DARJEELING CIRCLE.
xxxi
45. The vaccinator at Peergunge had only been entertained at the commencement of
the season, but at the time of my visit he was in full work and with principally arm to arm
operations. I traversed several large and populous villages without finding a doubtful case,
and the inhabitants seemed to take a real pleasure in having their children vaccinated.
46. Bograh.—In this district the vaccinators were at the same thannahs as last year,
with the exception of one transferred from Sherepore to the zillah station, to fill the vacancy
made by the dismissal of the dispensary vaccinator. The first I inspected was at Gobindo-
gunge. This man had been taken ill at the beginning of the season, and had been removed to
the zillah for treatment; he had recovered, and was at his post at the time of my visit,
working very satisfactorily. His numbers fell far short of the work I had previously seen, but
he declared, that this was caused by his own ill-health and not by any disinclination on the
part of the people. On hot days, he told me, that he was solicited by the inhabitants of
villages at a considerable distance from Gobindogunge to visit and work among them.
47. At Bograh zillah my vaccinator, an extremely intelligent and active man, had hun-
dreds of cases to show me, in the very villages, where, two years before, not one would accept
vaccination; I saw as many as 50 eight-day vesicles, representing a single morning's work.
48. This great improvement in the temper of the people is to be attributed to the exer-
tions of Mr. Connolly, who, from the time of his appointment to the medical charge of the
station, took great interest in the progress of vaccination, and, by performing himself the
operation in many villages in his neighbourhood, entirely overcame the prejudices, which I
found so strong during my first season.
49. I next inspected the vaccinator at Doobcheeachea; he was doing fairly. The vacci-
nator at Ketloll, I visited on my return from Rajshahye en route to Dinagepore; his average
was much below the others in the district, but the villages here are more scattered than else-
where.
50. Rajshahye.—As in the previous season, the work here did not commence satisfactorily.
The vaccinators had been ordered to send one of their number to Bograh, to receive instructions
as to the new form of return, and to take over lymph and instruments from the native
superintendent; but it was not until the 13th November that he made his appearance, the
truth being, that he was afraid to pass through Nattore where, just then, cholera was extremely
virulent. The native superintendent, as soon as he had established the Bograh vaccinators at
work, hurried on to Rajshahye, where but three of the vaccinators were at their posts, the other
two pleading sickness. I had reason to disbelieve this statement utterly in the case of one of
them whom I dismissed, the other I allowed to escape with a heavy fine. Pleas of sickness are
so hard to investigate, that I have issued an order, that such shall not in future be received,
unless supported by a certificate from a Dispensary Medical Officer.
51. Rajshahye not having a separate native superintendent, this is the second year that
difficulties have been met with in getting the work properly set agoing. I hope to prevent the
recurrence of this by ordering that all the Rajshahye vaccinators shall report themselves at
Bograh to the native superintendent on the 15th of October.
52. In consequence of the delay there were but 85 vaccinations made in Rajshahye in
November, and 556 in December. In the succeeding months, a fair average amount of work
was done. The vaccinator whom 1 had to dismiss was replaced by the former dispensary
vaccinator at Nattore, of whom all the Nattore officials spoke well. I should have found a
place too for the Rampore Beauleah vaccinator, also a man of good character, but he unfortu-
nately died of cholera at Nattore.
53. The vaccinators in this district were posted at Singra, Nattore, Pootea, and two at
Rampore Beauleah. I inspected the work at Singra on the 15th January. The vesicle was
good, but the vaccinator was working slowly, and he has not more than 50 recent cases to
show me. On my return, at the end of the month, he was making better progress.
54. At Nattore I found the vaccinator doing scarcely anything. His excuse was illness,
and as he had done good work at this post during the two previous seasons, I received it,
with some misgivings however. He had not attended to the instructions given him, of work-
ing exclusively of the town; he said, he could do no good among the residents there, and
begged to be allowed to work as heretofore in the villages round. The dispensary vaccinator
having been withdrawn from Nattore, this could not now be permitted.
55. On enquiring personally among the towns people, and from the Deputy Magistrate,
I learned that there was a strong feeling in favor of the old dispensary vaccinator, and I was