Sixth Annual Report of the Darjeeling Circle of Vaccination, for the year 1871-72, by SURGEON
R. LIDDERDALE, M.D.
Establishment.
Increase sanction-
ed.
1. Establishment.—The establishment for the year paid by Government was
increased by four native superintendents and twelve vaccinators; two vaccin-
ators were entertained for four months by the municipality of Rungpore, but
there was no vaccine establishment in the state of Cooch Behar, for reasons
which have already formed the subject of correspondence. The additional
Government establishment was distributed as follows : one native superintendent
with six vaccinators to Purneah, one to Julpigoree, one with six vaccinators
to Maldah, and one to Rajshahye.
Difficulty of obtain-
ing suitable na-
tive superintend-
ents.
The new native superintendents were old vaccinators promoted. I tried
to obtain men from the Presidency, but failed to induce any one to come.
Calcutta Bengalis fear the climate, and men from the North-Western Provinces
desire travelling allowance, which the estimate does not permit me to grant.
The promotion of vaccinators to the superintendence of gangs has not answered
well as yet; the men have not sufficient authority over those with whom they
were formerly working on an equality. A Brahmin was tried in Rajshahye, but
had to be dismissed as he had no influence over his subordinates and falsified
the returns during my inspection.
I have employed as many old inoculators as vaccinators as was possible,
but find them as troublesome and insubordinate as in previous years.
A new Deputy ap-
pointed.
A new Deputy Superintendent was appointed from Calcutta. Financial
reasons unfortunately prevented the Inspector-General of Hospitals appointing
an experienced man whom I recommended. Baboo Taroknath Gangooly,
however, has tried to become acquainted with his duties, and in time may be
of service in the department. It must be evident at what a disadvantage I am
placed for some time after the choice of an inexperienced subordinate who
ought to be my right hand man.
Vaccination in the
the Darjeeling
Hills.
Nepal coolies.
2. Darjeeling Hills.—There has been a slight increase in the operations over
last season. The average of success will always be low for reasons stated in
last year's report. The population, though scanty in these hills, is very
fluctuating, on some tea gardens as many as 90 per cent. of the coolies being
annually changed. There are fresh immigrants from Nepal, who have never
heard of vaccination, so that the work of persuading them to accept it has to
be gone over every year, causing great loss of time to the vaccinators. On
one garden all the coolies, about three hundred, wanted to be vaccinated in
one day. As this would have interfered greatly with tea manufacture and the
stock of fresh lymph was inadequate for such a number, they declined vaccin-
ation altogether. If they remain another year, and find no small-pox follows
vaccination on other gardens, they will most likely accept it. The Nepalese
are curiously obstinate people on first arrival, but after a short residence on
gardens are much influenced by the wishes of the planters whom they serve.
Julpigoree.
Fever prevalent in
this and adjoin-
ing districts.
Small-pox.
3. Julpigoree.—There was an increase in the number of operations in this
district, but not so great as might have been. The work in the first part of the
season was greatly retarded by the sickness of the people and of the vaccinators,
two of whom had to take their discharge in December, and of their substitutes,
one not only fell ill, but died in January. The fever prevalent here extended
into Purneah, Dinagepore and Rungpore, and affected the people very
generally, sometimes as many as half the inhabitants in a village being down
with it at one time. There was a failure in the October rains, causing a pro-
longation of the hot weather, which may have assisted to originate it. The
work was commenced in November in continuation of that of previous seasons,
and went on without interruption till March, when small-pox appeared in the
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