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Vaccination direct from local
calves.
16. The system of using locally raised calf lymph is an excellent one, and
well suited for the requirement of many places in
Bengal, where large numbers of persons have to
be vaccinated within a limited time, as in munici-
palities, jails, factories, lunatic asylums, tea-gardens, &c., and during outbreaks
of small-pox. When a considerable amount of lymph is suddenly wanted, no
better system can be adopted. Our villages in Bengal, however, are so scat-
tered, in many cases consisting of only a few houses, that they are conse-
quently not so suited for this method of vaccination as are the large compact
villages of the Punjab. This mode of vaccination has therefore been restricted
to localities where persons are closely congregated. In this connection it may
here be mentioned that certain religious scruples having been experienced by
some District Inspector of Vaccination and others against calf vaccination, it
was found necessary to obtain the opinion of the Nadia pandits on the religious
aspect of the subject. Their opinion will be found in the Appendix, and it will
be seen that after mature consideration they deliberately held that there was no
objection on the score of religion to the vaccination of calves.
As to the method of vaccinating from local calves, instructions were issued
to Civil Surgeons in circular No. 4T. of the 29th September 1894, which will
also be found in the Appendix. The Civil Surgeon of Midnapore, Dr. O'Gorman,
and the Civil Medical Officer of Dinajpur, Dr. Blaker, deserve special mention
for their successful efforts in furthering calf vaccination.
District Board vaccination.
17. This was carried out only in the districts of Puri, Tippera and Gaya:
the amount paid by these Boards has already been
noted in the cost statement.
Kid vaccination.
18. A few experiments were made in the Calcutta Animal Vaccine Depart-
ment, but were unsuccessful. The present Deputy
Sanitary Commissioner of the Metropolitan Circle,
Dr. Sinha, in reporting this has asked for permission to carry out further experi-
ments for two or three months. This has been granted.
Security deposit system.
19. In last year's Government resolution it was stated that the Commissioner
of Orissa had reported that a decrease took place in
the number of vaccinators in Balasore owing to
the demand of a security deposit of Rs. 10, and in Government order No. 178S.,
dated the 15th January last, I was directed to watch carefully the operation of
this system and to note the result in this annual report. The Civil Surgeons,
who have all been consulted on the subject, almost without exception, report
that the system is working well and is necessary. This is also my opinion.
If the system were abolished, Superintendents of Vaccination would have little
hold on the licensed vaccinators, and there would be no protection against loss
in case the vaccinators absconded with lancets or other Government property
in their charge. It has not generally been found to deter men from offering
their services as vaccinators. Civil Surgeons have, however, the option of reduc-
ing the amount of the deposit, or entirely doing away with it, if they think
it desirable to do so.
Difficulty in realizing fees.
20. In every district, more or less, difficulty is experienced by the vaccinators
in realizing their fees: the local district officers lend
their assistance whenever it is specially applied for,
but generally it is not of much use as the people have come to know that there
is no law under which they can be compelled to pay up except through a civil
court, and they know it is not worth the vaccinators' while to sue them there for
the sake of two annas only in each case.
Animal vaccination depôts.
21. In order to fully utilize the vaccination depôts at Calcutta and
Darjeeling, instructions were issued to the Deputy
Sanitary Commissioners in charge of those institu-
tions to work the depôts to their full extent during the vaccination season.
These instructions, a copy of which is given in the appendix (see circular
No. 338 of the 7th June 1894), have been carefully attended to with satisfactory
results.
Inspection of officers.
22. The following statements show the amount of inspection done during
the year under report by Deputy Sanitary Com-
missioners, Civil Surgeons, and Inspectors, and Sub-
Inspectors of Vaccination:—