48
ABSTRACTS OF REPORTS OF CIVIL SURGEONS.
Jessore.
Vaccination very
backward.
Jessore.—Vaccination is in a very backward state in this district. One
man, half of whose salary of Rs. 10 is paid by Government and half by the
municipality, works in and around the station. He performed 535 vaccinations
with a success of 74 per cent. Inoculation is very generally practised, and the
people are averse to vaccination. No vaccination was performed at any of
the branch dispensaries in this district.
Small-pox.
Small-pox broke out severely at Kallia in the Nurrail sub-division during
the year. The vaccinator was sent to vaccinate the people, but no particulars of
his proceedings are given.
RAJSHAHYE DIVISION.
Moorshedabad.
Moorshedabad.—Surgeon J. Coates, M.D., has furnished the following report
of vaccination in this district. It is given in extenso.
Number of Govern-
ment
vaccin-
ators ;
2. " Vaccinators.—There were four Government paid vaccinators, two attached to the
Berhampore and two to the Moorshedahad city dispensary. These cost Rs. 40 per mensem the
whole year through. During the non-vaccinating season they assist in carrying on the duties
of their respective dispensaries.
Of municipal vac-
cinators.
3. Municipal.—There were five vaccinators employed and paid by the municipali-
ties in which each of the dispensaries are placed. One of these vaccinators (Jungipore) was
employed 4 months, the others 6 months each. Their cost was Rs. 50 per mensem, or
Rs. 280 in all during the season.
These are paid off on 31st March, and seek other employment till the season begins
again.
Plan of operations.
Plan of operations.—In the out dispensaries there is no regular plan. The vaccinator
goes about looking for children and striving to gain the consent of their parents. In
Berhampore only was the town and neighbourhood divided into portions, and a vaccinator
specially put to operate in each ward.
Aid of civil autho-
rities and others
solicited.
A notice was sent to the police that vaccination had begun, requesting their aid; also to
report at once to the dispensary any inoculation or small-pox that occurred. In a few cases
zemindars were written to, but without any effect. "Where silk and indigo factories exist, a
note to the manager in charge has been beneficial, though to a less extent this year than I
hope for in future.
Inspection.
Inspection.—I appointed two days in the week, (Sunday and Wednesday,) for the special
inspection of the vaccinators. On these days they brought their crusts to the dispensary,
and occasionally brought children. On one of these days the Sub-Assistant Surgeon was to
go out and verify, at a few of the houses pointed out, the work of the vaccinator. This was
only fully carried out in Berhampore, where the Sub-Assistant Surgeon took one day and
I another.
Supervision ineffi-
cient in Moor-
shedabad and out
stations.
In Moorshedabad city the Sub-Assistant Surgeon was too unwell to visit in this manner.
It is evident from the numbers recorded that there was not efficient supervision over
any of the vaccinators in any of the out-stations. During my own visits I rarely
could find the vaccinator present, nor a convenient case to verify; but I arrived late
in the season, and it was later still before I could get myself and those under me into the
way of working with will and energy. There were many difficulties too, measles prevailed
very generally at first, chicken-pox later, and in Moorshedabad city, the mohurrum stopped
work almost entirely for 10 days. Abusing the vaccinators or the subordinates is not so
successful in the long run, as looking after and encouraging both. I had little chance of
doing more than was done in the former season.
Jungipore was but once visited during the season. It was in the evening, and then the
vaccinator was not present, nor was there any means of verifying his work at hand.
The late Sub-Assistant Surgeon in charge of Azimgunge certainly neglected this work,
and he of Moorshedabad was too old and ill to do it properly. The Sub-Assistant Surgeon
here did well. He of Kandhi complained of the prevalence of fever, measles and chicken-
pox interfering with operations during the vaccinating season.
Amount of work
done.
Work done.—I have placed the returns from all the dispensaries in one form, showing
that 2,399 were vaccinated. Twice as many males as females were operated on. These
numbers are very irregular. In Jungipore more females were vaccinated, and the returns
differ considerably. Proportionately the Mussulmans seek protection from small-pox to a far
greater extent than the Hindus. Only one-fourth of the cases were infants. 87 per cent.
were successful—a reasonable average—and the entire cost was Rs. 760.