4
CALCUTTA AND THE SUBURBS.
Statistics confirmed
by experience.
There need be no hesitation in accepting the above facts as a true index of
what has taken place in our power of controlling small-pox in Calcutta, for
quite independently of the most reliable statistical information which we
possess on the subject, I am sufficiently conversant with the main facts of the
past history of small-pox in Calcutta, and so familiar practically with its recent
manifestations, as to be able to state with the most positive certainty that the
decrease of mortality does not depend on accidental causes, but is solely and
entirely due to the successful efforts of the vaccine establishment.
The mortality from
small-pox was
increasing up to
1865.
While before the year 1865 the establishment had doubtless done much in
teaching the population the simplicity of vaccination, and possibly had contri-
buted somewhat to lessening the loss of human life, the fact that 5,826 lives were
sacrificed to small pox in the seven previous years, in which only one epidemic
was included, while 3,723 deaths took place in the immediately preceding
septennial period, shows that there had been a progressive tendency of the
death-rate to increase rather than decrease.
The high mortality of the period from July 1844 to June 1851 depends on
two epidemic years being accidentally included within these dates, and in no
way vitiates the deduction that as Calcutta was growing in population, so was
the mortality from small-pox increasing in spite of the efforts of the vaccine
establishment. With these facts in view, the unprecedented reduction of the
death-rate during the last seven years requires little comment.
The table marked A in the appendix, showing the deaths from small-pox
in Calcutta for five periods of seven years, assists in showing at a glance how
marked the improvement during the last seven years has been.
Protection
from
small-pox
7. Amount of protection existing in Calcutta.—In compliance with memo-
randum No. 4933A the following information is supplied. It is a work requiring
a very long time to carry out, and as the extra information which will this year
be collected could not possibly be embodied in this report, specimens of the
work done in previous years are subjoined.
Difficulty of obtain-
ing information.
Results obtained in
1869.
The information is incorrect and worthless, except as a slight aid to
departmental working, and would never have left this office had there been any
other available to furnish in view of the memorandum referred to. For years it has
been attempted to obtain a trustworthy census of the state of protection in the
town, but hitherto the information collected has been most imperfect.
Many causes continue to lead to this result, not the least of which is the
untrustworthiness as well as stupidity of the vaccinators who collect the infor-
mation. The hostile attitude of the people when any attempt of the sort is made
is very conspicuous; and even when not actually refusing all information, there
is every reason to believe that the replies given are designedly false. Any
actual examination of the state of protection of any large number of persons
is quite impossible, as any attempt of the sort would lead to the agents
deputed being assaulted without any satisfactory advance being obtained.
Attempts are being made by explanations and conciliatory measures to obtain
more reliable returns, and possibly within two or three years more valuable and
trustworthy information may be available than that at present supplied. In
the south division of the town, thanks to the personal interest taken in the
investigation by the Superintendent, Baboo Kassy Chunder Dutt, the data
available are much more complete than in either of the other divisions, and
have been used to fill up the table marked (B) in the appendix, in compliance
with the spirit of circular memorandum No. 135. Without disparaging the
care taken by the Superintendent in training the men who collected the
information, I regard the document as untrustworthy. It represents the result
of inquiries made among 28,077 persons in 1869, among whom it represents
only 11.12 per cent. as being protected by vaccination, 46.90 per cent. by
inoculation, 35.77 per cent. as having had small-pox, and 6.18 per cent. as
remaining unprotected. Europeans were excluded from the inquiry.
Vaccine census of
houses
As specimens of what has been procured in 1869 in the attempt to determine
what proportion of the houses have accepted vaccination, I subjoin the following: