20
SONTHAL PERGUNNAHS.
Fourthly.—A desirable amount of success in the operations was not obtained simply from
the following reasons:—
Arm-to-arm vaccination was always insisted on, but this was not found practicable in
every instance, from the obstinate prejudice of the Sonthal people against allowing their
vaccinated children to be carried from one village to another at a distance. From supersti-
tious fears also they would not in every instance allow a portion of one village to be operated
on at first, and the rest afterwards from lymph taken from their arms. More than half the
number of cases therefore were performed with lymph or crusts, thus leading to uncertainty
in their results. With a view, however, to secure as much success as possible under the
circumstances mentioned, and to afford protection to the largest number of people, I have in
many such instances directed re-operation to be made from the arm where on the fifth day
no eruption had made its appearance To this the Sonthals would not much object.
7. Allowance however being made for the above circumstances, I am happy to say that
a genuine vesicle continued to be produced everywhere in my circle almost throughout
the season, the lymph originally supplied me by the Superintendent-General of Vaccination,
Calcutta, having retained its vigour even after several transmissions. The tubes of lymph
which were received at the outset, and with which the operations were commenced, had given
rise on an average to 35 per cent. of successful cases. Lymph was supplied me from Calcutta
up to the 28th of December, after which it was no longer required.
8. I used generally to inspect the work of each of my vaccinators at least twice a
month, and at each visit I would not think my duty done until I had satisfied myself that
every case was thoroughly inspected; that no case which had the least semblance of " doubt-
ful" was entered as " successful ;" that no falsification of the registers and returns was
allowed to be attempted; and that the general bearing of the vaccinators with the people was
satisfactory. In my line of circuit I would also often take occasion to call the manjhees and
mundels of villages where vaccination had not been introduced, address them on the benefits
of vaccination, disabuse their minds of false prejudices, and enable them to appreciate the
noble object for which Government had sent us amongst them. It is a very great satisfac-
tion to find that the people of this district are thus year after year being awakened to a sense
of appreciation of the boon conferred by vaccination, and that the Sonthals of the Damin
(Government khas mehals) generally, except under particular circumstances, did not show
much unwillingness to submit to the operation.
9. Opposition however had to be encountered in a few places where the population was
of a mixed character, and the mode in which it was generally overcome can be best seen
from the following instance. At Burio, a populous village and bazaar in the interior, one
Mahomedan Chowdhry, the head man of the place, had instructed all the people of the
surrounding villages to resist all attempts at vaccination One of my vaccinators, the best
one of my staff, was gradually advancing with his work towards the spot This man was
well up in the arts of persuasion, and could very well mingle with the people. I instructed
him to move on gently with his work, so that no show of resistance might be exhibited,
gradually winning over to our side those people who could most easily be persuaded. Village
after village yielded to our persuasions, till at last we came upon Burio itself, the centre of
opposition. Here I found that the people who were chiefly composed of Mahomedans and
Hindoos would abide by the instructions of their head man, and would not yield until he
had first set them the example. I at once adopted the policy of directing all my efforts
towards enlisting this man on our side, and it was after much discussion and persuasion that
I in one of my visits could succeed in my attempt. The very next day the whole people of the
bazaar, with the exception of one section of trading men, came forward to receive vaccination.
It was in this way that oppositions were generally overcome; but on several occasions
also I have been materially assisted in the furtherance of my object by Mr E. Stewart, the
Assistant Commissioner, to whom my warmest acknowledgments are due.
10. In compliance with circular memorandum No 130, dated 23rd November 1870,
from the office of the Inspector-General of Hospitals, Indian Medical Department, and the reso-
lution from the Government of Bengal, dated the 15th November 1870, I have tried if possible
to get small-pox inoculators to practise vaccination, but I am sorry to state that I could not
get any of them. In fact the number of professional inoculators in this district is few,
and most of them have now nearly lost their footing here from the progress of vaccination.
An old man of the class had applied to me, but from the bad reports I heard of him from
several quarters, I thought it would be imprudent to let loose upon the people a man who, by
his abuses, would bring disgrace upon vaccination itself.
11. During the year under review only two places far off from the town of Rajmehal
were reported to have been infected with small-pox, which was the result of inoculation.
This was towards the end of July 1870 when 1 was in medical charge of the sub-division of
Rajmehal. The Deputy Superintendent of vaccination having then gone down to Calcutta