2
CALCUTTA AND THE SUBURBS.
or more been in the habit of taking vaccination, the great majority had never even seen
a vaccinator, and knew no more of vaccination than the rural inhabitants in the interior of
the districts round Calcutta. Very much opposition had to be overcome, and even yet there
are a few houses in which the vaccinators have never been allowed to vaccinate; but I
have this year to report that practically the whole of the suburbs has been brought under
the influence of vaccination. Isolated communities, such as the dependants of the King of
Oude, the body-guard grass-cutters, &c., will not yet willingly allow the vaccinators, even
when supported by the Superintendents, to vaccinate; but when any necessity for their being
vaccinated at once arises from an outbreak of small-pox, by invoking the special assistance
of those who can influence them, the danger from their remaining unprotected is got over ;
even among those who year by year have allowed vaccination to be practised, large numbers
continue passively to resist the vaccinators. It is found that the Hindoo villages year by
year give less trouble, and are more easily persuaded to have their children vaccinated, as
she inhabitants remain very much the same individuals who were previously talked over.
The villages, containing up-country inhabitants and populated by Muhammadans, give unceas-
ing trouble, and at times great tact is required of the Superintendent to vaccinate them without
coming into collision with the whole colony. Even among them, however, the almost insuper-
able difficulties have been overcome; and though, especially from new-comers, more or less
active opposition is encountered, it is rare for the department to leave any quarter in the
suburbs not comparatively in a safe condition at the end of the vaccinating season. This
year I have had more reason to be satisfied with the state of protection I have found., and
doubt whether a much greater amount of safety from small-pox is attainable by means of
general vaccination.
From a vaccinator's point of view the suburbs are populated by a poor class of inhabit-
ants, on whom a greater amount of pressure can be brought than on the inhabitants of the
town, and it thus happens that I have been able to report so soon such satisfactory advance
in the suburbs, as to place it in a much more favorable position as regards protection than
the town itself is.
5.—Small-pox in Calcutta and the Suburbs.—As mentioned in last year's report, small-pox
was more or less prevalent during the previous year; in fact, the year deserved to be styled
an epidemic one, though the epidemic had not caused much ravage, as it had been thoroughly
controlled by vaccination. Several cases in the neighbourhood of those occurring last year
were met with in the season under report, during April, May, June and July. In July a case
of small pox came from a village in the Arrah district, but owing to one of the vaccinators
discovering it at once, the disease did not spread, as precautions were taken to limit it. In
August a new centre was infected from small-pox imported from a village in the Patna
district. In October another centre of contagion was traced to Belgerriah, a village about
five miles north of Calcutta. A centre of infection occurred in November in Shib
Thacoor's Lane, the origin of which it was impossible to trace. From this point the disease
spread in different directions. Vaccination was actively practised, but five persons who came
to Calcutta after the vaccinators had finished their operations took the disease. In January
a case of small-pox came from a village in the Jehanabad thannah, but though the police
reported the case at once, several others had been infected before the vaccinators put a stop
to the spread of the disease.
In February a case of small-pox came from Peshawur. As the case is of importance, as
one of a class which may at any time prove the source of great mischief, I report it at length,
as it will be hereafter referred to. The sufferer was a European woman, who left Peshawur
on the evening of Saturday, the 18th February : she arrived in Calcutta on Friday, the 26th
February: she began to feel ill, but could not give any very exact detail of her symptoms.
On Tuesday a rash appeared, which seems at first to have been taken for musquito bites. I
saw her on Friday, 6th March 1871, and then she had numerous unmistakable pustules of
small-pox over her body, and I advised her to be taken to hospital. I have specified
the dates in order that those who take an interest in the case may be able by them to satisfy
themselves that the woman was infected with the disease at Peshawur, and at no intermediate
place. Before this woman was shut up in a hospital and isolated, so that she could do no
harm to those about her, I found on inquiry that she had resided in a first class hotel; that
then she lived in a school, in which there were upwards of 60 resident pupils; that with the
disease fully developed upon her, she had slept in a room with three children, and had been
in close, frequent, and unrestrained relation with many adults, servants, &c.; and that she had
made use of two palanquins and three public carriages, the last of which alone was the only
one with which I could have precautions taken. Those who had been in most danger from
this case were vaccinated late in the evening of the same day in which it was seen, and the whole
school was protected on the next day. Small-pox did not break out in the school, as under