60
VACCINATION IN THE PROVINCE OF BENGAL.
[Part II.
Mode of working.
Sickness interfered
with the work.
The men were divided into five gangs; the head man of each gang divided
his men into batches, consisting of one experienced man and a couple of
novices, and a group of villages was assigned to each batch, which was not
allowed to enter any new village till the work allotted to it had been completed.
The head vaccinator inspected the work of each batch every fifth or sixth day.
Sickness interfered somewhat with the work in all the thanas, but more
especially in Manickgunge and Jaffergunge.
Prejudices.
The prejudices of the people presented some obstructions, but clearly
there are no deep-rooted objections to vaccination.
Instruction to
inoculators.
An effort was made to instruct inoculators, who in this circle are chiefly
Chandals and Mallakors, with but ill success ; indeed only one man was en-
rolled and he proved to be apathetic.
Vaccine census.
A vaccine census was taken with the following results—Had small-pox 3.4
per cent., inoculated 66.2, vaccinated 25.8, unprotected 4.6. A total of 46,938
persons yielded these results.
Sonthal Pergunnahs
Circle.
Agency.
Sonthal Pergunnahs Circle.—This circle remained under the superintendence
of Assistant Surgeon Kali Krishna Ghose, who performed his duties with tact
and zeal. The establishment underwent no change, and consisted of one deputy
superintendent and six vaccinators; but besides this agency, which was paid
by Government, 59 inoculators were also engaged in vaccination.
Summary of work.
The work done by the establishment is thus summarised by the Surgeon
General in his report to the Bengal Government:—
The work performed by the establishment amounted to 15,039 against 11,071 in the
previous year. The number of successful cases was 14,456 against 10,490, showing an increase
of 3,968 operations and 3,966 successful cases. The percentage of success was 96.15 against
95.08,—a rise by 1.07 over the result of the previous year. Each vaccinator operated on an
average 2,506 against 1,845. The cost of each successful case was reduced from four annas one
and one-fifth pie to two annas 11.9 pie. These results are very satisfactory and highly creditable
to the deputy superintendent and his men. The area protected in previous years was
extended during the past season. One party of four vaccinators worked in the Pakour sub-
division and visited 163 villages; the other party, consisting of two men, carried on operations
in the Rajmehal sub-division in a systematic way, protecting village after village. Unfor-
tunately, the occurrence of small-pox in Godda and other places interfered with the regular
work, and vaccination was now performed by this party in a desultory fashion in order to
arrest the spread of the disease wherever it appeared.
Success.
The percentage of successful cases inspected was 96.21, while in the general
return it was 96.15. Each vaccinator's work was inspected about eight times.
Small-pox.
Small-pox was more than usually prevalent during the year; and, owing
to this circumstance, vaccination had to be carried on during the whole of the
non-working season, when 1,502 operations were performed under great diffi-
culties, and the percentage of success declined from 93.20 in April to 42.5 in
August. From April to September fourteen villages in the Rajmehal sub-
division, besides Rajmehal itself, were affected, and 73 deaths reported as
having occurred amongst them; but no less than 34 of these deaths occurred
in a single village inhabited by Feroizee Mahomedans. From October to
March fifteen villages in the same sub-division were attacked, and in them there
occurred from small-pox 37 deaths.
Ex-inoculators.
The work of the ex-inoculators was inspected two or three times and a
decided improvement was observed in its character. The work done by these
men is described under the heading " Dispensary Vaccination."
Instruction in vaccination was given to eight inoculators of Godda.
The superintendent attaches great importance to insisting upon ex-in-
oculators operating on the upper arm in opposition to the custom which selects
the forearm for inoculation, as it prevents the chance of their deceiving the
people with the pretence that they are keeping up the old system, and it com-
pels them openly to advocate and defend the cause of vaccination.
Vaccine census.
A vaccine census was taken, and a return is attached to the report giving
the results observed in twelve villages and one school. 59 per cent. were found
to be protected by inoculation. 27 per cent. by vaccination, 4.5 per cent.
by small-pox, and 7.7 were unprotected in any way.