ABSTRACTS OF REPORTS OF CIVIL SURGEONS.
51
Pooree.
Pooree.—The Civil Surgeon, Assistant Surgeon W. D. Stewart, has furnished
an interesting report of good work done in this zillah, which is given in
full:—
Vaccinators
em-
ployed.
" One vaccinator is attached to Pooree paid by Government, one was temporarily
employed in the mofussil, from 20th December 1871 to 2nd February 1872, and paid from
local funds At the Khoordah sub-division the native doctor was the only , agent available;
from his report it will be seen that nothing has been done for vaccination in that sub-division
this year. The native doctor hopes to be more fortunate and successful next season.
2. Operations were first conducted in the town of Pooree from October and continued
to December.
Localities
the-
roughly vaccin-
ated
The Telinga fish village was a portion of the town in which vaccination was thoroughly
done; all the unprotected of this locality were sought out and the place visited once weekly
till none were left. By this means a supply of lymph was kept up and subjects obtained for
vaccination in other parts of the town.
Another locality in which all the children were brought forward for vaccination, and
the limited area thoroughly protected as far as could be judged, was Mehter Sye, a detached
portion of the town The Brahmin vaccinator could not touch these subjects without losing
caste; the work, however, was done by myself, with assistance of the native doctor attached to
the jail and police hospitals.
The Christian Vil-
lage of Piplee
vaccinated.
Want of success
among Hindoos.
The Christian village at Piplee, 25 miles from Pooree, was next fixed on as a centre
of work, and the services of a special assistant employed, who was paid from local
funds. I visited the place three times, and was hopeful that the vaccinator would, from
the supply of lymph and subjects kept up at the Christian village, succeed in spreading
vaccination among the Hindoo community. Not much success, however, was met with,
for, with the exception of cases done in my presence, the Hindoos declined to have their
children vaccinated, and when the vaccinator wanted to obtain lymph from arm to arm for
further work, or wished to use that obtained from the Christians, the people objected. The
Christian village was however completely vaccinated.
Efforts made to
render vaccin-
ation acceptable.
Time necessary for
promoting the
movement
With the view of spreading the knowledge of the usefulness of vaccination in the town
among the higher castes of the Hindoos, a meeting of the Pooree society was called, at which,
besides the native deputies and chief amlah, several influential Mohunts and others, residents
of the town, were present. The Sanskrit text of the Nuddea pundits, as also the opinion of
the Shunnatun Dhurmo Rukshini Sobha of Calcutta, published by Government, were read to
the meeting, and after promises by several members to use their influence in inducing the
people to adopt the practice of vaccination, Mohuntos Narain Dass and Hurrygrib Dass
agreed to draw up a statement in Ooryah to show that by vaccination no Hindoo rite was
interfered with, and that the practice and adoption of the same was not contrary to the
teaching of the shasters. This document would, it was thought, be of use in obtaining the
consent of the masses of the town, hundreds of whose children are entirely unprotected. It
has been drawn up and copies will be circulated by the society among the natives of the town.
It is not possible to obtain their consent to vaccination by any hurried or premature means,
neither is it advisable to do so Time is necessary for the work and the advancement of
public opinion in the matter. The coming season will doubtless show progress. In the work
of spreading the knowledge of vaccination in the town and removing the fears of the people,
I have to acknowledge especially the ready and useful assistance of Baboo Kedar Nath Dutt,
Deputy Magistrate, and Baboo Khetter Mohun Bose, Judicial Head Clerk.
Another
village
thoroughly vac-
cinated.
The village of Taldung, 7 or 8 miles from Pooree, was in January, February and March,
the scene of operation by the Government vaccinator. With but few exceptions all the
children and unprotected in this locality were vaccinated. The advance of the hot season
deteriorated the lymph and operations were closed in the end of March.
Inspection.
All spheres of operation were visited regularly by the Civil Surgeon; indeed, without
his presence the work would scarcely go on. The antipathy to the new method, combined
with religious fears, are obstacles which the native vaccinator can himself seldom overcome.
Inspections were made in different places weekly, on the 7th or 8th day of vaccination, the
character of the vesicles (3 on each arm) was made the subject of examination; in all
the results were perfectly satisfactory.
Number vaccin-
ated.
The total number of vaccinated was 363, as compared with 204 of the year previous,
showing an increase of 159. As already stated, this was concentrated in a few localities
rather than spread desultorily over a large extent of country.
The people becom-
ing familiarized
with vaccination.
Vaccination is more widely known in Pooree than it was a few years back. As the
people become familiarized with it, there can be no doubt that less difficulty will be experi-
enced in extending its operation. We cannot however be too careful that what is done shall
be carefully and well done, so that the good conferred be real, and the confidence of the
people in the usefulnees of the prophylactic maintained whenever it is put to the test.
Single handed, the vaccinator is not able to do much, when first a commencement is made ;
the present vaccinator is generally successful in vaccinating all remaining subjects in a