10
REPORT OF VACCINATION IN BENGAL
Dinagepore.
Area vaccinated.
The Rajbari gang
Rungpore.
Area vaccinated.
Dinagepore.—Thana Hubra, in which are situated the central station and workshops
of the Northern Bengal Railway, and which adjoins thana Rajarampore, was vaccinated
last year; and Molung, a protected area in Rungpore, was thoroughly vaccinated, and parts of
Chintamun, Rajarampore, Poorsha, and Hemtabad. The Rajbari gang has been broken
up, but much of their work in former years was met with, and it was found uniformly bad.
Rungpore.—The native superintendent did not act properly up to instructions, and had
to be dismissed. Thana Molung was completed, thana Peergunge almost so, and part of
Gobindgunge done. The completion of this thana will effect a continuity with the protected
area in Bogra.
Bogra.
Area vaccinated.
Work by private
vaccinators.
Bogra —Small-pox appeared in thanas Seryakandi and Badalgachi, and vaccination was
performed there in consequence. In addition to the work performed by the establishment,
seven private vaccinators and ex-inoculators submitted returns of 2,752 vaccinations. Work
was also done by municipal vaccinators in Bogra and Sherepore, and several ex-inoculators
refused to submit returns. The Government vaccinators did not work very satisfactorily.
Rajshahye.
Area vaccinated.
Rajshahye.—Thana Charghat was completely vaccinated, and Beelmaria partly. A
number of men taught by the native doctor of Lallpore, were found doing very bad work in
the latter. This was put a stop to.
Maldah.
Area vaccinated.
Maldah.—The whole of thana Sheebgunge was done, and a few villages of Gomashta¬
pore, Ghagole, and Kushba.
Principles on which
work was done.
Unprecedented
success.
Sum total of work.
The future of
vaccination in this
circle.
35. The principles on which Dr. Lidderdale worked were,— (1) to extend the operations
of previous years, (2) to connect protected areas of different districts, and (3) to exhaust
whatever field he undertook. His operations seem to have been conducted with less friction
than in previous years. The misconduct of some of his vaccinators seems to have impeded
his work; but on the whole this circle has attained an unprecedented success. In future
years the establishment, in place of being scattered over several districts, will be concen-
trated in one area, and both work and supervision will thus be greatly facilitated. The
operations performed by vaccinators amounted to 120,669, by apprentices to 13,943, and by
20 ex-inoculators who submitted returns to 12,334, making a sum total of 146,946 :
13,121 of these were done during the hot weather in consequence of outbreaks of small-pox.
This total does not amount to the birth-rate of the circle, but undoubted progress has been
made ; and, by concentrating operations, educating and planting "licensed vaccinators" under
proper rules and supervision, and encouraging and promoting local and municipal efforts,
the eventual success of vaccination in these districts is certain. The superintendent reckons
that 2,893 villages were protected during the year.
Superintendent's
inspections.
Method of
inspecting
36. The superintendent was as usual indefatigable in directing and supervising the
work of his circle. He again urges that the exact method of recording the results of his
inspection prescribed by this office is distasteful to the people, and interferes with the due
performance of other functions required of him as a superintendent. It was never intended
that the duty of checking the work of his subordinates exhaustively and recording the
result numerically should impede the exercise of other necessary duties. Dr. Lidderdale
must use his discretion as to how much exhaustive examination of results he can
afford to accomplish with justice to his other duties; but I consider it essential that the
system of inspection to which he objects, but which is practised without complaint or
detriment in other circles, should be adopted as far as possible; and now that the circle
operations are about to be mainly limited to one continuous area, there will be less difficulty
in carrying it out. The following table shows the result of Dr. Lidderdale's inspections
during the past season: —
Numerical return
of inspection
results.
STATEMENT No. XVI.
Seen after 16th day
„ from 13th to 16th day
„ „ 9th to 12th „
„ „ 5th to 8th „
„ „ 1st to 4th „
Vaccination in two
points of which there
were successful
2
18,824
3,243
2,448
2,330
26,845
1
1,575
306
238
294
2,413
Failed.
231
115
109
165
620
Doubtful.
7
33
101
59
200
Compared with re¬
gister
20,637
3,697
2,696
2,848
1,421
31,299
Total
20,637
3,697
2,696
2,848
1,421
31,299
Absent.
1,158
73
61
50
45
1,387
Grand total.
21,795
3,770
2,757
2,898
1,466
32,686
Deputy
superintendent's
inspection
The percentage of success verified by the superintendent was thus 93.47 (excluding
doubtful cases) against 94.25, the figure shown in the returns. The number of villages in
which returns were verified amounted to 708. The deputy superintendent, Tujmul Hossein,
whose labours were confined to the districts of Julpigoree and Purneah, verified 21,196 cases—
an amount of work which, Dr. Lidderdale remarks, " shows constant attention to duty."
Prevalence of
small-pox.
37. Small-pox prevailed during 1874 in Rungpore, Bogra, Maldah, Julpigoree, and
Dinagepore. In the three former districts the disease was traced to inoculation. The