iv
REPORT.
Season 1868-69.
" The country adjacent to the Railway and down the river to Oolabarriah, comprising 4
thannahs in Hooghly, was efficiently vaccinated, and 6 thannahs in Hooghly and one in
Burdwan were partially done.
" In the 24-Pergunnahs 2 thannahs were fully and 2 partially vaccinated.
Season 1869-70.
"In the season of 1869-70, the work done was 10 thannahs in the 24-Pergunnahs
fully and 1 partially ; 7 thannahs in Nuddea fully ; 7 thannahs in Hooghly fully and 2
partially; the total area being 2,071 square miles. Vaccination was carried on in 2,175
villages and 155,700 people were vaccinated.
Season 1870-71.
" In 1870-71 in 24-Pergunnahs, 7 thannahs were fully and 7 partially vaccinated.
" In Nuddea, 6 thannahs were fully done and in Hooghly 2 thannahs slightly.
" The area covered was 2,509 square miles, and 140,144 persons were vaccinated in 2,185
villages.
Season 1871-72.
" In 1871-72, in Burdwan, 7 thannahs were fully and 4 thannahs more than half done,
and 3 thannahs slightly.
" In Nuddea, 2 thannahs were fully vaccinated.
" The area gone over was 2,231 square miles, and the total number of vaccinations 90,924
in 973 villages.
Summary of work
done.
" The total of the four seasons' work may be thus summed up (calculating only the work
performed by the regular establishment and leaving out of the account that done by munici-
pal and other extra vaccinators or in measures taken to arrest small-pox)—53 thannahs were
efficiently and 23 partially protected, and 20 were left untouched. Vaccination was carried
through 6,868 villages—in all over an area of 7,919 square miles—and the total number of
successful vaccinations was 507,283. This gives an average each year of 13 thannahs fully
and 6 partially vaccinated.
Work remaining to
be done.
" Out of the 96 thannahs comprised in the circles, there still remain 20 thannahs
untouched and 23 only partially protected. Of the former, 14 are in Nuddea, 4 in Burdwan,
and 2 in Hooghly.
" Of the latter, 7 are in Burdwan, 8 in 24-Pergunnahs, and 8 in Hooghly.
********
Increase of estab-
lishment neces-
sary.
" It is now quite obvious that, with the present establishment, the whole area still unpro-
tected cannot possibly be gone over in the coming season.
" One may fairly assume that, calculating at the rate of work of the last three years—and
this can hardly be accelerated—at the end of the first quinquennial period there will remain
one thannah untouched and 29 only very imperfectly done. Or by dividing the work in a
different manner there would be 7 thannahs unvaccinated and 11 only partially done, and
it would take a sixth season to complete the work once. I would here also point out that
it is very important that some parts of the country which were partially done in 1868
should next season be gone over again."
Increase sanctioned
by Government.
14. Before Act IV of 1865 was applied to the area of the districts com-
prised in these circles, the power of the existing establishment to vaccinate them
thoroughly and maintain them vaccinated was carefully discussed, and Surgeon
Powell confidently assured Government that the existing establishment was
competent to secure this end. An increase of work was, moreover, anticipated
from the moral effect of the extension of the law to the area of operations, as it
was thought that the prohibition of inoculation would greatly disarm opposition
and facilitate vaccination. The unfortunate results of the past season have,
however, disturbed Dr. Powell's calculations, and it is now quite apparent that
what remains unvaccinated of the area of these circles cannot be overtaken
by the existing establishment during the ensuing season. The subject has
already been under the consideration of Government, and an addition of 1
head vaccinator and 7 vaccinators has been sanctioned for each circle. The
appointment of 8 apprentices to each circle has also been approved; this adds a
strength of nearly two new circles to the existing agency, and with an antici-
pated increase of municipal vaccination it is hoped that the work of the ensuing
season will complete the vaccination of these districts for the first time, with
the exception of Burdwan, whose peculiar circumstances render it unadvisable
that vaccine work should be attempted there for the present.
Municipal vaccin-
ation.
15. During the past season the strength and constitution of the estab-
lishment remained the same. The only difference was that a greater number
of men were employed by municipalities. This is the most satisfactory and
promising feature of the year's work. Details are given in paragraph 1 of