ABSTRACTS OF REPORTS BY CIVIL SURGEONS.
27
Feeling of the
people.
Inoculation.
Training
inoculators.
Small-pox.
the middle of January that work could be said to have fairly begun. It does not appear
from the report that any very active opposition to vaccination was experienced either in the
town or district; on the contrary " in many villages in the interior the inhabitants have
begun to appreciate vaccination." Although inoculation is not prohibited by law, it is not
practised in the town and its environs ; it is, however, largely practised in the interior.
Regarding the steps taken to instruct inoculators, the civil medical officer reports that he
endeavoured to get a few, but did not succeed. " The inoculators would not enlist as free
vaccinators unless inoculation is prohibited by law; they gain more by inoculation than they
would by vaccination, as the former requires their attendance oftener on the person operated
upon than the latter." There was no epidemic of small-pox during the year.
Agency.
Field of operations
Work done.
Inspection
Vaccination in
Hill Tipperah.
Tipperah District.—In addition to the two permanent vaccinators attached to the sudder
station, two extra men were entertained from 1st September last, on a salary of Rs. 10 each,
paid by Government, for employment in the Brahmanberiah sub-division. In previous years
operations were confined to municipal limits only; during the year under report this plan
was modified, one of the vaccinators remained in the town to vaccinate such as required
protection, whilst the other (a trained inoculator) was deputed to that part of the district
where he had previously been carrying on inoculation, and was popular. The result was, that
in a short space of 27 days he performed 445 operations. The work performed within
municipal limits was frequently inspected, but it is to be regretted that the ex-inoculator's
work was not verified, " owing," Dr. Stork writes, "to there being no funds at my disposal
allowed for such purposes in the budget grant for the year." Dr.. Stork thus describes the
introduction of vaccination into Hill Tipperah :—
Partial success.
I have, since my appointment to this district in 1870, frequently tried to introduce vaccination in
Hill Tipperah, as the people are entirely unprotected (even inoculation being prohibited for miles
round the Rajah's residence), but without success The Tipperahs, who are mostly half-civilized, had
a mortal dread of vaccination, being under the impression that it, like inoculation, produced small-pox.
With a great deal of difficulty I managed to presuade the Raja, just before my leaving his services,
to allow me to vaccinate a few of his subjects, so as to convince him that there is no risk whatever
attending vaccination. He was pleased with the result, and at my suggestion has now entertained
the services of a vaccinator from the 15th March last, who has reported to me as having vaccinated
successfully over 1,300 people since his appointment.
Inoculation.
The attitude and feelings of the people as regards vaccination are reported to be
favorable, and the only obstacle to vaccination becoming an institution in this district
is the persistency of the inoculators in practising their own craft. Until this is remedied by
the extension of Act IV (B.C.) of 1865 to all the thanas, and by engaging the local inocu-
lators to carry on vaccination (two to each thana), vaccination will not progress with any
satisfaction.
BEHAR—PATNA DIVISION.
Work done.
Inoculation.
Patna District.—Dinapore Cantonment.—Operations were confined to the vicinity of
Dinapore. Total vaccinated 528, or about double the number of last year. Prejudices apparently
decreasing, though not yet absent; inoculation still in vogue, but not in proscribed district.
Agency.
Work done at
Patna.
Bankipore.
Barrh.
Behar.
Feeling of the
people.
Patna City and District.—There were 20 vaccinators in all employed in the district
during the year, distributed as follows: Patna City six, Bankipore and suburbs four,
Barrh one, and Behar on an average nine (four in December, twelve in January, eleven in
February, and the same number in March). In Patna there has been a considerable falling off
in the number of operations as compared with the previous year, which is ascribed by the
Assistant Surgeon to the non-appearance last season of small-pox in an epidemic form. This
explanation is considered satisfactory by the Civil Surgeon. In Bankipore there has also been a
slight falling off in number, but the work has been pretty thoroughly done and well supervised.
In Barrh also the work has been satisfactory: this is the only sub-division which shows an
increase on the previous year. In Behar the work done is very unsatisfactory, " and," writes
the Civil Surgeon, " I fear it is useless to attempt vaccination in the outlying parts of this
sub-division without some local supervision; this cannot be done by the Assistant Surgeon
owing to the nature of his duties, which involve the necessity of his constant presence at
head-quarters owing to the unusual amount of medico-legal post-mortems which he has
to conduct. I am of opinion, however, that some good might be done by appointing a
hospital assistant for this work during the vaccinating season." With regard to the attitude
of the people, the Civil Surgeon reports that in the city of Patna there is a certain amount of
difficulty experienced amongst the upper classes, who do not, however, so much object to the
operation itself as the time of year it is performed: they wish to have it done in the hot
weather. At Behar it is reported that the vaccinators were assaulted.
Training of
inoculators
Unsatisfactory
results.
Regarding the training of inoculators, Dr. Simpson writes —" Inoculators have obtained
passes to vaccinate after having undergone the necessary tuition, but their work is unsatis-
factory, and it is found impossible to induce them to furnish returns." The Civil Surgeon
strongly suspects that these men make use of the official passes to carry on their own oper-
ations in private. No passes were granted during the year under report.