THE METROPOLITAN CIRCLES.
9
is old, many prefer the time-honoured operation of inoculation. I would again most strongly
urge on the Government the extension of Act IV (B.C.) of 1865, "an Act to prohibit the
practice of inoculation in the town and suburbs of Calcutta," to the whole of the Metro-
politan circles; that is to say, the zillahs of Nuddea, 24-Pergunnahs, Hooghly, Howrah, and
Burdwan. I am confident that with the establishment at present sanctioned, I could keep
this tract of country efficiently vaccinated were inoculation made illegal The time lost in
persuading the people to adopt the new, not the old preventive of small-pox, would be saved ;
the interruption to the systematic vaccination of a district, caused by the necessity of
sending vaccinators to stamp out small-pox, brought on in many cases by inoculation,
would be avoided, and a large increase in the numbers vaccinated would result.
11. Attitude of the people.—With regard to the attitude of the people, where vaccin-
ation is known, there is no opposition; but at present this department must each year take
up some new portion of the district, and there opposition is met with, and has to be overcome
by persuasion and argument—sometimes successfully, sometimes however all our efforts fail.
There is still the dread that vaccination will be the reason for some new impost, and it is with
some difficulty they are made to believe that the Government has no intention to charge for
it. New reasons for refusing crop up from time to time : in the first and second circles,
there was some opposition because the vaccinators operate on the children of the Moochee
caste; the higher castes affect to consider themselves contaminated thereby, and say that if we
would cease to vaccinate Moochees, we should get larger numbers of the higer castes. I
believe this is a mere subterfuge; but even were it true, I do not see that we can leave the
Moochee caste (amongst the poorest of the poor) unprotected. They are never visited by
inoculators, for the inoculators consider such contact a defilement; hence the Moochees
would be a constant source of danger to the community. In Ghattal, in the third circle,
another objection was raised which considerably embarrassed the vaccinators. The idea
arose that any child from whom virus was taken would sicken and die, hence few would allow
virus to be supplied from their children, even to members of their own family, and the supply
of virus almost failed; but this idea was at length succesfully combated.
12. Instruction of inoculators.—With reference to circular memorandum No. 130, dated
23rd November 1870, of the Inspector-General of Hospitals, Indian Medical Department, giving
directions to attach inoculators temporarily to some of our vaccinating gangs, that they may
learn to vaccinate and then pursue that calling for their own profit, we have been unable to
persuade any to adopt this course. In some cases they offered to come and learn; but when
they found they would have to move with the gang, and would receive no pay whilst learning,
they withdrew. Another objection raised was that Government might after a time require
their services, and might force them to leave their houses. We did not get one man to join
for instruction.
13. Extra vaccinators.—An application was received in November from Baraset to
supply a vaccinator. A man was accordingly sent, and was paid by that municipality, and
worked until the close of the vaccinating season. Another application was received from
Moheshpore to send a vaccinator for one month; the man was sent and was paid from local
funds; but owing to the lateness of the application, he could not be sent in the best part of
the season. He worked from 9th March to the 8th of April. I purpose addressing the various
municipalities within the limits of the Metropolitan circles, asking if they will entertain
vaccinators for at least a portion of the season, and if willing to do so, they should communi-
cate to me by the 15th September, if practicable, for how long a time they would require
their services. I should then be able to supply good men at proper seasons.
An attempt was likewise made to get people to pay something for the services of a
vaccinator. The inhabitants of a village near Baraset—Chota Jagooliah, requested that a
vaccinator should be sent there. As that district was undertaken last year, when they might
have been vaccinated if willing, and as there was no small-pox to necessitate active measures
being taken, it was suggested that they should pay two annas for each vaccination, and thus
provide the pay of an extra man. There being some little trouble in finding an efficient man
at once, they obtained the services of the man sent by me to Baraset, and, I am informed,
paid him liberally. Another application was received under nearly similar circumstances
from Itchapore; the inhabitants of that place have given something towards the man's pay;
but as I am still in correspondence on the subject, I will report fully on the subject as soon
as the correspondence is completed.*
14. Character of the vaccination.—The vaccination has been of a high character, the
percentage of success 99.69, the cost of each successful case 4 annas against 3 annas and
1 pie in 1869-70. This increase of cost is to be accounted for chiefly by the fact that the
Superintendent's salary has been paid for the whole year instead of, as in the previous year,
* Dr Powell reports (1st August 1871) that " sufficient money was collected from the inhabitants of Itchnpore to detray the
expenses of hiring the extra vaccinator sent there by request."