SONTHAL PERGUNNAHS.
53
Ex-inoculators.
several villages, and many lives were sacrified. The origin of the outbreak in Godda, as
given by the people, was traced to contagion from certain villages in the Bhagulpore district.
15. Inoculators.—Besides the five inoculators mentioned in my last annual report, four
inoculators of Rajmehal sub-division and two of Pakour have last year received instructions
from me how to vaccinate, and were allowed to practice vaccination on their own account.
We had thus a batch of seven converted inoculators for Rajmehal and four for Pakour.
Among the former, Bany Madhub Chuckerbutty, with Ukoor Churn Doss, had worked
in 25 villages in Rajmehal sub-division, and vaccinated a total number of 1,430 cases,
of which about 1,300 were successful; Ram Tarun Chatterjee in 21 villages of the same
sub-division, a total number of 1,262 cases, of which 1,062 were successful; Bycunto Nath
Banerjea in four villages of the same sub-division, a total number of 190 cases, of which 150
were successful; Bepin Behari Acharjya, in two villages of Rajmehal, a total number of 83
cases, of which 65 were successful; and Sree Nath Doss in two villages of the same sub-
division, a total number of 47 cases, of which 30 were successful. Thus we have 54 villages
in Rajmehal sub-division protected by six converted inoculators, with a total number of 3,012
vaccinations and 2,607 successful operations, without any cost to Government.
This, together with the number done by the Government agency, gives a total for
Rajmehal of 6,361 vaccinations performed last year, a number which exceeds the annual
birth-rate.
Inoculator Bycunto Nath Banerjea also vaccinated in five villages of Godda sub-division
a total number of 250 cases, of which 210 were successful. One of the Rajmehal inoculators,
viz. Ram Rutton Mundel, and the four Pakour inoculators, have not done any work during
the season. The latter perhaps could not find a footing, owing to the rapid progress of the
Government vaccinators in Pakour.
16. I inspected the work of the inoculators two or three times on an average during
the season, and am glad to say that I noticed a decided improvement in their operations.
Most of them worked with a good vesicle; and what was particularly remarkable was that
they had in most cases carried out my instructions in observing a uniform system with my
vaccinators and operating on the upper arm. The fact that they succeeded in carrying on their
practice by thus acting in direct opposition to their old-established customs speaks well for
vaccination, and encourages us with a hope that the day is not very far distant when vaccin-
ation may, in certain places at least of Rajmehal sub-division, be rendered self-supporting.
17. This system of making the inoculators operate only on the upper arm, as is done
by vaccinators, appears in my humble opinion to strengthen the cause of vaccination a
great deal. Inoculators are then totally deprived of the chance of playing any deception
either upon us or the people, or of disparaging vaccination by keeping up an impression in
the minds of the people that they were practising in their old mode. On the other hand
they feel themselves bound, as it were, to make it their interest to plead for vaccination, and
to talk of its advantages over the old practice of inoculation.
The people also see their old inoculators practising, not in their old mode, but in the
new mode prescribed by the Government, and are taught to acquiesce in it, feeling convinced
that the old mode has been done away with. They by and by witness its beneficial effects,
and learn to court it for its own sake.
This system, however, will only succeed where the inoculators work at a distance from
Government vaccinators, and in places where vaccination is, to a certain extent, known. In the
existence of these two conditions lies the chief secret of the success of Rajmehal inoculators.
Inoculation in
Rajmehal.
18. In the sub-division of Rajmehal inoculation was this year known to have been
practised in one or two places only; but it was carried on so secretly, and the places were
so remote from the field of our operations, as to make it evident that the practice does not
find so much favour with the people now as it used to do before.
19. While at Godda for the purpose of inspecting, I took occasion to instruct two
inoculators, named Nobin Chunder Banerjee and Harma Manjhee, whom I found there
The first had been vaccinating for months past, but it was found, upon an inspec-
tion of his work in two or three villages, that he had been practising a spurious kind of
vaccination. He was therefore severely reprimanded, and taught the proper method of
operating. He has since acted up to my instructions. I also took occasion to inspect the
work of two or three more inoculators who were working at Godda. One of these, named
Noyan Poojhoree, had in the year 1871-72 worked under my immediate supervision in
the Pakour sub-division, and I found that he had this year worked at Godda with satisfaction.
I had on a subsequent visit taken particular pains to instruct six more inoculators
belonging to Godda in the art of vaccination; but as this does not fall within the year
under report, I withhold any particular description of it.
20. On the whole there were seven converted inoculators at work in Godda sub-
division last year, under the immediate supervision of the hospital assistant there. They
had vaccinated in 20 villages, 17 of which were infected with small-pox. The total
number of operations performed by them was 1,898, of which 957 were ascertained to have