20
ABSTRACTS OF REPORTS BY SUPERINTENDENTS.
Aid received for promoting vaccin-
ation.
15. The police rendered every assistance when vaccination was carried on in turbulent
quarters, and promptly reported all cases of small-pox that
came to their knowledge.
Cost of vaccination.
16. The total expenditure incurred during the year for maintaining vaccination in the
town amounted to Rs. 4,842, and this amount distributed
over the successful cases shows that the cost of each of such
cases was 14 annas and 10 pie, against 9 annas and 3 pie in the preceding year. The increase
is referred to the falling off in the number of operations.
Prevalence of small-pox.
17. Small-pox prevailed throughout the year, but not in epidemic form. Altogether
110 deaths were reported, which gives a death-rate of .25
per 1,000 of the population. The most fatal months were
April 1880 and February and March 1881, during which 81 casualties occurred. The
sections of the town that suffered most were Colootolla, Fenwick Bazar, Moocheeparah, and
Taltolla. The classes among whom the largest number of the cases occurred were up-country
Mahomedans, Chamars, grass-cutters, and other low castes of up-countrymen, the prostitutes,
day-labourers, manjees of the eastern districts of Bengal, &c. In fact, the disease prevailed
most among the floating population. There were several instances on record in which small-
pox was imported into the town by pilgrims, travellers, &c. The S. S. Rydalhall, which
came into the Port of Calcutta in September, had a case on board. Vaccination was offered,
but it was refused. There were several cases of the disease among the pilgrims on board
the S. S. Clangordon, which arrived in Port in December. Although some of the men were
sent to hospital and others vaccinated, several went to live with their friends in the bustees,
and thus disseminated the disease. In some cases the railway authorities detected cases of
small-pox and sent the affected to hospital; but in the case of travellers coming in boats from
the eastern districts in Bengal, the men got into the bustees and communicated the disease to
others before anything could be known of the matter.
Mortality among infants.
18. During the year 2,630 infants died from all causes. This number yields a percentage
of 33.75 compared to the number born (7,791). It has been
shown before that 28.66 per cent. of the infants were vaccin-
ated ; consequently the rest, or 37.59 per cent., a considerable proportion, remain unvaccin-
ated in the town, or have left it with their parents or guardians for reasons submitted before.
Measures adopted to prevent the
spread of small-pox.
19. The steps taken to arrest the progress of small-pox are thus described:—" The police
have instructions to report all cases of small-pox which come
to their knowledge to the Superintendent or to the Deputy
Superintendent, and in case of deaths the registrars at the
burning ghâts and burial grounds do the same. On receipt of these reports immediate
steps are taken to investigate the cases and to protect all unprotected in the same house or in
the neighbourhood. Additional protection is also offered to those vaccinated years ago by
means of revaccination. By these means the further spread of the disease is prevented.
This arrangement answers perfectly well when small-pox occurs in the houses of the better
classes of the people, Native or European. These people of their own accord send informa-
tion either to the police, or to us direct, and so procure the help of the latter without loss of
time. There were some half a dozen cases of small-pox reported from private houses during
the year, and in not a single instance there was a second case. The case is quite different
when small pox occurs in the bustees or at the houses of the up-country mahajuns at Bara-
bazar, &c. Here the people, either from ignorance or prejudice, do not report the occurrence
of the disease, and we are kept ignorant of it except in cases accidentally found out by the
police, or. as in case of death, it is found out at the burning ghâts or burial grounds and
reported thence. When enquiry is made in these cases, it is generally found that the disease
has spread into several houses in the neighbourhood."
METROPOLITAN CIRCLES.
20. The following is an abstract of the report on the abovenamed circles for the year
under review, submitted by the Superintendent, Dr. K. P. Gupta.
Establishment.
21. The work was carried on by the same establishment as in the preceding year, viz., a
large number of licensed vaccinators under the supervision
of 39 inspectors, four Deputy Superintendents, and the
Superintendent. The total cost of the supervising establishment, including clerks and peons,
amounted during the year to Rs. 27,825-6-5. On the abolition of the office of Superin-
tendent-General of Vaccination, for reasons submitted before, the vaccination of the suburbs
of Calcutta was placed under the supervision of Dr. Gupta from May 1880. He has
submitted a separate report on the work done in this area, which has also been separately treated
in my report.
Conduct of establishment.
22. The conduct of the establishment is reported to
have been on the whole satisfactory.
Plan of operations—Licensed system.
23. As in the preceding year, vaccination was carried on under the licensed system in all
the ten districts comprised in the Metropolitan Circles. The
scheme was, however, more strictly enforced and localized
than before, and was in full operation in the districts of
24-Pergunnahs, Nuddea, Jessore, Moorshedabad, Beerbhoom, Burdwan, Hooghly, and
Howrah, and will be introduced in its entirety in the other districts—Bankoora and Midna-
pore—as soon as they shall have been thoroughly protected. I am glad to find that