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certain districts. From the report now submitted, he regrets to observe that
the matter has not received that attention at the hands of most civil surgeons
which it deserves. Indeed, it is gathered from the Surgeon-General's narrative
that, up till a very late date, he had received no reports or returns whatever
on this subject from certain officers. Other officers, while interesting them-
selves in the matter, apparently failed to appreciate the importance of working
in a systematic manner. In the Sonthal Pergunnahs, and in certain districts
of the Chota Nagpore division, licenses to practice appear to have been given to
men, the result of whose operations have shown them to have been utterly
untrained. Again, in a great many cases no attempt appears to have been
made to supervise the work of those to whom licenses were granted. While
the Lieutenant-Governor is aware that in educating and in settling ex-inocu-
lators it may not be possible to follow out strictly the system of concentrated
operations which he has prescribed for circle vaccination, he yet thinks that
much may be done in this direction, and he would call the immediate attention
of all civil surgeons to the matter, thereby reminding them that the remarks
by Government, as contained in the Resolutions on the annual reports, are meant
to be for the practical guidance of all concerned, and are expected to be acted
upon. At the instance of the Surgeon-General, provision has been made for
the entertainment, in those districts where the greatest progress has been made
in training ex-inoculators, of a sufficient inspecting staff. Rules have also been
drawn up and sanctioned under which licenses for the practice of vaccination are
to be granted, as well as rewards to such of the independent practitioners as
may show the most successful results. In giving effect to these rules, care
should be taken not to assign too large an area to each ex-inoculator, and to
secure on the whole compact circles of inspection, and these circles should be
gradually and effectually protected before other circles are taken up.
10. As regards individual districts, the Lieutenant-Governor observes
that very favourable mention is made of the continued interest which
Dr. Conolly of Bankoorah has shown in promoting vaccination. The train-
ing of ex-inoculators there has proceeded, under his supervision, with very
satisfactory results, and His Honor desires that an expression of the
thanks of Government may be conveyed to Dr. Conolly for the energy
and zeal displayed by him in this matter. In Midnapore, on the other
hand, where the system of self-supporting vaccination and ex-inoculators had
been fairly started, little or no progress has been made, and, owing to
the absence of proper supervision, the results are not so satisfactory as they
should have been. In the Sonthal Pergunnahs the question of training and employ-
ing ex-inoculators should have the careful attention of the Surgeon-General when
taking up the question of systematising the operations of the circle vaccinators.
The question of opening out two new circles of vaccination for the Orissa and
Patna and Bhagulpore divisions is now under the consideration of the Govern-
ment. As regards the Darjeeling circle, the Lieutenant-Governor observes that
it is stated that there is no lack of candidates to practise as licensed vaccinators.
As the entertainment of no less than 42 apprentices on the staff of this circle has
been sanctioned, he trusts that there will be no difficulty in selecting men who
have undergone a complete training in the art, and that every encouragement
will be given to such men to settle down as independent practitioners.
11. In the Orissa division vaccination is still limited to the sudder
stations and to the dispensaries in their immediate vicinity. In some of the
districts of the Patna division self-supporting vaccination has been initiated
with some promise of success, and a few ex-inoculators have been converted and
are now practising. In the Bhagulpore division greater progress appears to have
been made, and it is gratifying to learn that so much has already been done in
the districts of this division to promote a self-supporting system of vaccination.
12. In his Minute already referred to, Sir Richard Temple observed
that the proper, perhaps the only, test of success in regard to vaccination
is the total disappearance of small-pox. From the table appended to the
present report, it is observed that the total number of deaths from this
disease registered in Bengal in the year under review was 11,948, against