28
RANCHEE CIRCLE.
work of the year brought to a close in the neighbourhood of Jhiko Chuttee
near the margin of last year's extension from Bijlia. The sketch map shows
how this party's work supplements what was done last year. Five hundred
and forty-two villages were visited by the vaccinators, and of 16,866 cases 99.43
per cent. were successful.
Work satisfactorily
done
Inoculators attach
ed to the party.
6. In November I found that one or two outlying " jungly" tolahs had
been overlooked; they were immediately undertaken. Superintendence was
not made easier by nearly all the people in many villages being wholly or partly
drunk, and the vaccinators' work is hindered and made less satisfactory by
this custom of the Coles. The party under Elahee Bux has worked most
satisfactorily during the past year. The native superintendent has been most
enthusiastic and hard-working, and he has well earned his great success. One
vaccinator had to be discharged for idleness and disobedience of orders, and a
trained man was appointed, who has turned out well. The conduct of the
vaccinators has otherwise been very good, and they have a great deal of the
spirit of their native superintendent. In particular Sheikh Wahid Ally, after
tedious illness in the non-working season, deserves great praise. From Novem-
ber to March he accomplished 3,000 cases, 2,999 of which were successful,
counting second operations. Seven inoculators were attached to this party for
purposes of instruction and supervision. An inspection of the work showed
them to be fair vaccinators, and only practice with supervision is needed to
complete their education.
Assistance render-
ed by influential
natives
The help given by influential natives,—Gopaul.Shahee, a son of the late
Maharajah of Chota Nagpore, and almost all the zemindars, was considerable.
The zemindar of Rampore particularly requested that his villages should be
visited, and as they lay in the " birt" of inoculator Kashi Panda, of Jingi,
who was being taught vaccination, they were taken in hand by him in company
with a vaccinator.
Proceedings of a
second party.
Vaccinators
de-
tached
from
party to suppress
small-pox
7. Native Superintendent Mahomed Ishak Khan and his party of six vaccin-
ators also began operations in November in Ranchee Bazaar. A definite area in
Ranchee thannah had been assigned to them, lying between the old and the new
road to Hazareebagh, and this was entered upon in November and finished in
January. The direction of the party was then west as far as Ginjo, and south
towards Ranchee, striking the eastern margin of the ground occupied in 1870-71.
The men worked well, although not quite up to the vaccinators under Elahee
Bux; 182 villages were visited and 11,629 cases obtained, with an average
success of 99.01 per cent. In December a vaccinator had to be sent to
Pachamba sub-division of Hazareebagh district, and, as small-pox had appeared,
he had to stay in that neighbourhood for the rest of the season. In January
another man was demanded for Chuttra, a large town of Hazareebagh, and he
likewise has had to remain on account of small-pox. The strength of the party
under Mahomed Ishak Khan was thus early reduced to four vaccinators, of whom
one man was laid up for a time with dysentery. In February one of the men
deserted his post and went home, and a trained man was put in his place.*
A Christian Cole and three inoculators from Maunbhoom were attached to
this party to learn vaccination.
Assistance rendered
by a native
8. Much help was rendered by the Pergunnite of Pitorea, who came
forward at once and assisted us effectually by example and otherwise; his children
were successfully vaccinated, as I have the opportunity of seeing.
The baid attached to his establishment personally helped the native
superintendent in arranging for the vaccination of twenty-four villages in
the neighbourhood. As a contrast to this, at Borea, a large village
full of Brahmin zemindars, objection was made before me to the time of
year—harvest—when they were first offered vaccination, but afterwards, when
all the villages round had been finished, they were persuaded to employ the
vaccinators.
* These " Omedwars" are picked from among those who apply for appointments and can read and write; they
are then instructed in vaccination, and there are generally two or three ready for appointment when a vacancy occurs.