26
DARJEELING CIRCLE.
each inoculator in a season. One mohulla in the first village visited was left
entirely unprotected. In the village of Shalopore in Bograh 266 persons were
vaccinated of ages from 25 downwards. This illustrates the partial nature of
the protection afforded by inoculators in many parts of the country.
Deaths caused by
inoculation
I also inquired into inoculation in mouzah Mowsaldanga in Rungpore, and
found that out of forty-five persons operated on two had died, after which the
people sent for a vaccinator who protected the neighbouring villages.
An inoculator con-
verted
Inoculators prac-
tising
vacin-
ation.
Small-pox
not
always reported
Inoculation received a check in Rungpore from the activity of the vaccinators,
and one inoculator having had all his own and several villages in his vicinity
protected by vaccination, consented to be taught, and. ended the season by
vaccinating a good many persons. Four old inoculators in Rungpore are
now vaccinating on their own account. One of them suppressed an outbreak
of small-pox, three are working in Bograh, and two more came in to be
instructed. In Rajshahye, however, they are obstinate and have declined the
offers of instruction as yet. They have been inoculating all last cold season
and are still busy. The outbreaks of small-pox originated by them have often
been concealed by the rural police until serious loss of life has occurred.
Native superintendent Tojummul Hossein found one village where there had
been 130 cases of small-pox, with 24 deaths, without the chowkidars having
ever reported the matter at the thannah.
The instruction of inoculators in Dinagepore I found was followed by
several serious evils. The vaccinators often employed them to carry on their
operations while they absented themselves, and sent them round on the
twentieth day to perform the ceremonies usual after inoculation and collect
money.
Necessity of super-
vision.
If some system of registration of inoculators permitted to practise vac-
cination be not adopted, a serious check will be given to it on the occurrence
of the first general epidemic of small-pox, as many imperfectly instructed
men now practise without certificate or authority of any kind, and the character
of their operations is a very inferior one, a fact which will soon be found
out by the people and discredit good vaccination.
Effort to train Pur-
neah inoculators
unsuccessful
I had interviews with thirty-six inoculators of the Purneah district and
offered them instruments if they would learn vaccination. They generally
wanted to be paid while learning, and most of them I am convinced merely
came to see if anything was to be got, and finding that some time would have
to be occupied in learning before certificates as vaccinators would be granted,
returned to their homes at once. From no small-pox having broken out in
their neighbourhood this season, the first one out of three within my experi-
ence without it, I think they can have done little or no inoculation.
Subsistence allow-
ance
during
training recom-
mended
The Commissioner of Rajshahye, in the letter before mentioned, recom-
mends that a small sum as subsistence allowance be granted them when under
instruction. If this were done I could induce nearly all to remain till they
were fairly efficient.
Proportion of per-
sons protected.
In accordance to memorandum No. 4932A, dated 22nd February 1872, from
the office of the Inspector-General of Hospitals, I made an examination of six
schools—three at Sudder Stations, three out in districts—and found the amount
of protection afforded as below:—
Inoculated per cent. ... ... ... ...
Vaccinated per cent. ... ... ... ...
Protected by natural small-pox per cent. ... ... ...
Unprotected per cent. ... ... ... ...
49.81
26.93
9.96
13.28
Darjeeling, 21st May 1872.