ABSTRACTS OF REPORTS BY SUPERINTENDENTS.
41
Attitude towards vaccination.
79. The Rajah of Jushpore directed his subjects to refuse vaccination at the hands of
the licensed vaccinators, and it was only after the Commis-
sioner of Chota Nagpore, to whom the matter was reported,
had communicated with the Rajah that the vaccinators were able to commence operations.
They, however, complained that they were not remunerated for 1,500 cases, as the Rajah had
ordered the forfeiture of Rs. 150. The Superintendent remarks that if the Rajah should
continue this line of conduct it will be difficult in future seasons to get licensed vaccinators
to work in the estate, and he suggests that the Rajah be called upon to maintain a Native
Superintendent. At Korea, again, 400 persons could not be vaccinated, as the Chief of the
place was opposed to the measure. The Deputy Superintendent of Singbhoom reports that
the zemindar of Seraikela obstinately refused to allow vaccination to be carried on in his
village notwithstanding that he was told of the efficacy of the measure, and the Deputy
Commissioner had issued a perwannah requesting him to allow vaccination. The zemindars
of Doogni and Banksai, being his subordinates, followed his example. Consequently these
three villages remained unprotected. It appears also that the zemindars of Seraikela and
Doogni compelled the vaccinators to levy a fee of 4 annas from each male and 2 annas
from each female whom they vaccinated, and appropriated to themselves one-fourth of the
proceeds thus realized. Again in many villages the zemindars collected the vaccinators'
fees through their own men, and thus the vaccinators on the one hand and the zemindars'
men on the other hand appropriated to themselves as much as they could collect. It was
brought to the notice of the Superintendent during the year that small-pox was, as observed
in the sanitary report for 1879, persistently prevailing in Ranchi, the head-quarters of
the vaccination circle, without its being rooted out. The Superintendent replied that the
disease was endemic at Ranchi to a small extent, owing to the resistance offered to vaccin-
ation by a small section of high-caste people in the bazar; and he remarked that unless this
resistance can be overcome by the assistance of the civil authorities, Ranchi cannot be
considered as protected. I believe the real reason of the persistence of small-pox in
Lohardugga is that the district has never been systematically protected. Various agencies
have been employed, which have moved over the district in a desultory way, but never
thoroughly vaccinated the people. On the whole, of the entire Native community the
Brahmins and Rajpoots were most opposed to vaccination. In Hosseinabad the people in
many villages were almost entirely composed of these classes, and they offered considerable
resistance to the measure, until they were finally persuaded to submit to it.
Local aid given for the promotion of
vaccination.
80. The Deputy Commissioners of Manbhoom, Singbhoom and Ranchi, the Assistant
Commissioner of the last-named district, the Assistant
Commissioner of Palamow, and the Manager of the Sir-
goojah estate, afforded valuable aid in promoting the work
of vaccination. The Deputy Commissioner of Manbhoom, on learning from the Deputy
Superintendent that vaccination was strongly opposed in the village of Jhalda, proceeded
to the village, had himself vaccinated, and went from house to house and induced the
people to accept it. Thus more than 700 operations were performed during his stay
Inoculation.
81. The Act prohibiting inoculation is in operation in the whole of Chota Nagpore
except the Tributary Mehals. There were no prosecutions
for inoculation during the year, but it appears that the Rajah
of Sirgoojah punished two inoculators on his estate. It is believed that the practice is
carried in the other Tributary Mehals to a limited extent, and in the Hazaribagh district
surreptitiously.
Prevalence of small-pox.
82. Outbreaks of small-pox were reported to have occurred at Ramghur in Hazaribagh,
Jhalda Roghoonathpore, Chas and Joypore in Manbhoom,
Rohi, Silli and Turpa, and some other villages in Lohar-
dugga, and in its sub-division Palamow. Vaccinators were sent to all these places, and they
vaccinated nearly all the unprotected. No new cases were reported from these places after
vaccination, except at Roghoonathpore, Chas and Joypore, where the disease was still prevail-
ing up to date of report, April 1881.
From the mortuary returns it is seen that excluding the Tributary Estates, from which
no returns are received, 1,383 deaths from small-pox, or at the rate of .42 per 1,000 of
population, occurred this year in the area under operation. The places that suffered at the
highest rates were—
Korea
...
...
Ramkundu
...
Manka
...
...
Korambi ...
Deaths.
211
89
64
126
Ratio per mille.
4.14
2.10
1.92
1.78
Lodma ... ...
Lohardugga ... ...
Ranchi ... ...
Deaths.
102
118
154
Ratio per mille.
1.60
1.26
1.21
—all situated in Lohardugga.
With reference to the outbreaks at Chorea, Tohor, Ramkundu and Gurwan, and also
in the town of Ranchi, the Deputy Commissioner brought to notice, on the statement of
the Assistant Commissioner, that in many parts of the sub-division of Palamow the people
are still at the mercy of wandering inoculators. Steps were taken to prevent this practice
under the law prohibiting it, which is in force here. It was also reported that in the
Beroo circle there has been no small-pox for several years.
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