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its worst characteristics: the people are not so fanatical as they were; they are now loyal,
and represent, simply and purely, a religious power in Eastern Bengal. Clinging, as
they do, to their religious prejudices with great tenacity, they have till very recent ly
resisted vaccination in a most determined spirit, driving away inspectors, sub-inspectors
of vaccination and vaccinators from their houses, until these officials have been positively
afraid to venture into their villages.
Small-pox has annually ravaged their homesteads, and the death-rate from this cause
has been high. In one large village (Outrail) which I visited early in December, there had
been 200 deaths in two weeks, and in every village one sees the frightful effects of this
disease.
History of my tour.
It was among this people then that I had to work. It was my duty to endeavour to
disarm the universal prejudice against vaccination, a prejudice
all the more obstinate because it was religious.
We commenced work I am sure á la bonne hewee. The villagers were groaning
under the scourge of small pox, mothers and fathers saw their offspring dying, and were
torn by conflicting forces. They wished to protect their children, and yet dared not be
unfaithful to their religious convictions, as such infidelity would involve an ostracism from
which there would be no release until a heavy fine had been paid to the Maulvi Haji or
other spiritual leader.
Knowing this to be the feeling, I determined to commence by trying to disarm the
prejudices of the High Priest and his head Maulvis on the subject of vaccination, for it
must be understood that the great majority of the Ferazis are ignorant and illiterate, and
the word of their High Priest is to them religion and law, and whatever has the sanction
of established custom cannot be departed from with impunity:—Plura faciunt homines
e consuetudine, quam e ratione. I first met Maulvi Syeddudin Ahmad at Palong at
the time of the District Board election, where all the leading men from the surrounding
villages were present. Here we had repeated meetings. I explained to him fully how
the lanoline lymph was made, showed him that it was very pure, was free from pus and
blood, and said that he would be consulting the best interests of his people if he permitted
vaccination with the lymph.
He said he had no objection and would give the order, but that I need not trouble to
stay, as it was not necessary for me to suffer the inconveniences of touring in this truly
inhospitable district, etc. Knowing this to be a stock speech made to many a man before,
I informed him in polite language that I had been sent to do the work of vaccinating
the people, and meant to do it ; that I intended, if need be, to tour about for 4 months
and see it done, inasmuch as small-pox was causing such havoc that the continuance
of the present state of things could not be permitted. The discussion went on for some
time, and I was greatly assisted by Maulvi Fazlal Karim, Subdivisional Officer
at Madaripur, who used his influence and persuation on our behalf. I am much
indebted to this gentleman for continued help and advice during my tour. To make a
long story short the High Priest agreed to accept vaccination with lanoline lymph alone,
and I promised that there should be no " arm-to-arm " vaccination carried on, as they were
so firmly opposed to it. I had the less scruple in making this promise, as my experience of
arm-to-arm vaccination in the hands of ignorant native vaccinators has not led me to look
on this method with a favourable eye.
I then told the High Priest that I wanted tangible proofs of his willingness to aid
me in the shape of parwanas to be given to the vaccination staff, directing his people
to accept vaccination. These he gave me duly signed, and with his seal affixed. He also
directed numbers of his leading followers, who were present at the time, to accept vaccination
with the lanoline lymph.
Armed with this authority, we at once went forth and commenced work.
For religious purposes the district has been divided into larger or smaller sections
which are under the local spiritual guidance of a Maulvi, Munshi, Haji or Kalifa, accord-
ing to the size of the section. Of course these men receive their instructions from the High
Priest, and transmit them in turn to the people under them, e.g.:—
A Maulvi has control over a large area.
A Munshi over a group of villages.
A Haji over one or two villages.
A Kalifa over a group of houses.
Now it was useless for me to go to a village and try to vaccinate the people until
their Maulvi, Munshi, Hazi or Kalifa's family had been vaccinated; they would not have
listened to me, owing to the fear of being fined and ostracised. But when they found
that their local spiritual adviser's family had been vaccinated, they willingly accepted
vaccination for themselves, feeling that they were all, so to speak, " in the same boat."
This being so, I had lists prepared of the leading men, and went personally to their
houses, explained matters to them, and then vaccinated their families. After this, we sta-
tioned vaccinators there, who carried on the work we had begun, and later on, opportunities
were taken of re-visiting these places and verifying the returns. Of course this took time,
required patience, and involved a good deal of physical inconvenience, as there are no roads
in the parts I visited, and to get to inland villages we had to make our way over fields
often more or less swampy. I was extremely pleased with the energy and zeal displayed
by the vaccination staff during these expeditions, and more especially by Babu Baikunto
Nath Bomick, the Inspector of Vaccination in this district.
d