ABSTRACTS OF REPORTS BY SUPERINTENDENTS.
29
before the district had been made over to the Metropolitan Circles. I am glad, however, to
find that the Civil Surgeon in his sanitary report mentions that the prevalence and fatality
of small-pox has lessened in this district since it was taken up by this circle, although a
large portion of it yet remains to be brought under its influence.
The above account of small-pox is the Superintendent's, but the mortuary returns of this
office show that the deaths from this disease in the area under operation amounted during the
year to 1,846, or at the rate of .12 per 1,000 of population. Of this number, Midnapore alone
registered 1,417 casualties, or at the rate of .55 per 1,000 of the population of the district.
April and May 1880, and March 1881, were the months in which the largest number of
casualties occurred. It is surprising that in the Superintendent's report no allusion is made
of this occurrence Evidently no report of it had reached him, and this simply indicates the
inefficiency of the establishment, which neither knew of it nor dealt with it.
Mortality among infants.
39. Of infants there died from all causes 31,393 during the year, and it has been already
shown that 38,138 infants were vaccinated. Contrasting
these figures with the estimated births—437,747—in the area,
under vaccination, the results are that 7.17 per cent. of the number died, 8.71 per cent. were
vaccinated, and the very large proportion of 84.12 per cent. remained unprotected.
General remarks.
40. The (Superintendent remarks that this circle performs the largest portion of the vaccin-
ation work in comparison with any other circle, as exempli-
fied by the yearly returns of the numbers vaccinated. During
this year the suburbs of Calcutta were transferred to his charge, and under the rules passed by
the Government on the subject in connection with the working of the Compulsory Vaccination
Act within this area, the control and supervision of the work have been vested in him.
Moreover, the vaccination work of the large Municipality of Howrah has been undertaken
by him, the Civil Surgeon not having the time to supervise it.
SUBURBS OF CALCUTTA.
41. An abstract of the report on vaccination in the Suburbs of Calcutta for 1880-81,
submitted by the Superintendent of Vaccination, Metropolitan Circles, is subjoined.
Establishment.
42. As has already mentioned the control and supervision of vaccination in the
Suburbs, hitherto vested in a Superintendent-General of
Vaccination, was transferred to the Superintendent of Vaccin-
ation, Metropolitan Circles. This was effected on the 1st of June 1880, and at the same
time the following establishment was made over to Dr. Gupta :—
1 Deputy Superintendent on Rs. 200 per mensem, with Rs. 60 for six months as
travelling allowance.
3 Head Vaccinators on Rs. 12 each.
9 Vaccinators on Rs. 10 each.
1 Vaccinator on Rs. 8.
The salary of the Deputy Superintendent is paid by Government, and those of the head
and other vaccinators by the Suburban Municipality. The total cost of the establishment
amounted during the year to Rs. 3,750-10-8. The Deputy Superintendent, Ashootosh Goopto,
died towards the end of September, and the vacancy was not filled up till the 1st of December,
when Assistant Surgeon Neem Chand Gupto was appointed. During the interval Deputy
Superintendent Rai Jadub Chunder Ghose, of the 3rd Metropolitan Circle, cheerfully
discharged the duties of the post in addition to those of his own. One vaccinator having
become affected with leprosy had to be discharged, and two more were dismissed for laziness
and incompetency, while a fourth was transferred to Howrah. The vacancies were filled up
by other men.
Plan and field of work.
43. The operations were confined to the Suburbs of Calcutta (including the cooly depôts)
which cover an area of about 24 square miles, and are divided
into 15 police-stations." The old plan of house-to-house
visitation was continued, as, although the Compulsory Vaccination Act V (B.C.) of 1880 was in
force from May 1880, the opening of public vaccine stations and the arrangements for giving
effect to the provisions of the law could not be completed up to the close of the year. As
on receiving over charge of the Suburbs the Superintendent was informed by Dr. Charles
that there had been a falling off of vaccination in south suburbs during the preceding year,
he at once took steps to make his staff work actively in both north and south suburbs. The
operations were carried on on a smaller scale from April to September 1880; but from
October the real work commenced, and was continued till the end of March 1881. Fresh
lymph from the arm was invariably used, and the virus kept up by arm-to-arm vaccination.
Its quality is reported to have been good, except in the case of one man during the hot
weather, who was cautioned. Assistance for the promotion of vaccination was generally
given by the suburban police. On the passing of the Compulsory Vaccination Act, above
referred to, in May, steps were taken to have it brought into operation in the Suburban
Municipality. Rules for giving effect to its provisions were framed in consultation with this
office; vaccine depôts and hours of attendance for people to get themselves vaccinated fixed
upon; and all the necessary details arranged. Since the close of the year the rules connected
with the working of the Act received the sanction of Government, and the working of the
Act has been placed under the Suburban Municipality, which is to bear the whole expen-
diture and receive the fees realized under the Act, on the understanding that the vaccine
h