22
DARJEELING CIRCLE.
villages of Bhagoonee and Saldanga in the Boda Chukla thannah jurisdiction.
This was suppressed with considerable difficulty on account of the opposition of
the Mussulman villagers, which was finally overcome.
Purneab.
A gang of old ino-
culators.
4. Purneah.—Operations were begun in this district for the first time.
The most northerly thannah was chosen to connect the work to that done in
former years about Titalya. The gang consisted of old inoculators under one
of their own class as a native superintendent. Each man vaccinated 1,218
persons. Thannah Kalleagunge is, however, the residence of a very numerous
body of inoculators, and the persons requiring protection are fewer in number
than in other localities I have visited. The prevalent fever and an epidemic of
itch were serious obstacles to vaccination being carried on systematically.
Dinagepore.
Misconduct of na-
tive superintend-
ent.
5. Dinagepore.—There was a large decrease in the number of operations in
this district compared with 1870-71, amounting to 8,493. This almost entirely
arose from the misconduct of the native superintendent. He quarrelled
with all his subordinates and neglected his duty shamefully. I was obliged to
visit Dinagepore three times during last cold season, devoting time to it which
should have been given to other districts. The Deputy Superintendent also
held an inspection and tried to push the work on, but ineffectually. In February
I went over most of the returns of December, January, and half of February,
and only found one village roll which had been seen by the native superin-
tendent, and that had not been corrected. He lived in the city of Dinagepore
in spite of all orders, and the reports about his character there were very
unfavorable. After a most patient inquiry, extending over ten days, I was
obliged to dismiss him, as no respectable native would serve under him. He
allowed his subordinates to take money from the people, and three of them had
to be dismissed on this account. These men were old inoculators.
Villagers will often accept vaccination if given gratuitously, but decline to
pay for it.
Local vaccination
on the Dinage-
pore Ranee's es-
tates.
The manager of the estates of the Dinagepore Ranee, Baboo Khetro
Mohun Sing, being desirous of pushing on vaccination in the district, enter-
tained and paid a number of inoculators who had been instructed in vaccin-
ation, some of them fairly, others imperfectly. They were supposed to be under
the supervision of the Rajbaree native doctor, but this man being in Dinage-
pore and the vaccinators scattered over the district from Thakoorgaon to
Poorsah, its northern and southern limits, his supervision was nominal only.
The number of cases returned by them is 11,976, with a percentage of success of
87.43 after deducting those unknown. The return is not reliable, however, as
from the number examined by me I found an average of 75 per cent. successful,
and the Deputy Superintendent found a lower standard of work. They used
all the old-established ceremonies connected with small-pox inoculation, and
collected large sums of money from the people, to which they were not entitled
as paid servants of the Rajbaree. In the event of their being appointed another
season, I hope to limit their distribution over a smaller area, and have proper
provision made for efficient supervision.
Small-pox.
There were two outbreaks of small-pox during the cold season, one of
which I traced to inoculation; both were suppressed.
Rungpore fever.
Degeneration
of
lymph.
6. Rungpore.—Vaccination was seriously interfered with in this district by
the state of health of the people. The whole country seemed prostrated with
fever, and although the work was commenced with excellent English lymph
received from the Superintendent-General of Vaccination in Calcutta, before three
removes it had degenerated, so much so that I stopped all work in the begin-
ning of December, and began afresh with lymph chosen from a few genuine
vesicles; but of 2,214 cases in November, the native superintendent returned
only 1,158 as successful, and I am satisfied with the correctness of his return.
There was also cholera or a severe form of bowel complaint in places where
the people drink the water in which jute has been steeped. The general health
improving as the cold season advanced, a higher standard of success was attained.