RANCHEE CIRCLE.
15
forward with their children to be vaccinated. Two of the inoculators were apprehended, and
two absconded. The arrested men were sent up for trial at Loharduggah, but through some
mistake were ultimately released.
10. In the end of December another outbreak was reported to have occurred at village
Doyra, in Chyebassa district, and on 1st January two vaccinators were despatched thither from
the Loharduggah party, and vaccinated a considerable number of people; but as it was found
impracticable to inspect these cases, they do not appear in the returns. They met with fair
success in Chyebassa, but one man was said to be objected to on account of caste. I have
since had to discharge him for insubordination.
11. Altogether eight men were convicted of inoculating and sentenced to small fines,
and warned by the deputy commissioner of Loharduggah. During the month of March
some of the men had been working near Sillee, 35 miles east of Ranchee, and others near
Palkot, 60 miles to the south-west. No outbreak of small-pox has been reported from Palkot,
but from Sillee the disease was reported epidemic on 14th March. Vaccinators were
repeatedly sent, and although the people were unwilling to be vaccinated on the first occasion,
they have since allowed, and even requested, vaccinators to work there.
12. II.—Hazareebaugh.—In this district work was begun on November 7th. Contrary
to my directions the party of vaccinators was divided; three men being sent by the native
superintendent to the vicinity of Burhee, and three working close to Hazareebaugh. I arrived
at Hazareebaugh on the 20th December, and after inspecting the work of the men there, and
dismissing one man for idleness and inefficiency, went on to Burhee, 25 miles, where the
others were found to have had fair success. But as only one man of them could write and the
native superintendent could not look closely after their operations, they were sent back to
Hazareebaugh after closing the work near Burhee. On 2nd January the whole party was
working in the vicinity of Hazareebaugh, and the native superintendent was directed to
work to the southward, so as to be able, in the end of February, to enter Loharduggah
division and get upon higher ground.
13. This plan was carried out, and at Ramgurh, 25 miles to the southward, and half way
between Hazareebaugh and Ranchee, I found that the zemindar had given every assistance
to the vaccinators, and a fair amount of work had been done when I re-visited that place in
March. In March the party moved southwards into Loharduggah district, and returned to
head-quarters in the beginning of April. In 177 villages 6,200 vaccinations were performed.
No charges against inoculators have been made in the Hazareebaugh courts since March 1869.
14. From only one place has small-pox been reported in this district; the vaccinating
party were then in the neighbourhood and vaccinated the people in one of the affected
villages. The people of the other village refused vaccination.
15. III.—Maunbhoom.—The native superintendent in charge of the party which worked
in Maunbhoom district during the season was appointed by Dr. Hoskins on 25th July 1869.
He, as mentioned above, had been trained under Dr. Watson, Superintendent of Vaccina-
tion, Allahabad, and has worked satisfactorily. As previously stated, he and his party were
engaged in Loharduggah district during November. In the beginning of December they
entered Maunbhoom and spent some time in the west of that district near village Jhalda,
trying to persuade the villagers to adopt vaccination, but without success. He then went
to Purulia, the head-quarters of the district, and with the assistance of the civil medical
officer, and of the Lutheran missionary, began operations in and near the sudder station.
16. From that time the men were steadily employed till the end of the season, and
considering that the people of Maunbhoom are chiefly Bengalis, and the Act prohibiting
inoculation had only lately come into force in the district, and is not yet generally known,
the success of this party has been great. No objection was offered to my inspecting those
who had been vaccinated. 3,309 persons were vaccinated in 40 villages.
17. The magistrate wished to have the former inoculators employed as vaccinators,
but, as in the case of Chyebassa, to be referred to presently, I did not see my way to furthering
that object. No persons were tried for inoculating in the Maunbhoom courts during the
year.
18. IV.—Chyebassa.—The work done by Government vaccinators in this district during
the season was confined to the operations of the two men before alluded to, sent from the
Loharduggah party on account of small-pox having been reported. Both the deputy com-
missioner and the civil surgeon wished to engage some of the old inoculators and communi-
cated with me on the subject; but since there were no arrangements proposed for the inspec-
tion of the work of such, and no provision for their payment had been made in the budget
estimate, and for other reasons, I could not further the wishes of these gentlemen so far