22
METROPOLITAN CIRCLES.
chiefly employed in the north half of 24-Pergunnahs, the 2nd in the Hooghly, and the 3rd in
the Burdwan districts. The gangs were further sub-divided into parties of two or three men,
who took charge of different portions of a thana under the supervision of a head vaccinator.
1st Metropolitan
circle.
7. The 1st Metropolitan circle.—To the deputy superintendent of this circle, 1st Grade
Assistant Surgeon Ramsoonder Ghose, were assigned the following thanas, viz. Dum-Dum,
Newabgunge, Nyehatty, Tababeriah, Kullinga, Degunga, Hurwa and Kalligunge, in the
24-Pergunnahs, to be re-vaccinated; and thana Coomercolly, in Nuddea, to be vaccinated for the
first time. One gang was deputed to vaccinate the last-named thana, which they completed
by the middle of January, when it became necessary to provide fresh work for them. In
consultation with Mr Peacock, the Magistrate of the 24-Pergunnahs, thanas Shatkhira,
Assassoonee, Kalligunge, and Bhowanipore, were added to the above list.
Difficulties
experienced.
The gangs that worked in the north half of the 24-Pergunnahs experienced great
difficulties. The thanas which were allotted to them had been once, and some twice, vaccin-
ated before, and in consequence the subjects requiring protection were all children of very
tender age—one, two, or three years. The parents of such young children were very reluct-
ant to allow them to be vaccinated, because inoculation was seldom or never practised
on children under five or six years; and even when they did consent to the vaccination
of their children, they flatly refused to allow any of the vaccinated children to be taken
to neighbouring villages to supply virus. Great coaxing, persuasion, and, with poor people,
bribing, were necessary to get over this last difficulty.
Prevalence of
fever.
Inoculation.
Another difficulty was the great prevalence of fever during the months of October
and November. Many children were laid up with fever, who, in consequence, had to be left
unprotected. In December the fever abated, and the work progressed favourably till February.
By that time the vaccinators had finished thanas Nyehatty, Newabgunge, Dum-Dum,
Ooriapara, and gone over to thanas Tababeriah, Baraset, Degunga, Hurwa, and Shatkhira.
When they had proceeded to the last-named thanas they met a formidable difficulty,
viz. inoculation on an extensive scale. It would appear that the police did not know any-
thing of the illegal practice, though, as I understand, it was being carried on very near to
some stations. Deputy Superintendent of Vaccination, Baboo Ramsoonder Ghose, discovered
this in the course of his tour, and lost no time in communicating with the sub-divisional
officers of Baraset, Basseerhat, and Shatkhira. Baboo Ishwar Chunder Mitter, Deputy
Magistrate of Basseerhat, adopted prompt measures, and put an immediate stop to the
illegal practice within his jurisdiction. The Joint-Magistrate of Baraset, Mr. Porter, also
punished the inoculators and stopped the practice in his sub-division. The Deputy Magistrate
of Shatkhira, it would seem, did not show much promptitude in checking the noxious and
illegal pratice. When the matter was brought to my notice, I wrote immediately to the
district magistrate, begging him to put a stop to inoculation at once. In the month of
March the deputy superintendent reported that the illegal practice had been stopped, except
in thanas Kullarowa, Shatkhira, and Assassoonee. I have since (April 1874) heard that
some inoculators were fined afterwards by the deputy magistrate of Shatkhira. The
inoculators were the only parties that were punished by fines or short imprisonment,
while the parents of the inoculated children escaped altogether. In my opinion both parties
should be punished, and the punishment should be not merely nominal fines, but also
imprisonment as well, considering the serious nature of the crime.
The difficulties enumerated above would satisfactorily account for a slight falling off in
the work of the 1st Metropolitan circle. The number vaccinated by this circle this year
is 80,621, against 83,807 of the previous season. The area of the country assigned to this
circle is 1,105 square miles, and population 807,423. The number of villages visited is
1,524, and the number vaccinated, as stated before, is 80,621, of whom the deputy superin-
tendent has inspected 61,203, or 75.91 per cent.
Degree of
protection afforded
by 1st circle.
The degree of protection afforded to the thanas visited by the first circle.—Thana
Coomercolly, in the north of Nuddea, has been thoroughly vaccinated, excepting seven villages
that absolutely refused to take vaccination. In the 24-Pergunnahs the following thanas
have been pretty thoroughly re-vaccinated, viz. Nyehatty, Newabgunge, Ariandoho, Dum-
Dum, Aryaparrah, Hurwa, Baraset and Degunga, with certain exceptions specified below.
Five villages of thana Dum-Dum absolutely refused to take vaccination, and also six villages
in Newabgunge, as well as the sudder bazar of Barrackpore, consisting of up-country Beharees,
who are against vaccination as well as inoculation. A few children of the bazar have,
however, been vaccinated, and an impression made on them. This bazar is a source of danger
to the cantonment, and will continue to be so as long as they are permitted to remain
unprotected. Ten villages of Degunga remained to be done as the season expired. Thanas
Kullinga, Shatkhira, Magoorah and Assassoonee, which had been only partially vaccinated
in 1870-71, have been nearly done during the last season. About two-thirds of thana
Tababeriah has been protected by vaccination, and one-third by inoculation. Thanas Sonar-
pore, Pertabnugger, and Kalligunge, have been partially re-vaccinated. Inoculation was