CALCUTTA AND THE SUBURBS.
xxiii
to watch the proceedings of the vaccinators, and only when they had satisfied themselves on
all points, did they come forward and offer themselves for vaccination.
Knowledge regarding vaccination possessed by
those newly made acquainted with it.
27. On many occasions I naturally sought to make myself acquainted as to how far the
people knew regarding the benefits they were to expect
from vaccination. The comparative merits of vaccina-
tion and inoculation were frequently brought up with
the view of trying to elicit the prevalent state of feeling on the subject. In nearly every ins-
tance the replies were most satisfactory. At times I was answered that whatever the Govern-
ment liked was the best, or by a vague and general reply to a similar effect. This however
was the exception and the rule was a clear and explicit statement showing forth the advan-
tages of vaccination. Of course the ideas had been given them by the vaccinators, but the
emphasis and assurance with which the reply was given was the result of their having had
experience in the matter, and the tone assumed was of those who had been able of themselves
to verify the truth of their statements.
It was by talking to the young lads of the village that the encouraging results became
most evident, but after their natural shyness had been overcome, the short answers of the
women were found also to be very much to the point. The influence which such a widely
spread acquaintance with the subject will exert in making the people who have once been
vaccinated ready to come forward and permanently adopt the practice requires no explanation
to cause it to be understood, and this fact is simply mentioned as having a most hopeful ten-
dency. It has been judged that a few simple sentences on the point would make it more easy
for the vaccinators to explain the subject and would help at first to keep the matter more fully
in their remembrance, and therefore for use next season, such a document will be prepared.
Simultaneous vaccination.
28. In every instance where a small community, those for instance living in one quarter of
a village, could be gained over to allow of vaccination
being practised simultaneously, an effort was made
to get them to fix on the same day, the vaccinators guiding them to a day on which an
abundance of virus was procurable. Should it prove possible to carry out this system, as
undoubtedly it will be to a very considerable extent, a great point will have been gained, as
to vaccinate the whole of a small community at once occupies but little more time than each
section of them would require if waited on at separate times. The preliminary arrangement
to vaccinate a village takes little more time than that occupied in fixing to suit the conve-
nience of an individual. If therefore each individual can be ignored and the village repre-
sentatives alone consulted, the whole labour of house to house visitation will be saved.
For the purpose of giving notice that vaccination is going on, or that the vaccinators
desire to inspect those who have been vaccinated, a Burmese gong is sounded. After the
merits of various sounding instruments had been discussed, this one was selected as being
light and portable while its sound was penetrating, and as it was unlike any other sound
which was to be heard among the villages, in the course of time its note would come to be
associated with the visits of the vaccinators and come to be recognized without difficulty.
An attempt is also made to select a point or points in each village as those to which to
resort for vaccination, so that the people may have no difficulty in finding the vaccinators.
The various Thakoor Tullahs usually furnish convenient sites at which the people can be
collected for such a purpose. It is hoped that all these detailed arrangements will materially
conduce in the future to lessen the cost of each vaccination by a material economising of the
time of the vaccinators.
It is desired that ultimately the population should become so trained to the routine that
on hearing the sounds of the gong they will betake themselves to the Thakoor Tullah,
knowing that a vaccinator has arrived ; that the vaccinators will without delay be able to fix
on a day for them to come forward and be simultaneously vaccinated, and that even on his
first visit he will often be able to vaccinate as many people as he requires to furnish virus on
his subsequent one. That on the day fixed the people will assemble and be operated on, and
that on the days on which it is necessary to inspect them, to repeat the vaccination in any
instances of failure and to note the results, they will again come forward in the way in which
it is to be wished that they should do.
Character and success of vaccination during
the past season.
29. Throughout the season I have been fully satisfied with the character of the vaccination
in the second and third metropolitan circles. In the
first circle I have also seen a very large amount of
high class vaccination. In the last mentioned circle
however I have had reason to comment sharply on some of the vaccinations brought forward
for inspection, on account of their being inferior to the high standard insisted on. This circle