12
THE METROPOLITAN CIRCLES.
This plan was approved of by Government, and Dr. Cayley set to work to carry it out.
Preparation
4. Preparation.—The season may be said to begin from the month of October, and
September may be called the preparatory month. At the commencement of September the
deputy superintendents allot the different thannahs (which had been assigned to the
three circles) to the different head vaccinators under them. The head vaccinators then
proceed to the thannahs assigned to them, and prepare the minds of the people to accept
vaccination. They call on the zemindars and other influential men of the place, and request
them to use their influence with the people.
In the meantime the superintendent writes and requests the civil authorities to sign
the notices and perwannahs that Government vaccinators are soon expected to arrive in
such and such thannahs and to allow them to be circulated by police constables and
chowkeedars. They are also requested to aid the men working in their jurisdiction.
When these preparations are made, the vaccinators look out for and procure vaccinifers
to go to the different thannahs. Vaccinated children are taken from Calcutta and its
suburbs. Sometimes the vaccinators, just to get vaccinifers, establish virus in some place
in the vicinity of Calcutta, as thannah Alipore. In the last week of September or first
week of October, the work may be said to have fairly commenced.
Aid of civil autho-
rities necessary.
5. The aid of Civil Authorities.—It is necessary to the success of vaccination that
district and sub-divisional Officers should take an interest in the work. As the time¬
honored practice of inoculation is now prohibited by law, and as a new substitute which
is not at first appreciated, is being offered to a most conservative people, the moral support
of the civil authorities will go a great way in overcoming opposition and removing pre-
judices. I am glad to be able to state that some of the civil authorities of the five districts
comprised in the metropolitan circles, have readily responded to my appeals for assistance.
They have promptly signed notices and perwannahs and had them circulated by the police.
Some of the sub-divisional officers have evinced great interest in the cause of vaccination
as Mr. Wace, Assistant Magistrate, late of Meharpore, Captain Eckford, Cantonment
Magistrate of Barrackpore, and Baboo Deno Nauth Addy, Deputy Magistrate of Ranaghat.
I am of opinion that my predecessors had made a mistake in not keeping up a free
communication with district and sub-divisional officers, and in not consulting with them
about plans and schemes before sending vaccinators into their jurisdiction. Such is the
tenor of the complaints made by some of the district officers. This will not again occur
during my incumbency.
Mode of employ-
ment.
6. Mode of employment.—As in previous years, the vaccinators were employed in
" gangs" consisting of six or seven vaccinators and two apprentices under the immediate
supervision of a head vaccinator. To each gang is assigned a thannah which is to be
thoroughly vaccinated before passing to some other thannah. In this way the whole
force is concentrated within a certain number of thannahs contiguous to each other.
The head man sub-divides his gang into batches of two vaccinators, and assigns to them a
number of villages. One village is thoroughly protected before another is taken up. The
head vaccinator inspects each man's work at least once a week, sometimes oftener, and
verifies the results of cases by looking at the character of the vesicles before entering them
in his monthly register which is sent into the office. No apprentice was allowed to vacci-
nate without having first acquired a thorough knowledge of the art.
The deputy superintendent of the circle is almost constantly with the men, and looks
after their work.
The superintendent inspects each gang two or three times during the season.
Prospects of the
season's work.
7. Prospects of the season's work when I took charge.—As remarked above, the work
had fairly commenced in the beginning of October, and every thing looked bright and pro-
mising. But towards the close of the month and in the beginning of November, things
wore a different aspect. Sickness, chiefly fever, broke out and prostrated the vaccinators of
the second and third circles. The third circle men suffered more than the rest and
became incapacitated for hard work. I had to indent for 2 pounds of quinine which was
found to be of great service, as by its use the men were enabled to combat the fever and to
continue at their posts.
Cholera broke out in thannahs Bishtoopore, Acheepore and Davipore in 24-Pergunuahs,
and there was a panic among the vaccinators working in those thannahs, more specially as
one good vaccinator fell a victim to the disease. Deputy Superintendent Jadub Chundra
Ghose was obliged to supply his men with cholera pills, cholorodyne, ammonia, &c., &c.,
purchased from dispensaries, as there was no time to indent for and procure them from the
medical stores.