RANCHEE CIRCLE.
15
12. There is little hope of inoculators being induced to become vaccinators on their own
account. When informed of Bengal Government resolution No. 3810 of 15th November
1870, a few presented themselves to the Civil Surgeon of Rungpore to be instructed, but I never
heard that they practised vaccination after leaving the dispensary. Two inoculators of the
Bograh district came to me, and I caused them to be taught; all others, about 78 in number
I believe, stoutly refused to have anything to do with vaccination. In no other district did
a single man come forward.
From what I know of inoculators, I cannot bring myself to think that vaccination will
ever become general throughout the country by their means. I believe that its systematic
practice is only delayed by attempting their instruction. The worst vaccinators in my circle
are old inoculators. They throw every obstacle in the way of arm-to-arm vaccination. They
come to the work thinking they know it, and are always unwilling to learn. Vaccination is an
operation of delicacy and importance; and the selection of lymph, a matter requiring judgment.
No inoculator will believe this. The only hope I can entertain of bringing vaccination quickly
within reach of the people is for Government to form special classes for teaching it in the
medical colleges, and give the pupils some small means of support when under instruction.
Superintendents of Vaccination have much too wandering lives for them ever to be able to
conduct classes, and Civil Sugeons are not only too busy men with their many duties to
have time for it, but the people object to come to charitable dispensaries to be vaccinated.
A sub-assistant surgeon attached to the Medical College in Calcutta might easily turn out
twenty or thirty trained vaccinators every season He might go about with his pupils,
giving them all the practical instruction necessary, as well as by lectures. There is one
difficulty attending this project, and that is to get a sub-assistant surgeon who would take
the trouble to give the practical instruction beyond the limits of his class-room. Let
inoculators be avoided: begin with pupils who have nothing else to learn.
13. I regret to say that Bengal Government circular No. 10 of the 18th January 1870
appears a dead letter in the Darjeeling circle of vaccination.
14. I beg to suggest that the Bengal Government be solicited to issue such orders as
will enable me to be supplied with a sufficient number of elephants for the removal of my
camp in case of my being obliged to travel in the rains. It is a useless waste of public money
for me to go to sudder stations, and then to find that I can get no nearer to the interior of the
districts I wish to visit.
Report of the Ranchee Circle of Vaccination by ASSISTANT SURGEON J. J. WOOD, M.B., Superin-
tendent of Vaccination, for the year ending 31st March 1871.
COMPARED with last year there has been an increase of 4,212 in the number of persons
operated on ; the percentage of sucessful cases is better, and the cost to Government much
less. The history of the year's work is as follows:—
2. August and September are the only months for which no work is recorded. Some of
the vaccinators were employed during these months, but the dislike of the people to be
vaccinated at that time, and the absence of small-pox epidemics, hindered operations. In
April, May, June, July and October, 1 ,034 persons were vaccinated, but the percentage sucess-
ful was very small, and this in the hands of men who are wont to show a high degree of
skill at other times. In this circle we have not yet been able to vaccinate during the hot
weather or rains with average success, nor without producing inflammatory results, sometimes
of a severe nature.
* Report on inoculation in the Ranchee circle, dated
Ranchee, 11th October 1870.
3. During the working season one party of men was sent to each of the four districts in
the circle. It has formerly been explained how it
came about that the vaccinating parties were so
widely scattered*, and although the evils of this
arrangement had been recognized, it could not well be avoided in the year under report.
The Commissioner of Chota Nagpore thought it advisable to spread the knowledge of
vaccination as widely as possible throughout the division, and I venture to think that this has
been done.
4. I.—Lohardugga.—Work was begun in this district in October. Early in the month
small-pox was reported from Bijlia, a village 10 miles west of Ranchee. A native Superin¬
G