ABSTRACT OF REPORTS BY CIVIL SURGEONS.
35
given them. The Civil Surgeon frequently inspected the cases in Durbhunga and also in
the sub-divisions when he visited them. There were 3,967 successful cases out of a total of
4,024 operations, the total of the year previous being 24,128. This considerable falling off
is attributed by Dr. Bovill, the Civil Surgeon, to the want of funds to pay vaccinators and
inspectors, the late commencement of the vaccine season, and to his being near to the district.
The people in general are favorably disposed towards vaccination, but in some parts of the
district the practice of inoculation is very prevalent. Eighty-nine persons out of 110
examined in the Modhubani sub-divisional school were inoculated. No epidemic of small-pox
occurred.
Sarun.—Twenty-eight vaccinators in all were employed by the municipalities of Sewan,
Chupra, Hitwa, Bhory, Revelgunge, and Gopalgunge, some permanently and others tempo-
rarily. Their work was inspected by Dr. Russell, the Civil Surgeon, and the medical subordi-
nates attached to the dispensaries of these several places. There is an increase of 733 this
year over the total number of operations, 5,255, in the year previous. There were 5,988
vaccinations with 5,315 successful cases during the past vaccine season. The people are
fairly reconciled to vaccination in the municipalities, but hostile to it in the district where
inoculation, which is prohibited within the limits of the municipalities of Chupra, Sewan, and
Revelgunge, is still practised to a small extent. No inoculators were engaged since,
Dr. Russell says, " as a class they are untrustworthy." There was no epidemic or unusual
prevalence of small-pox at any time during the year.
Chumparun.—Five vaccinators in all were employed during the year, one of whom
worked for a fortnight and then resigned. Only one man was paid by Government, the rest
from municipal and dispensary funds; two were employed at Bettiah, and one each at
Motihari, Barhurwah, and Bagaha. The total number of operations performed during the
year was 2,394, against 9,020 in the previous year. This considerable falling off is due to the
fact that five vaccinators only were employed during the year under report, while in the year
previous the work done by these men was supplemented by that of an additional staff of 60
ex-inoculators, all of whom, Dr. Meadows says, " refused to use our lymph or work for us, on
the plea that our system gave a lot of trouble without any reward, the people disliked it, and
objected strongly, and lastly, that they, the ex-inoculators, preferred to act independently
and take their own fees," which they did, but instead of vaccinating they inoculated on the
upper part of the arm so as to deceive those who inspected the work. The work was more con-
fined to municipalities and the immediate neighbourhood of dispensaries than in former years.
Inoculation, which is prohibited only in Bettiah and Motihari, is much practised and is
preferred by the people to vaccination. Small-pox was very prevalent in a sporadic form,
and though a number of vaccinators were at work to suppress it yet they were insufficient.
BHAGULPORE DIVISION.
Monghyr.—The vaccine establishment of this district consisted of four vaccinators, paid
by the municipalities of Jamalpore and Monghyr, and two at Khurruckpore, paid by the
Durbhunga Raj, the monthly salaries of all six being Rs. 10 in the vaccine season and Rs. 5
during the recess. Two hundred and ninety-eight ex-inoculators were also licensed to practise
vaccination, but it is suspected that they inoculate secretly throughout the district. The total
number of operations was 1,938, against 1,652 in the year previous: 1,738 were successful.
The ex-inoculators operated on 12,795 cases. The people, European as well as Natives, hold
aloof from vaccination, and it is too much to expect the latter to regard it favorably when
the former set a bad example. Dr. Laurie records the case of a European lodging house-
keeper turning out one of her lodgers for having her baby vaccinated. No measures were
taken to train inoculators throughout the past years. They receive licenses and send in cooked
returns. The licenses are evidently a cloak under which they carry on inoculation without
much fear of detection. Small-pox was epidemic and very prevalent in Monghyr. Four
hundred and thirty-four cases and 68 deaths were reported by the police, but the number
of such most probably must have been more as the disease was of a most severe type.
Dr. Laurie states that, having taken charge in March last, he was unable to furnish a report
of any value, as no material for basing such was left by his predecessor.
Bhagulpore.—The municipality of Bhagulpore employed a vaccinator on Rs. 5 a month
and 5 per cent. commission for the successful cases, from 15th October 1878 to 7th January
1879, when he was dismissed for neglect of duty His place could not be filled up. He
vaccinated 103 cases, of which 66 were successful, his work being inspected by the Civil
and Assistant Surgeons. The medical officers in charge of the Toolshia and Nauthnugger
dispensaries also operated on 86 and 6 cases respectively, but those of the other dispensaries
did not vaccinate at all. The people in general are very averse to vaccination and prefer
inoculation, which is still secretly practised. Sporadic cases of small-pox occurred in the
town of Bhagulpore and some other parts of the district, but at Colgong the disease was
prevalent.
Purneah.—Only the Purneah municipality employed one vaccinator on Rs. 10 a month,
and his services were utilized wherever subjects were available. The sub-divisional munici-
palities were willing to employ vaccinators, but trained men were not to be had. The
municipality man vaccinated 155 cases, of which 107 were successful. The people, especially
Mahomedans, are unfavorable to vaccination. Open and clandestine inoculation is carried