EASTERN BENGAL CIRCLE.
47
Attitude of the
people.
15. Attitude of the people.—Vaccination was for the first time offered to the people of
Manickgunge sub-division and of Goalundo thana, and they looked upon it with eyes full of
suspicion and distrust. The majority believed it to be the source of some new impost, but
there were others who took a charitable view of the subject.
The vaccinators met with opposition in almost all the villages they worked, but it differed
in degree.
The rich and orthodox Hindoos, by far the majority, not only refused to accept the
prophylactic, but also compelled their neighbours and dependents to lean to their side.
Persuasion and argument failed to produce any effect on the minds of the people of this
description; they were as obstinate as the Fyrazees. To cope with vaccination, the inocu-
lators appeared in the field in the latter end of November 1873.
They moved from village to village and circulated the false rumour that of those who
had been vaccinated last year many got small-pox and died, and this they brought forward
as the reason which deterred the rich men in adopting vaccination. Having implicit faith
in them, the people believed what they said, and determined to adhere to their old practice.
Meanwhile they saw the zemindars and other rich men getting their children inoculated,
and lost no time in joining them.
The example of the people around made the parents and guardians of the children
vaccinated, repent what they had done.
This state of affairs existed at Srenagur and Nawabgunge, but it did not wear so for-
midable an aspect at Goalundo, Jaffergunge, Manickgunge, and Hurerampore. On the onset,
the orthodox party offered a good deal of opposition, but we succeeded in overcoming their
prejudice by argument and persuasion. Their example was followed by the people in general.
Except a few bigoted Hindoos, the generality of people are not so much inclined to
inoculation as they seemed to be; and from my experience I am led to believe that they can
be easily made to submit to vaccination as soon as inoculation is prohibited by law.
Then there would not exist any feeling of religious hostility against those who would
first adopt the prophylactic, and their fate will be considered the fate of all.
A certain number of Fyrazees were induced to get their children vaccinated, and others
would have followed their example had not the heads of this sect inflicted fines on those
who had adopted the prophylactic.
Necessity of the
extension of
Act IV.
16. Necessity of extension of Act IV of 1865 each year to certain portions of this circle.—
From what has been stated in the last paragraph, it is evident that thorough vaccination
in any district is almost impossible so long as the people are at liberty to inoculate their
children; and I would again urge the necessity of prohibiting it by the extension of Act IV
of 1865 each year to those thanas which would be the field of my operations.
The work which has been done this year leads me to conclude that by the end of the
next vaccine season the remaining thanas (Roopgunge, Roypara, Kopasia, Lallbag, Sabhar)
of the Dacca district could be finished, and I believe the said Act can be safely extended to
this district in October next.
Inoculation.
17. Inoculation.—Inoculation was very extensively practised in this district, and it
acted as a great check to the spread of vaccination. It gave rise to several outbreaks of
small-pox.
The inoculators appeared early in the field, and left no art untried to make vaccination
unpopular. One of my head vaccinators reported to me that out of six persons inoculated at
Sohagdal, one died; out of eight inoculated at Kowargah, one died; out of 13 inoculated
at Aradoy, one died; and out of 39 inoculated at Frenpore, one died. The percentage
of deaths being 5.2.
Small-pox
18. Small-pox.—Of the seven outbreaks of small-pox reported to me, one was very
severe. It took place in the month of February 1874 at Chur Rughoonathpore and its
vicinity, and great difficulty was felt in checking it.
The people were very much against vaccination, and the vaccinators failed to make any
impression on them. The number of persons attacked and the number of deaths could not
be ascertained.
While small-pox had been making great havoc in the infected localities, the inoculators
were very busily engaged in adding fuel to the fire by inoculating the neighbouring
villages. The disease spread like fire from one village to another, and it was with great
difficulty checked.
I visited these villages in person, and after experiencing a good deal of trouble,
I succeeded in stamping out the disease by vaccinating all the unprotected persons in and
around the infected localities. In the remaining six outbreaks, 11 villages were affected
and 220 persons took the disease, of whom 29 died and 191 recovered. In six out of seven
outbreaks the disease could be traced to inoculation.
Instruction of
inoculators.
19. Instruction of inoculators.—In this part of the country inoculation is chiefly prac-
tised by the Chandals and Mallakors—Brahmins form exception to this rule: the majority
are a set of ignorant people. Those who can read or write I tried to take into my service,
but failed. They consider the work of a vaccinator too hard, and the pay too small. Working