ABSTRACT OF REPORTS BY CIVIL SURGEONS.
27
vaccinators under him were employed in the towns, villages, and district generally. The
attitude of the people, the Civil Surgeon says, is improving, especially among the better
classes of people. The practice of inoculation has diminished.
Darjeeling.—There was one vaccinator attached to the Darjeeling dispensary who worked
throughout the year, and was paid by the municipality Rs 12 per mensem. His duties
are properly confined to the limits of the municipality, but on special occasions he was
deputed to the neighbouring plantations where small-pox appeared. The total number of
vaccinations was 1,258, of which 1,246 were primary and 12 re-vaccination cases. The
number recorded as successful was 1,175 and 10. The work within the municipality had
been from time to time inspected by the Civil Surgeon and Hospital Assistant, and was
found to be of excellent quality. There was no difficulty met with in the limited area.
The people of the country court vaccination. The only opposition encountered is from the
Bengali clerks, who prefer inoculation, and endeavour to oppose the work of vaccination.
Inoculation is practised only to a small extent, hardly at all among the hill people.
Towards the plains it is more prevalent. Dr. Birch considers this district to be wonderfully
well protected, yet it is liable to frequent outbreaks of small-pox, due to immigration from
foreign territory.
Julpigoree.—There was no municipal or dispensary vaccination here. The vaccination
in Julpigoree was regularly carried on under the orders of the Superintendent of Vaccin-
ation, Darjeeling circle.
ORISSA DIVISION.
Cuttack.—No vaccinators were attached to the dispensaries in the Cuttack district.
The native doctor of each dispensary vaccinated in the neighbourhood of the town. In
Cuttack Town three vaccinators were employed by the municipality, who were paid full pay
at Rs. 10 and 5 during the working season, and two-thirds pay during the non-working
season, or from April to September. During the prevalence of small-pox in Cuttack, from
December 1879 to March 1880, three extra vaccinators at Rs 5 per month were entertained
by the municipality. The town was divided into certain sections, and a vaccinator appointed
to each, the area being the police thana of the locality. Influential residents, by example
and otherwise, often helped in the work. The Magistrate issued notices urging the people to
accept vaccination ; the police also rendered all legitimate assistance. Three thousand four
hundred and eighty primary and 620 secondary operations were performed, of which 1,895 and
394 respectively were returned successful. The whole town was visited periodically by the
Civil Surgeon; assistance was afforded to the vaccinators in their work, and their books
were checked in different places The Branch dispensary, in the centre of the town, was
established as the central depôt. The attitude and feeling of the people are still
hostile to vaccination.
They are greatly attached to the practice of inoculation,
and regard it more as a religious ceremony. Notwithstanding this, much progress,
Dr. Stewart says, has lately been made in overcoming their prejudices. Inoculation is
not yet interdicted in this district; the practice is carried on chiefly in the mofussil.
Inoculators were encouraged to apprentice themselves as vaccinators, and as many as were
qualified were entertained by the Superintendent of Vaccination.
Pooree.—One vaccinator, paid from the Pooree Lodging-house Fund, was employed
from 1st November 1879 to 31st March 1880. Another, paid from the Khorda Govern-
ment Estate Improvement Fund, was employed for two months under special sanction.
They were employed in the town of Pooree and of Pilpi and its neighbourhood, but their
complete vaccination could not be effected, as a great many unprotected persons in them
absolutely refused to be vaccinated; and the civil authorities, when appealed to, could not
compel them for want of legal power. The Civil Surgeon gives in detail the steps taken
by him to keep up a fresh supply of lymph. The total number of vaccinations was 1,051,
of which 1,036 were primary and 15 secondary operations. Of these numbers there were
returned as successful 841 and 15 respectively. Seven villages or divisions of the town
were visited by the Civil Surgeon who examined 132 cases, of which 126 were found to
be successful. The attitude of the people of the town is one of strong opposition, while
that of the people of the district, Dr. Gupta thinks, is one of passive opposition. Their
prejudices chiefly rest on religious grounds. The practice of inoculation was pretty widely
prevalent. During the year under review the Civil Surgeon reports that 911 persons
were inoculated, of these 718 persons recovered, and the result of 193 was not known.
No inoculators were trained during the past vaccine season. Dr. Gupta urges the necessity
of extending the provisions of Act IV (B.C.) of 1865 to the whole town of Pooree, or to a
limited part of it.
Balasore.—The operations of the one vaccinator employed by the municipality from
January to March 1880 were confined strictly within municipal limits. He vaccinated
on the whole 306 cases, of which 244 were found successful. The Civil Surgeon visited
ten villages, but no record was kept of the cases inspected by him. The attitude of the
people is not favorable to vaccination.
The Civil Surgeon personally endeavoured
to obtain the assistance of influential natives, but with poor success.
A large
proportion of the persons vaccinated belonged to the Native-Christian community.
Inoculation is prevalent in the district, but prohibited within the municipal limits.