ABSTRACT OF REPORTS BY CIVIL SURGEONS.
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were not included in the annual returns of previous years. The vaccinator paid by the
Serampore municipality confines his operations within municipal limits, which include the
towns of Chatra, Bullabpore, Mohesh, Rishra, and Connaghur. There were 891 cases of
primary vaccinations, of which 883 were successful, as also were 21 re-vaccinations. The
people in general are favourably disposed towards vaccination and the educated classes
seek it; but there is a large number of Brahmins and Mahomedans who will not consent
to themselves or their children being protected. Among these, occurred cases of small-
pox in a sporadic form. The largest number of cases affected with this disease occurred
within the jurisdiction of Biddabatty outpost, where 14 cases with 6 deaths were reported
in the months of March and April. Inoculation is not carried on, nor were inoculators
trained to practise vaccination in this sub-division.
PRESIDENCY DIVISION.
24-Pergunnahs.—The regular work of vaccination of this district is carried on by the
Superintendent-General of Vaccination and all the returns go to his office, to which also are
submitted the return of municipal vaccinators. Last year some information was received
from the Bussirhat and Baraset dispensaries, but this year only from the latter, which
constitutes the district annual return and report. The municipality maintained from the
11th December 1878 to the 10th March 1879, and the villages from the 11th to 31st March
1879, one vaccinator whose work was confined to the town of Baraset, the villages within
the municipality, and to those in the neighbourhood where small-pox made its appearance.
452 persons were vaccinated, of whom 276 were within municipal limits. There were 372
successful primary vaccinations and 45 out of 51 re-vaccinations. The work was inspected
by the Assistant Surgeon, who states that the people are not hostile to vaccination, but
that a few higher class Mahomedans are still reluctant to admit the vaccinator into their
zenanas before their young females who were not vaccinated in early life, and remarks that
unless vaccination is made compulsory thorough protection is impracticable. There was
no epidemic visitation of small-pox, though it occurred in many villages and was sup-
pressed by the villagers who employed the municipal vaccinator on its first appearance and
remunerated him by fees. Incoulation is not heard of, and there are no means at hand
to invite and train up inoculators and supervise their work.
Jessore.—In this district vaccination was carried on by vaccinators and ex-inoculators.
The dispensaries of Sreedhurpore, Chandra, Khoolna, and Doulatpore employed each a vac-
cinator for certain periods at Rs. 10 per mensem. One was also entertained at Nuldanga
dispensary at the beginning of the season, but his services were dispensed with by the
Secretary, who stated that the people were unwilling to allow their children to be vaccinated
as fever was very prevalent. The Jessore municipality employed two vaccinators, from
12th November 1878 to 10th March 1879, each on a salary of Rs. 10 per month. They
worked within municipal limits which were equally divided between them. The vaccinators
attached to the dispensaries vaccinated in the neighbouring villages. Vaccination was
first commenced in the jail with lymph received from the Superintendent-General of Vacci-
nation, the Civil Surgeon inspecting all the jail cases and, occasionally, the work done by
the municipal vaccinators. The work of the vaccinators attached to the different dispensaries
was under the superintendence of the civil hospital assistants in charge of those institu-
tions. The amount of work this year is very much less than that of the year previous,
but this is chiefly owing to the fact that the returns of the ex-inoculators have not been
included in this year's general return. This year small-pox was very prevalent, especially
in Kotwally, Gudkhally, and Monirampore, in the sudder sub-division, and Shalkea in
Magoora, to which places vaccinators and ex-inoculators were sent to stamp out the
disease. Inoculation though prohibited is still practised occasionally and preferred by the
people to vaccination. Sixteen inoculators were prosecuted and punished, which seems to
have had a salutary effect in checking the practice. Dr. Gordon Price, the Civil Surgeon,
inaugurated a class for the tution of ex-inoculators in the practice of vaccination, but being
informed that the Vaccination Department had taken up this work, he dismissed his class and
sent it at his request to join the gangs of the Superintendent of Vaccination, Metropolitan
Circles, which were working at the Monirampore and Kesubpore police-stations.
Moorshedabad.—Dr. S. M. Shircore, the Civil Surgeon, submits a complete and very
satisfactory report. Seven vaccinators were employed during the season, viz. two at Ber-
hampore dispensary, two at City Moorshedabad dispensary, and one each at the dispensaries
of Jungipore, Azimgunge, and Kandi. Of the seven men, the one attached to the Jungi-
pore dispensary was employed throughout the year, while the remaining six were engaged
for the season only, and all were paid at the rate of Rs. 10 per month by the municipali-
ties to which the dispensaries respectively belong, who also defrayed the cost of all vaccine
operations throughout this district during the year. There were 2,287 cases of primary
vaccination and 34 of re-vaccination, making a total of 2,321 cases. There were 2,213 suc-
cessful operations of the total number vaccinated, compared with the results of former years.
The work done during the season under report shows a decrease which is attributed by most
of the Assistant Surgeons to the unusually large number vaccinated last year by the men
of the metropolitan circles, who operated on the whole of the population throughout the
district. There was no epidemic outbreak of small-pox, though some cases did occur ; but
most of these are said to have been among people who had come from other parts of India.