FOR THE YEAR 1880 81.
5
From the figures in the above table it will be seen that the number of
operations performed during the year in the Vaccination Circles amounted
to 1,339,012, against 1,676,350 in the preceding year, and in the Munici-
palities and Dispensaries to 55,300, against 66,645; and that the collective
result was 1,394,312 persons vaccinated in 1880-81, against 1,742,995 in
1879-80. There was thus a decrease in the number of operations per-
formed to the extent of 337,338 in the Vaccination Circles, and of 11,345
in the Municipalities and Dispensaries, culminating in a total falling off of
348,683 operations. This decrease was shared by all the circles except
Orissa and Behar, where increased activity resulted in an increase in the
number of operations, the latter circle thus redeeming, to a small extent, its
reputation for continued bad work. In reduction of work the circles ranked
as follows:—Metropolitan Circles (241,172), Darjeeling Circle (29,478), Sonthal
Pergunnahs Circle (26,081), Ranchi Circle (17,114), Eastern Bengal Circle
(11,526), Suburbs of Calcutta (9,704), and Calcutta (6,312). The causes
which brought about this decrease are given in detail in the section of this
report, which furnishes abstracts of the reports of each circle. Briefly summed
up they are, principally, for the Metropolitan Circles, epidemic prevalence of
fever; sickness among the establishment; paucity of unprotected children;
and difficulty in getting vaccinifers—for the Darjeeling Circle, sickness of
establishment from the Superintendent downwards; strenuous opposition met
with; unhealthiness of, and practice of inoculation in, the district of
Purneah; and sparseness of population in Phansedewa—for the Sonthal Per-
gunnahs Circle, non-receipt of returns from 11 of the licensed vaccinators;
lessening of the area of operations by the transfer of certain portions of the
sub-division of Rajmehal to Maldah; the Sonthal disturbance in the Damin-i-
Kohs of Pakour and Dumka; refusal of assistance for the promotion of vaccination
by the civil authorities and zemindars, prominent among which was the
resistance offered by Baboo Kally Proshad Sing, the zemindar and Honorary
Magistrate of Shubbulpore, Maharajah Sir Joymungul Sing, K.C.S.I. of
Porsunda, and Raja Ram Narian of Khoyra; and paucity of unprotected
children—for the Ranchi Circle, non-receipt of returns of a large number of
operations performed by some of the licensed vaccinators at Hazareebagh ; and
opposition offered to vaccination by the Rajahs of Jushpore and Korea—for
the Eastern Bengal Circle, difficulty that always attends the attainment of
success in a new area (Mymensing) brought for the first time under opera-
tion; want of people available for vaccination in Mymensing, against
extensive operations in Pubna in 1879-80, the former being sparsely populated
and the latter densely; detaching of portions of the establishment to districts
distant from the area in which they were employed for the purpose of suppressing
small pox; and opposition from people, chiefly the Ferazees, who are repre-
sented by large numbers in Mymensing and Backergunge—for the Suburbs of
Calcutta, diminished activity of inland emigration, one depôt having been
closed and supplies of emigrants reduced in the others, in the belief that the
depôt system would be abolished when orders would be passed on the question
relating to emigration, which was under the consideration of Government
during the year; and absence of epidemic outbreaks of small-pox, which
generally frighten people to resort to vaccination—for Calcutta, severer
prevalence of small-pox in 1879-80, when, consequently, a much larger number
of operations was performed, particularly during the recess; and the great
prevalence of measles during January, February and March 1881, when vaccin-
ation could not be well pushed on. The decrease in the Municipal and
Dispensary vaccinations is also attributable to much the same causes as stated
above, viz. prevalence of severe fever, opposition by the people, aversion to
arm-to-arm vaccination, want of co-operation from the civil authorities, &c.;
but the chief cause is the loss to a greater extent, in fact, completely, of the
services of the vaccinators who were maintained by Government, and who
used to carry on operations on a larger scale than the present operators
who are mainly municipal vaccinators, and a few Civil Hospital Assist-
ants, the former working within municipal limits, as a rule, and the latter
in a desultory manner upon subjects who choose to present themselves.
b