ABSTRACTS OF REPORTS FROM CIVIL SURGEONS.
WESTERN DISTRICTS—BURDWAN DIVISION.
Burdwan district.
Burdwan district.—The large amount of vaccination done in this district has been
described in the special report on the Metropolitan circles, of the area of which it forms
a part.
The civil surgeon reports that he engaged one vaccinator from the staff of the Metropo-
litan circles on Rs. 12, paid out of the municipal funds, who worked within the municipal
limits, from 28th November 1873 to 31st March 1874. The number of people vaccinated
was 471, against 24 in the previous year, with a percentage of success of 98.89 in primary,
and 94.44 in secondary cases. The vaccinator's work was regularly inspected by the civil
surgeon and his assistant. Dr. French writes—"The work was very satisfactory, and the
lymph was excellent." He also reports there was less opposition, and he found the people
more willing than in previous years. He received many petitions for the despatch of vaccin-
ators to villages. Inoculation is not now carried on in the town. No inoculators were
trained by the civil surgeon himself, and he referred those that wished to learn vaccination
to the superintendent of the Metropolitan circles. There were a few outbreaks of small-
pox, which were promptly stamped out by the Metropolitan staff of vaccinators.
The returns of the branch dispensaries are blank, and no report is submitted, except from
Chuckdighee and Jehanabad. Assistant Surgeon Juddoo Nath Bose, of Chuckdighee, reports
that inoculation is seldom heard of, as the people have now learnt to appreciate the value of
vaccination. No case of small-pox came to his notice. Assistant Surgeon Rojoni Lal Sett,
of Jehanabad, reports that no vaccination was performed in the dispensary during the year.
Here it should be stated that the post of Government vaccinator in branch dispensaries was
abolished on the formation of the Metropolitan vaccine circles.
Raneegunge.
Raneegunge sub-division.—Mr. Roberts, civil medical officer, submits the vaccination
report of the Raneegunge and Assensole dispensaries. He engaged no vaccinator, but vaccin-
ated 72 persons with his own hand, of whom 39 were successful, with a percentage of 100
in primary, and 18 in secondary cases. The small percentage in re-vaccination is explained
by the fact that the subjects were all Europeans with good cicatrices.
There was small-pox in the Raneegunge bazar in April and May 1873, when the sub-
divisional officer got two vaccinators from the staff of the Metropolian circles, and partly
paid for their services. In January 1874 there was small-pox in Assensole, and two
vaccinators were sent by Dr. Gupta. Mr. Roberts reports that the people, chiefly up-country
Beharees, are opposed to vaccination. Inoculation is not now practised in the Raneegunge
sub-division.
Beerbhoom.
Beerbhoom district.—Dr. Barker engaged one vaccinator on Rs. 10, paid by Government
for seven months ; he worked generally within municipal limits, and vaccinated 256 persons,
against 491 in the previous year. Two hundred and fifty-six vaccinations in seven months, or
only 35 cases monthly, is rather small work; but it may be accounted for by the apathy and
unwillingness of the people. Dr. Barker and the native doctor inspected the greater part of the
cases. Sporadic cases of small-pox occurred almost every month during the year, but from
October the disease assumed an epidemic form. During 1873-74 there were 1,215 cases of
small-pox, and 283 deaths reported by the police. Dr. Barker did what he could for the sufferers
by deputing his native doctor with medicines for distribution, and then applied for a gang of
trained vaccinators from the Metropolitan staff. The gang deputed to Beerbhooom vaccinated
nearly 10,000 persons in four or five different thanas, and would have been able to do more
if any assistance had been rendered to them by the civil authorities. The disease has con-
siderably abated, but has not altogether ceased. Dr. Barker remarks—" The prejudice
against vaccination is also strong in the interior of the district, but owing to the prevalence
of small-pox many villages submitted to be vaccinated by the trained gang of vaccinators
obtained from the superintendent, Metropolitan circles. But I fear so long as inoculation
is not prohibited, small-pox will continue, and vaccination will make little progress."
Bankoora.
Bankoora.—Mr. Conolly has submitted a long report of the proceedings of the local
ex-inoculators. One Government vaccinator on Rs. 10 employed throughout the year, one
vaccinator paid Rs. 10 by the municipality for the working season only, and 59 unpaid ex-
inoculators were engaged in vaccination in the district. In the month of February five
vaccinators, under one head-vaccinator, from the staff of the Metropolitan circles arrived from
Calcutta, and worked for six weeks. In addition to the 59 ex-inoculators who worked, there
were 15 others who were instructed in vaccination during the year.