The work in the last
two was very much delayed by the opposition of a certain number of rich orthodox Hindoos,
and the advancing season made it unadvisable to finish these.
The vaccinators visited 429 villages of Jaffergunge, 216 of Manickgunge, 150 of
Srenagur, 148 of Hurerampore, 140 of Goalundo, and 64 of Nawabgunge, besides 47
villages of Belgacha, 25 of Lallbag, 18 of Sabhar, and two of Attea, to check and stamp out
small-pox, and seven of Moonshegunge, and three of Narangunge to establish the virus.
Work of the
season
12. Number vaccinated.—The vaccinators worked in 1,249 villages, and performed 78,550
operations, against 47,568 of 1872-73, of which 78,413 were cases of primary vaccination.
78 of re-vaccination, and 59 of repetion. Out of 78,413 primary operations, 77,970 proved