( 8 )
present principally confined to towns. But although inoculation has been
prohibited by law in every district of Bengal except Mozufferpore, Durbhunga,
and Sarun, which have not yet been taken up by the Vaccination Department,
it is said to be still practised clandestinely in certain parts of the Darjeeling,
Eastern Bengal, Behar, and Orissa Circles, more especially in the two latter,
where unfortunately it is to some extent encouraged by wealthy bigoted Hindus.
The Police and the Vaccination Department, however, systematically enquire
into the prevalence of the practice and take the necessary steps to suppress it.
As shown in the map, the Compulsory
Vaccination Act is now in force, in every
municipal town in Bengal except those
mentioned in the margin, which are
newly-created municipalities, and to which
the Act will be extended as soon as
possible. It has also been extended to the
districts of Rungpur and portions of the
Sonthal Pergunnahs, Tipperah, and Bhagulpore, where it was thought advisable
to introduce it as an experimental measure, in order to overcome the strong
resistance of the people of those districts to vaccination; but owing to the un-
suitability of the Act in its present form to rural areas, it is practically a dead
letter in the districts to which it has been extended.
Sonamukhi.
Nattore.
Cox's Bazar.
Dinapore Nizamut.
Khagowl.
Daudnuggur.
Tikaree.
Jugdispore.
Roserah.
Revilgunge.
Kissengunge.
Daltongunge.
Garwah.
Lohardugga.
Chyebassa.
Jhaldah
Raghoonathpore.
Lymph—Distribution and des-
cription of.
13. The work of the year is generally started throughout the province in
the month of September with bovine lymph in tubes
supplemented by supplies from England and from
the hills. The virus thus started is kept up by
arm-to-arm vaccination as far as possible, stored lymph in tubes being also
employed occasionally. The use of crusts or scabs is prohibited. The animal
vaccination depôt in Calcutta under the supervision of the Superintendent of
Vaccination, Metropolitan Circle, is the source whence bovine lymph is distri-
buted, but it is also propagated through the calf to a small extent by the Superin-
tendent of Vaccination of the Orissa Circle at Cuttack. The Calcutta Munici-
pality is supplied with vaccinated calves from the central depôt, which also
provides calves for vaccination in the jail, hospitals, lunatic asylum, Fort William
garrison, Barrackpore, Dum-Dum, and elsewhere. The central depôt also
attends to calls from private persons living in and around Calcutta. Calf
vaccination is now much appreciated by the people, and is daily gaining ground
in the public estimation. When used direct from the calf it is invariably
successful. When stored in tubes, however, and sent to the mofussil the lymph
has as a rule been unsuccessful. The Superintendent of Vaccination, Metro-
politan Circle, attributes its frequent failure principally to the heat of Bengal,
unskilful operation in some cases, and delay on the part of local officers in using
the lymph. No doubt these causes have had something to do with the dis-
appointing results', but I think the principal cause of failure is to be found in
the careless and unsatisfactory manner in which the lymph has hitherto been
extracted from the calves and stored in the central depôt. I am compelled to
remark that the whole working and management of the animal vaccination
depôt in Calcutta of late years has been lax and unsatisfactory, a fact which
does not reflect credit on the Superintendent of Vaccination, Metropolitan
Circle, under whose supervision the depôt is worked. If the Superintendent had
taken more interest in the working of the depôt, I am convinced that there
would not have been so many failures of lymph preserved in tubes as have
been reported, or so much complaint generally regarding the working of the
central depôt. Naturally the confidence of the people in vaccination is shaken
when they see it fail constantly.
Proposed animal vaccination
depôt at Darjeeling.
14. In accordance with the desire of the Government of India that the
work of animal vaccination should be vigorously
encouraged, I am arranging for the establishment
of another animal vaccination depôt in Darjeeling,
which place, on account of its climate, is better suited than any locality in the
plains for the storage and preservation of lymph. Last October, under the advice
of the Deputy Commissioner of Darjeeling, I selected a portion of the Lebong
spur in Darjeeling as the most suitable place for the establishment of the proposed
depôt, and the Government of Bengal sanctioned the proposal; but as it now