( 2 )
small results as are here shown. The Sanitary Commissioner will be requested
to proceed without delay to this circle, and to report, in consultation with the
local officers, whether the failure experienced has been due to any want of
competence on the part of the staff, and whether he would recommend that the
circle be maintained, or that the work be postponed until a larger staff can be
transferred from the districts in which they are now engaged. It is to be
observed that in the report for 1878-79 one cause of the want of success was
stated to be a want of co-operation on the part of the police. This, however,
is a difficulty which the local officers should be able to remove at once if they
interest themselves properly in the matter.
The other circles all show an increase. The figures for two years stand
thus—
Metropolitan ... ... ... ...
Darjeeling ... ... ... ...
Ranchi ... ... ... ...
Sonthal Pergunnahs ... ... ... ...
Eastern Bengal ... ... ... ...
Orissa ... ... ... ...
1878-79.
394,186
259,857
153,586
40,229
235,802
34,612
1879-80
625,388
373,549
164,808
113,953
306,066
43,733
Increase.
231,202
113,692
11,222
73,724
70,264
9,121
In the Metropolitan Circle the work, it is said, would have progressed more
satisfactorily, but for the paucity of unprotected children in places which have
been travelled over in previous years, and for the difficulty felt in the recovery
of fees. The floods in the Nuddea and Jessore districts also interfered with the
work.
4. Notwithstanding the satisfactory results generally obtained, difficulties
and opposition had to be encountered. In the Cooch Behar State a zemindar
is said to have prevented vaccination in the mohulla in which he resided,
although small-pox was present in it. thereby sacrificing his own life and
the lives of others to his prejudices. Vaccination would have come to a stand-
still in Singbhoom but for the energetic action of the Deputy Com-
missioner, Major Garbett, who convinced the people of the harmlessness of the
operation by causing himself to be vaccinated in the presence of a crowd. The
Commissioner will be requested to submit a report on the statement that an
Honorary Magistrate greatly obstructed the work around Chyebassa. In the
Sonthal Pergunnahs district the people offer no objection to vaccination; but in
Bhagulpore and Monghyr they are said to be " obstinate and refractory." In
Eastern Bengal, especially in Backergunge, strong opposition is met with from
the Ferazi sect.
5. The total number of operations reported to have been successful in
1879-80 was 1,689,590 against 1,251,936 in 1878-79. The percentage of
successful cases in primary vaccination, excluding dispensary vaccination, was
98.05 against 98.49 in the preceding year. The proportion is highest in the
Metropolitan and Eastern Bengal Circles, being 99.75 and 99.37 respectively.
The lowest rate, 88.49, is, as usual, exhibited by the Ranchi Circle. In
secondary vaccinations the ratio of success was 20.91 per cent against 46.89 in
the preceding year, and 72.06 in 1877-78. Dispensary vaccination shows a
rate of success of 83.57 in primary and 55.81 in secondary operations, against
94.97 of the former and 77.57 of the latter in the preceding year.
6. The average number of operations performed by each vaccinator during
1879-80 was 1,442 against 1,191 in 1878-79. Increased work was performed
in the Darjeeling, Eastern Bengal, Metropolitan and Orissa Circles, while the
Calcutta, Ranchi, Sonthal Pergunnahs, and Behar Circles show a decrease.
The average outturn of work of each vaccinator employed in dispensary
vaccination cannot be definitely stated, as the number of men employed on this
work is not given with any accuracy. The amount of work performed was,
as in previous years, lowest in the Behar Circle.
7. The sex of 1,654,210 of the persons vaccinated was registered.
Of these, 867,115 were males and 787,095 females, giving a percentage of 52.42
males to 47.58 females. The proportion is nearly the same as was obtained
during the preceding year. No record was kept of the ages of those who
were successfully vaccinated.