22
ABSTRACT OF REPORTS BY SUPERINTENDENTS.
prejudice against it will be weakened, and the report now submitted shows that this is being
effected by no slow steps."
BEHAR CIRCLE.
Report.—Assistant Surgeon Kally Doss Bose was in charge of the circle till the 19th
August,when he was relieved by Assistant Surgeon Mothura Nauth Sen, by whom the report
is submitted through the civil authorities. The report was received on the 26th June.
Establishment.—One Superintendent, five head, and 30 ordinary vaccinators, one clerk,
and one peon, formed the establishment sanctioned by Government. Of the vaccinators, two
head, 15 ordinary, and 15 temporary vaccinators were employed. The employment of these
temporary men from among the local inoculators reduced the expenditure, and is said to
have facilitated the work, the people being more easily induced by them than by those of
the regular establishment.
Recess.—Throughout the recess vaccination was kept up by arm-to-arm transmission.
Seven hundred and eighty-eight primary and 359 re-vaccination cases were operated, of which
748 and 229 respectively were successful.
Plan of employment.—The same plan of employment as in the preceding year was adopted,
i e. the vaccinators worked in gangs consisting of three or four ordinary vaccinators and
three or four temporary or local inoculators under the supervision of a head vaccinator. These
men were divided into three or four batches, with an ordinary vaccinator at the head
of each. To each of these batches a certain number of villages was assigned.
Working of the season.—The working of the season was confined, as in the previous
year, to the thanas Bankipore, Dinapore, Bikram, and Monair. The late Superintendent
proposed last year to extend the field of his operation with a view to show a larger
number of vaccinations; but the proposal was negatived, as it was not the object of Govern-
ment to have a large number of cases, so much as to have a certain defined area thoroughly
protected. The total number of operations performed amounted to 11,061, of which 10,601
were primary, and 460 re-vaccination cases. The number of successful cases, exclusive of
the result unknown, is said to be 10,184 and 256 respectively, or a percentage of 97.26 and
57.14. The total number of primary vaccination performed in the previous year was 11,952,
and in 1877-78, 15,443. This steady diminution the Superintendent attributes to the paucity
of unprotected children in a locality where the agency has been at work for the last four
and a half years, and to the general aversion of the people to vaccination. The average cost of
successful cases was seven annas and six pies.
Inspection.—The Superintendent travelled 1,523 miles by land and 199 miles by rail,
and inspected 6,235 cases, or 56.36 per cent. of the total number. The percentage of
success according to his inspection is 97.2, against 97.26 in the general returns.
Attitude of the people.—" Some of the Rajpoots and Babhons still look on vaccination
with great distrust and suspicion. Unreasonable men are not also wanting to connect it
with the imposition of fresh taxes. There is also a certain class who are neither inoculated
nor vaccinated, because they think that if they vaccinate or inoculate a child the child
must die. It is this class of people who persistently oppose all attempts to vaccination.
Reasonable persons, however, submit easily to vaccination, knowing that inoculation has
been prohibited by law."
Small-pox.—Outbreaks of small-pox were reported from the villages Bhita, Nariaurghat
and Kunchunpore. Of the 26 cases recorded from November to March, two were previously
vaccinated and the rest unprotected. The first-named village was partly protected by
inoculation and partly by vaccination; Nariaurghat was protected by vaccination ; and the
last-named village had neither inoculation nor vaccination since the extension of Act IV of
1865, except in the case of a child who was vaccinated. From April to October 1879
61 persons were also reported to have been attacked with small-pox, but there was no death.
Inoculation.—Inoculation was practised here and there. Three inoculators were pro-
secuted and punished. These men, who secretly ply their trade during the recess, often
preach against vaccination to induce the people to inoculation.
Conduct of establishment.—The Superintendent reports that the establishment worked
well and to his entire satisfaction, with the exception of two or three vaccinators.
Mr. Edgar, the Officiating Commissioner of Patna, in reviewing the report, remarks
as follows:—
" With regard to the question as to whether the circle should be retained, I have not
had experience enough to give a definite opinion, though it seems clear that the decrease in
the progress of vaccination is not owing to temporary and passing causes. It is possible
that the dislike of the people to vaccination is not being overcome, but is rather on the
increase. The prejudices of the natives against vaccination seem to be so deep-rooted that
no amount of persuasion or pressure is likely to eradicate them.
" The Superintendent attempts to show that much has already been done, the total
number of persons vaccinated during the 4½ years that the circle has been in existence being
54,215. This number, he says, represents, besides the children born during the period, more
than 3,000 adults who had not been previously inoculated.
I find, however, from the returns that the total number of
primary vaccinations effected during the last 4½ years was
53,706,* or 14.2 per cent. of the population of the limits of
the circle. This is hardly a fair outturn, considering the
large expenditure at which this result has been attained."
* 1875-76 ... ... ...
1876-77 ... ... ...
1877-78 ... ... ...
1878-79 ... ... ...
1879-80 ... ... ...
4,310
11,400
15,443
11,952
10,601