6
REPORT.
and if the plan succeeds the result would be gratifying, with very little cost to the State. As
for the district of Jessore, the superintendent of the Metropolitan circles is prepared to under-
take it with his existing establishment, and I have strongly recommended his proposal.
Beerbhoom has not yet been provided for, and small-pox rages there every year : something
ought to be done for that district. The civil surgeon will be asked to try and induce
inoculators to change their practice, and to vaccinate in their old beats under check and
supervision to be provided by Government. Dr. Charles's scheme is very sensible, but I
cannot recommend its adoption in these times of financial pressure. If the self-supporting
plans now under trial in Midnapore and Bankoora do not succeed, I will not hesitate to
support his scheme on the advent of better times than the present.
Superintendents.
Metropolitan
circles.
15. Dr. Charles brings to notice the zeal and industry of his superintendents. I have
much pleasure in supporting his commendations of these hard-working servants of Government.
The presidency vaccine establishment have done very good work, and the result is highly
creditable to Dr. Charles and his superintendents.
16. The Metropolitan circles.—Dr. Gupta held the superintendence of these circles
throughout the year. The establishment continued the same in strength as in the previous
year, and no changes of any importance occurred during the past year.
Two rates of pay.
17. During the non-working months, from April to August, the vaccinators got leave to
visit their homes, and when thus unemployed received two-thirds, and the apprentices one-half,
of their salaries. It was only natural that this reduction of pay coming into force for the
first time would produce some discontent; the vaccinators will gradually get reconciled to it.
The two rates of pay, viz. employed and unemployed, exist in all the other circles, and there is
no reason why an exception should be made in the case of the Metropolitan circles.
Plan of operations.
18 A sensible plan of operations was prepared by Dr. Gupta and submitted to Govern-
ment for approval. The scheme being approved of, due preparations were made to carry out
the programme. I am glad to observe that the civil authorities were kept informed of all
actual or intended operations, and their advice and assistance were sought. This was as it
should be. The plan of supplying each gang of vaccinators with a little box containing some
of the common medicines was excellent, and it proved very useful and of great service to
the men when they worked in the malarious villages of Hooghly and Burdwan.
19. Definite areas were assigned to the three circles: the first circle were employed
chiefly in the north half of the 24-Pergunnahs, the second in the Hooghly, and the third chiefly
in the Burdwan district. Sickness somewhat interfered with the season's work, especially in
the Hooghly and Burdwan districts. Dr. Gupta has minutely described the operations of the
three circles. In places that were vaccinated a second time, a new obstacle was encountered,
viz. difficulty in procuring vaccinifers, i.e. vaccinated children to supply lymph from their arms.
It was not, however, so bad as in other districts and provinces, and it is to be hoped that the
prejudices of the people will in time entirely disappear. Another obstacle mentioned by
Dr. Gupta was the illegal practice of inoculation in the eastern parts of the 24-Pergunnahs on
an extensive scale. It is what may be termed a preventible difficulty, since it might have been
prevented altogether if the police had been a little more vigilant. The practice of inoculation
gave rise to small-pox, which assumed an epidemic form in thana Kullaroab. A large
party of vaccinators had to be kept at work from April to the end of July before the disease
could be completely arrested.
Number of
operations and
their results.
20. The total number of operations was 306,662, and of primary successful cases
305,968. To this must be added 4,855 successful vaccinations out of 4,859 performed
by municipal vaccinators, as described in parapraph 20 of Dr. Gupta's report, and 5,540
successful vaccinations (out of 5,813) performed in Burdwan, Hooghly, Howrah, and
Serampore by the local municipal vaccinators. Excluding 9,468 done in the Beerbhoom and
Bankoora districts, we will then have a grand total of 316,865 successful vaccinations, which,
among a population of 7,539,278, gives a percentage of 4.07. This must exceed the birth-
rate, taking 30 per 1,000 per annum. It is very satisfactory to observe that the amount
of work accomplished last year has more than fully sustained the hope I expressed in the
previous report.
Degree of
protection afforded.
Ratio of success.
Dr. Gupta gives an approximate estimate of the degree of protection which has been
afforded to the areas undertaken during the last season. He promises to give the results
of a vaccine census of the same area, which is now being collected, in next year's report.
The high standard of success has been fully maintained. The percentage of successful
cases is 99.80, and Dr. Gupta's inspection has verified its reality within .05, it being 99.75
from the table of his inspection. This result is highly satisfactory, and leaves nothing to
be desired. It is due to the invariable adoption of the arm-to-arm system of vaccination,
and to scrupulous care in operating and in selecting good virus. Each vaccinator,
including the 24 apprentices, performed 2,690 operations, against 2,967 in 1872-73. The
decrease is more apparent than real, because, in calculating the average of last year the
24 apprentices were not taken into account. The total cost of these circles has risen from
Rs. 31,797 of last year to Rs. 35,626, owing to the superintendent having drawn his pay
and house-rent all the year round instead of only six months, as during 1872-73; but