36
SONTHAL PERGUNNAHS.
Opposition
purpose, or in the amount of care taken to watching every case which might
have interfered with the results, and thus contributing as much as possible to
their improvement. As I could thus almost always get my vaccinators with me
in the inspection of their work, and as the villages with few exceptions were
for the most part small, I did not find it necessary to keep a separate register
with the head-man of each village. In my inspection tours I would also take the
opportunity of ascertaining the feelings and opinions of the people in regard
to vaccination and the vaccinators. In regard to the latter I am happy to
say that I have never heard any complaints against them; the people every-
where expressed themselves satisfied with their conduct and regarded them
with kind feelings. But as regards the former the people themselves would
not complain of anything. A little persuasion and argument would con-
vince them of the protection which it is our aim to confer and make them
acquiesce in the benevolent object of Government. But there are designing men
here and there, inoculators for instance, who have lost their practice from the
spread of vaccination, who make it their study to throw obstacles in our path.
These men sometimes impress the people with a belief that vaccination is not
attended like inoculation with an eruption of small-pox, which thus lies latent
in the system ready to break out on the setting in of the rains. In one or two
places especially this belief had taken such deep root in the minds of the
people, that the vaccinators who were working there were kept at bay and not
allowed to make any progress. It was only on my going to the localities in
question, calling together all the principal men of the villages, and after much
argument disabusing their minds of the false impression, that the work was
allowed to go on.
Besides these few instances very little opposition had to be encountered
this year in the district of Rajmehal, where, in most places, the people have
learnt to appreciate the benefits of vaccination. And it is particularly gratify-
ing to find that several native villages to the north-east of Bahawa, which had
formerly obstinately resisted all our efforts, have this year been brought round.
This is the reason why the number of Hindus and Mussulmans operated on is
much higher this year than in the previous one.
Map.
6. The accompanying sketch map gives an approximate outline of the
areas worked in by our vaccine staff during the year under report as well as
in the previous years. The blue varying in depth according to the degree of
protection conferred indicates those of the former, and the red in the same way
those of the latter. I am sorry I could not show all the places where work was
done previous to my time, i.e., previous to the year 1870, not only because
they are not all to be found in the map in my possession, but because I have not
personally seen them and have therefore no exact idea of their position and so
forth. For the same reason I could not show the places worked in by our staff
in the districts of Deoghur and Godda during the years 1868 and 1869. Such
places of Rajmehal district for 1869-70 as could be found in the map have been
exhibited in the sketch. But the district is so intersected by hills that a sketch
map cannot be expected to give more than a mere approximate outline of the
areas worked in. The names of all the villages could not be put down for want
of space, but a few principal villages have been given and the surrounding ones
included in the areas exhibited. The number of villages in which work has
been done during the year by our vaccine establishment amounts to 133
in Rajmehal, 16 in Pakour, and 1 in Godda, the total being 150, out of
which 146 have been inspected by me.
Particulars of pro-
tection.
7. The following statement is meant to indicate the degree of protection
conferred by the Sonthal Pergunnahs vaccine establishment, and is drawn up
in accordance with the principles laid down in circular memorandum No. 4932A,
dated the 22nd February 1872, from the office of the Inspector-General
of Hospitals, Indian Medical Department. A few villages are selected, and the
number of people of all sexes, ages, and conditions that are protected or
unprotected in each has been given.