20
REPORT ON VACCINATION IN BENGAL
whenever requested. Without their assistance the success of the season's operations would
have been very different from what it is. To Surgeon-Major J. J. Wood, my predecessor in
this office, my thanks are due for valuable counsels."
Ranchee Circle.—The paid staff which supervised the ex-inoculators and licensed vacci-
nators consisted of 3 Inspectors paid by the State, 1 by the manager of Virgoojah's
estates, 92 ex-inoculators, and 33 licensed vaccinators. They worked in the districts of
Hazaribagh, Ranchee, Chyebassa, and Manbhoom, and in the tributary estates of Sirgooja,
Jashpore, Gangpore, and Bonai. They are stated to have vaccinated 87,492 persons,
of whom 75,187 were successful, or 94.05 per cent., and the average cost is put down as 2 2/3 of
a pie. The year previous there were 91.061 cases with a success of 91.11 per cent., each
case having cost on an average 3½ pice. An Inspector was put in charge of the ex-inocula-
tors and licensed vaccinators working in the district of Ranchee or Lohardugga, and the
other two had each batches of the same staff as well as of paid vaccinators working in
different parts of the same district They are said to have performed the double duty
creditably, and when absent from the party, one of the 1st grade vaccinators super-
intended operations for them. Mr. Basu considers that there was not the proper number of
inspecting agency allowed for his circle. He is of opinion that a superintending vacci-
nator can only manage vaccinators efficiently, whereas he had 39 vaccinators and only
three superintending vaccinators, instead of five which he considers the number he ought
to have had. The Inspector of Sirgooja superintended the work of ex-inoculators and
licensed vaccinators employed there.
Of the 125 vaccinators, 21 received their licenses in October, 71 in November, 12 in
December, and 17 in January, and 4 were trained by the superintending vaccinators and
passed by them some years ago. These men seem to be very ignorant. " About 70 can neither
read nor write, about 40 can sign their names, but not without making spelling mistakes,
and about 15 only can be said to be educated." They generally bring some young relative
to read and cook for them, but their education too is of the slenderest description, so that
they cannot properly understand the vaccination forms, so that they omit many particulars
wanted. Taking to account their native country, 64 are Bengalis, 24 up-country men,
27 belong to Chota Nagpore, including 4 Christian Kô1s. Their distribution was as follows :—
Hazaribagh, 33; Manbhoom, 24; Lohardugga, 37; Singbhoom, 13; Sirgooja, 10; Jash-
pore, 4; Gangpore, 2; and Bonai 2.
The 33 men who worked in Hazaribagh operated on 17,810 cases, of which 17,098
or 9.11 were successful, as against 10,576 with 9,445, or 91.62 per cent., of successful cases
the previous year. Each man on an average did 501 cases.
In Lohardugga district 37 ex-inoculators worked in 12 thanas of Lohardugga and
4 of Palamow. They vaccinated 28,072 persons, of whom 24,776, or 92.47 per cent., of the
cases were successful. The year before there were 23,703, or 90 20 per cent., of successful cases
out of 26,244 operated on by 25 men. The inspecting vaccinator verified 12,588 cases and
found only 87.57 per cent. to be successful. This low figure is attributed to the men using
crusts instead of operating from arm-to-arm. Although Palamow was systematically gone
over by circle vaccinators in 1876-77 and 1877-78, it is said by Surgeon Basu that there are
many unprotected persons, and licensed vaccinators object to work in that part of the district
seeing that the people object to pay the usual fee.
Half of Manbhoom was allotted to two parties of circle vaccinators, and the other half
to 24 ex-inoculators. The latter vaccinated 18,228 persons on whom the operation took in
13,676, or 95.90 per cent. The work of these men was verified by Inspecting Vaccinator
Mahomed Jan Khan and by the Deputy Superintendent. Between them they verified 9,018
cases, of which 94.14 per cent. were found to have been successful.
Singbhoom.—In this district 13 ex-inoculators vaccinated 11,800 persons, of whom 10,840,
or 92.88 per cent., were successful, against 15 men ; 10,778 cases and 9,995, or 91.55 per cent.,
of success in 1877-78.
During the past year 8,710 cases were verified and 94.42 per cent, found to have been
successful. Each operator on an average did 885.76 cases. A great deal of work yet
remains to be got over in the south and south-west of the district.
Tributary Mehals.—Eight ex-inoculators vaccinated 2,225 cases in 1877-78, while in the
year under report there were 18 men who operated on 11,574 cases, of which 8,797, or 92.34
per cent., were successful. The work of eight men was verified in Sirgoojah in 5,517 cases,
and only 82.27 per cent. found to be successful. This low percentage of success was
undoubtedly owing to the vaccinators persisting in using crusts which the inspecting vaccina-
tor should not have permitted. On an average half of the cases of the ex-inoculators was
verified by inspecting officers.
Dr. Basu expresses his opinion " that the people generally prefer ex-inoculators and
licensed vaccinators to Government vaccinators, and that the work of the former may be so
arranged and controlled so as to diminish the cost of permanent establishment." He has
been called on to say how this is to be done, and his proposals, if deemed to be feasible, will
be submitted to Government.
The following is an abstract of the report as to the working of the vaccinators attached
to the Sonthal Pergunnahs.
The annual report of vaccination for the Sonthal Pergunnahs Circle is submitted by
Assistant Surgeon Mathura Nath Sen, and reached my office on the 7th May.