16
THE METROPOLITAN CIRCLES.
the village, on whom neither I nor my Deputy Superintendent could make any
impression. I again visited Mahatah on the 30th of January, and found that
another outbreak of small-pox had taken place; the people had begun to take
vaccination, but many still refused. In one house I saw a lad attacked with
small-pox, his brother had fever, another brother appeared well, and the fourth
child had been vaccinated in one point only six days before, when the parents
interfered and prevented his being fully vaccinated. I persuaded the man to
have the remaining children vaccinated; he was very unwilling, and but for my
presence I do not think we should have succeeded. But I overcame his objections,
and the child previously partially vaccinated was vaccinated in three other
points. The two unprotected were likewise vaccinated; the boy who had fever
when I saw him had a slight attack of small-pox, the others escaped altogether.
The man was an influential man amongst his fellow townsmen, and the
remainder of the inhabitants soon followed his example.
Carelessness with
regard to small-
pox.
I saw here, as I have done before, that there was no attempt to isolate the
sick ; persons covered with pustules and scabs were sitting by the roadside or
mixing freely with the uninfected inhabitants of their own or neighbours'
houses.
Another illustra-
tion.
At Moorgram small-pox was reported. The vaccinators arrived there on the
12th January, and on the 19th vaccinated extensively; there had been 7
deaths; 10 of the vaccinated suffered from small-pox within four days of the
operation. Of these, 1 died, 1 was still ill at the date of my visit, 12th Feb-
ruary, and 8 were convalescent. In these eight the vaccine vesicles were dis-
tinctly marked, surrounded by small-pox pustules; the vaccination had modified,
but not checked, the small-pox in these cases, but the further spread of the
disease was arrested completely.
Inoculation pro-
hibited in these
circles.
Still practised in
some localities.
12. Inoculation.—Inoculation has been prohibited in the metropolitan
circles by the extension of Act IV (B. C.) of 1865, as notified in the Gazette
of the 11th October 1871. During the last hot season, before the promulgation
of this Act, inoculation was largely practised in the eastern portions of the
24-Pergunnahs, where our vaccinators had been employed in the season
of 1870-71, and it has been reported to me that the people intend to
practise it again this year. I have reported this to the Magistrate, who in
reply states he will do his utmost to enforce the observance of the law. A
report has also reached me that about one hundred and fifty children have
been inoculated in Choghurrea, Bullorampore, Radhanuggur, and Chur Radha-
nuggur in thannah Bhadaliah, and several more in Bishtopore and Sreekristo-
pore in thannah Damoorhoodah, zillah Nuddea. This has also been reported
to the Magistrate, and I have heard, through the Deputy Superintendent, that
the inoculators were brought before the Deputy Magistrate of Kooshtea, and
the offence having been proved, they were warned and discharged ; such in-
convenience and censure is in my opinion quite sufficient to deter the better
class of inoculators, without inflicting the severer punishment of fine or
imprisonment.
Protection
from
small-pox.
13. Table showing the amount of protection from small-pox enjoyed by the
people.—In the following table the amount of protection from small-pox enjoyed
by the people is shown. The direction to obtain such information was
received too late in the season to allow of much being collected, and there are
many difficulties in the way of obtaining extended and accurate data. Jails
and schools may be inspected without difficulty, but it is not easy to collect the
far more important information concerning a village or district; we have no
hold on the people to make them give the information, and they view all
inquiries with suspicion.
For the report on the Burdwan and Kishnaghur jails I am indebted to the
Civil Surgeons of those stations; the remaining information was collected by
myself or subordinates in the department.