52
ABSTRACTS OF REPORTS OF CIVIL SURGEONS.
Opposition of the
pundahs.
village community. The opposition of the pundahs in the town to the practice is a matter
of regret. They remain deaf to all reasoning and remonstrance at present, and withstand
its introduction as an encroachment on the rights and protective powers of the goddess
Shitola. Time however must be allowed to remedy these matters.
Inoculation.
Inoculation is not practised as freely as in former years. There are 31 inoculators in
the Pooree district according to a list furnished by the District Superintendent of Police.
Only one or two however are in the neighbourhood of the town. The vaccinator was
directed to ask these men to accompany him in his work; they however declined doing so,
and I have not been able to see the men.
No inoculators in-
structed.
The Magistrate was addressed on the 11th November 1871, requesting that arrange-
ments might be made to have the inoculators from adjacent pergunnahs brought in to see
the work of vaccination, so that they might be induced to follow it; none however presented
themselves.
Small-pox.
There was no epidemic of small-pox during the year.
Particulars regarding the protection from small-pox, furnished according to paragraph 9 of circular
memorandum No. 135 of 21st February 1872.
Vaccine census.
Class of persons
examined.
Prisoners in Pooree Jail ...
Government school ...
Vernacular school ...
Sanskrit school ...
Total of schools
Grand Total ...
Number
ex-
amined.
95
110
29
31
170
265
Inocu-
lated.
24
30
6
3
39
63
Per cent. of
total
examined.
25.26
27.27
20.78
9.67
22.9
23.7
Vacci-
nated.
34
27
1
...
28
62
Per cent.
of total
examined.
35.79
24.54
3.44
...
13.5
23.4
Had
small-
pox.
27
44
12
13
69
96
Per cent.
of total
examined.
28.42
.40
41.37
41.93
40.5
36.2
Un-
pro-
tected.
10
9
10
15
20
15
Per cent.
of total
examined.
10.52
8.09
34.40
48.38
90.87
101.39
Balasore
Deaths caused by
inoculation.
Balasore.—Mr. Richards reports that two vaccinators are entertained
from October to April—one on Rs. 10, and the other on Rs. 7, paid by Govern-
ment. The people retain an obstinate prejudice against vaccination, and the
work was consequently insignificant and desultory. The zemindars are equally
opposed to vaccination, with the exception of Baboo Koylash Chunder Roy of
Baleapal, a Bengali gentleman who gave some assistance. Small-pox does
not appear to have prevailed to any extent in the district. Mr. Richards ascer-
tained that a few deaths occurred from inoculation.
DACCA CIRCLE.
EASTERN DISTRICTS.—DACCA DIVISION.
Dacca.
Dacca.—Operations have fallen off in number, but improved in quality.
Surgeon J. Wise, M.D., has written the following most interesting report on
vaccination in the city and district :—
Previous returns
unreliable
" Since my arrival in Dacca as Civil Surgeon in the end of 1866, I have on many
occasions taken exception to the worthless returns of vaccination annually submitted to
Government (by whom they have been accepted as reliable) and to the inefficiency of the
present system of vaccination. I have also pointed out in my annual reports that there
existed in Dacca a determination among many classes of the inhabitants to run all the risks
of small-pox rather than submit their children -to the protecting influence of vaccination.
Whether this resolution has been due to the preponderance of certain classes who are noto-
riously averse on religious grounds to the practice of vaccination, or to the failure of the
operation as a safeguard in times past, has been the subject of inquiry during the past year.