4
REPORT OF VACCINATION IN BENGAL
elsewhere, to be more conservative than other classes of the population. This is also observable
in the returns of the Eastern Bengal circle, and in the general result for the whole
province.
General
conclusion.
On the whole, with this reservation, it will be observed that vaccination reaches the
different classes of the community pretty equally: and it is satisfactory to notice that the
vaccine and census returns, collected on such a different system, for such different purposes,
and so independently of each other, agree so closely.
Age of those
vaccinated.
Comparison with
past years.
Cause of paucity
of infant
vaccinations.
STATEMENT No. VIII.
CIRCLE.
Calcutta and Suburbs
...
...
...
...
Metropolitan Circles
...
...
...
Darjeeling Circle
...
...
...
Ranchee
„
...
...
...
Sonthal Pergunnahs Circle
...
...
...
Eastern Bengal
„
...
...
...
Dispensary vaccination
...
...
...
1874-75.
1873-74.
PERCENTAGE
Under one
year.
21.8
8.2
6.6
5.3
8.2
8.4
15.05
Above one
year.
78.2
91.8
93.4
94.7
91.8
91.6
84.95
Under one
year.
23.2
5.2
4.5
4.6
13.4
7.9
17.3
Above one
year.
76.8
94.8
95.5
95.4
86.6
92.1
82.7
8. Age of the vaccinated.—In 848,914 cases this was registered, and of these 79,851 were
under and 769,063 over
one year, or 9.4 and 90.6
per cent., against 6 and
94 in 1873-74, and 10
and 90 in 1872-73. The
comparatively favourable
proportion of the latter
year has therefore been
very nearly restored; but
the proportion of infant
vaccinations is still very
small. This is due to
the prejudices of the
people, and represents a
relic of the feeling en-
gendered by the practice
of inoculation,
from
which infants of tender years were, on account of its greater risk to them, exempted. Calcutta
maintains its position at the head of the scale. Dispensary vaccination, as before, comes
next, but the figures are perhaps scarcely as reliable. The circles all exhibit some improve-
ment, the Sonthal Pergunnahs excepted. Ranchee is the lowest in the scale. An excess of
prejudice could hardly be looked for here d priori, but it must be remembered that the
operations of the circle establishment are mainly confined to the two districts (Hazareebagh
and Ranchee) where inoculation had obtained the strongest hold, and which have been to the
greatest degree invaded by the Bengali.
Cost of vaccination.
Cost of vaccine
circles.
Cost per successful
case.
STATEMENT No. IX.
CIRCLE
Calcutta Suburbs
...
...
...
Metropolitan Circles
...
...
Darjeeling Circle
...
...
Ranchee
„
...
...
Sonthal Pergunnahs
Circle...
...
Eastern Bengal
„
...
...
Dispensary vaccination
...
...
Average ...
Average cost of each
successful case.
1874-75.
A.
6
1
2
7
2
1
0
1
P.
11
6
6
5
6
8
10
10
1873-74.
A.
8
1
3
5
2
1
1
2
P.
0
10
0 0
11
11 1
0
9. Cost of vaccination.—The aggregate cost of vaccination, as shown in Table A, was
Rs. 102,069-2-3, against Rs. 98,207-6-3 in
1873-74—an increase of Rs. 3,861-120, due to
the higher cost of the circles. The cost
to Government of vaccination amounted to
Rs. 92,412-10-10, or about 90 per cent. of the
whole, municipalities and local sources furnishing
the remaining 10 per cent. The circles cost
Rs. 92,145-3-7, as shown by Table III, which fell
considerably within the sanctioned amount. The
Sonthal Pergunnahs was the only circle which
exceeded the sanctioned grant, and this was caused
by increased establishment called for on account
of the prevalence of small-pox. Of the above-
mentioned sum Government paid the whole
except Rs. 3,758, contributed by the Calcutta City and Suburban Municipalities. In relation
to the work done (cost per successful case), there has been a satisfactory reduction, and this is
common to all the agencies at work, with the exception of the Ranchee circle, where the cost
per case was higher on account of the smaller outturn of work. The figure for the Metro-
politan circles is exceedingly creditable, and I am glad to see that the cost per case in Calcutta
is so low as compared with previous years.
10. I shall now proceed to give a brief sketch of the proceedings of each vaccine circle,
summarising the reports submitted by the several superintendents, and presenting extracts
from these, when such appears desirable.
CALCUTTA AND
ITS SUBURBS
Superintendent.
11. Calcutta and its Suburbs.—The report for the year is submitted by Surgeon-Major
T. Edmonston Charles, M.D., who superintended vaccine operations within the limits of the
Urban and Suburban Municipalities throughout the year.
Establishment.
12. The sanctioned establishment remained the same. One vaccinator died, another
had to be discharged for drunkenness, and, in February, small-pox was assuming so threaten-
ing an aspect, that in order to stamp it out five extra vaccinators were entertained for the
month of March. Their pay was provided from savings effected elsewhere.