xx
CALCUTTA AND THE SUBURBS.
He left fully impressed with the importance of the duty with which he was entrusted,
and most successfully carried out the task allotted to him.
On his way to Nuddea he received a letter from Mr. Tweedie to the address of the
leading Pundits. When they had perused the letter, the Pundits met together, and after
long consultations and repeated discussions with the Superintendent of Vaccination, they
were prevailed on to allow vaccination to be practised among them. In his report Baboo
Buddynath Brummo states that on the 4th of March Brojonath Biddyarutno, first Pundit of
Nuddea, led the way by having his children vaccinated.
Among other reasons which led me to select the agent, whom I did, to carry out the
vaccination of the Nuddea Pundits, was the fact that Baboo Buddynath Brummo had been
Sub-Assistant Surgeon of Kishnaghur for some years, and was consequently personally
acquainted with some of the Pundits, while to others also he was known by reputation.
Mr. Tweedie was not asked by me for any assistance and spontaneously adopted the
course he did. In the step which he took in attempting by personal persuasion to induce
the Pundits to accept vaccination, I consider that he went out of the sphere of his more
legitimate duties, so that I have the more pleasure in recording my obligation to him.
Discontent occasioned by fancied want of
attention.
22. On several occasions discontent was expressed at the conduct of the vaccinators in
not giving the necessary amount of attention to
people who had been vaccinated.
Every time that complaints were made, an investigation was instituted on the spot, and
on the statements of the complainants themselves the vaccinators were proved to be free of all
blame. As a rule, in the course of such enquiries it came out, that the vaccinators had
exceeded their instructions and gone to see the progress the vaccination was making more
often than they had been ordered to do.
The cause of this feeling of discontent was very clearly traced to the circumstance that
after inoculation the complainants had been accustomed to receive a certain amount of atten-
tion from the Bengalee inoculators, and they were under the belief that a similar amount of
care ought to have been expended on them by the vaccinators.
Any such feeling of discontent, should it become widely spread, would be apt to lead to a
hostile feeling towards the practice of vaccination, and even though it rests on a false founda-
tion, must nevertheless be carefully guarded against.
Till the people are sufficiently acquainted with vaccination to be able to know from their
own experience that the numerous and long continued attentions which are usual after inocula-
tion are quite unnecessary after vaccination, it is proposed to anticipate the rising of such a
feeling of discontent. To guard against its occurrence a printed statement, that all such
visits from the vaccinators are quite uncalled for, will be placed in their hands at the time of
vaccination, and in this document will also be distinctly laid down the exact number of
visits that the vaccinators are required to pay them. It is to be expected that when they are
in the possession of such information, and know that the matter has been authoritatively fixed,
they will be less likely to take offence in fancying that the vaccinators are remiss in this respect.
It is obvious that all visits of the vaccinators, over the number laid down for them, should be
guarded against with considerable care, as occupying time which should be expended in carry-
ing on further vaccinations. Each single unnecessary mark of attention by repetition comes
to be looked on as a requisite part of the process, and in subsequent years comes to be an un-
necessary cause of delay in the work. The whole tendency of the vaccinators is to rear
up a system of guards and restrictions requiring their counsel and assistance, and so to
invest themselves with all the greater importance in the eyes of the population. A check has
to be brought to bear on all such needless complication by instilling into the minds of the
people that one great characteristic of really good vaccination is that only the most evident
and simple precautions are necessary, and that the only reason the vaccinators require to
visit them is for the purpose of assuring themselves, that the virus has been successfully en-
grafted, and that the prophylactic has run such a course as to ensure thorough protection.
While thus a clear and definite course will be pursued in this matter, full discretionary power
will be given to the head vaccinators, and care be taken that they avail themselves of it
to make exceptions when occasion requires it. A timid village will require exceptional treat-
ment, and in awarding to them any unusual amount of attention, it will be kept up before
them that such watching over them is quite unnecessary. It will also be pointed out, that
this is only permitted till they, from experience in the harmless nature of vaccination, can gain
assurance, and allow of its being practised among them without dread.