DARJEELING CIRCLE.
27
with eight deaths had occurred in two villages. It was introduced into Govindgunge
thannah from Dinagepore district in December. I found it out in January when passing
through this part of the district. It had become pretty generally distributed before its dis-
covery. It has been suppressed. Rungpore has been more free from small-pox than at
any time in my experience. I visited two villages in which inoculation had been practised
in September and November, and in both instances found that the work had been badly
done. All the later cases in the first village visited, were concealed by the people except
one, indeed it was with great difficulty and after much delay that I succeeded in seeing
any of the children. The operations were performed by one of the Bowlaree Baids who
have shewn such opposition to vaccination.
In Rajshahye.
There was small-pox in Rajshahye in April, May, and June, but it was got under by
the exertion of native superintendent Tajummul Hoosein.
Inoculation goes on without check in parts of Rajshahye. Only one inoculator came
before me this year, and he wanted a purwannah granting him permission to inoculate in a
certain area. I made arrangements for his being taught vaccination, but he disappeared.
In Julprgoree.
There was little small-pox in Dinagepore, Maldah, or Purneah, but it appeared in
Julpigoree in September, and has existed in a large number of villages in the Boda thannah
during the cold weather. Vaccinators were sent for its suppression when it was found out.
I personally visited a number of these villages, and in one prevailed upon the head man to
accept vaccination which he did after discussing the subject. When he had made up his
mind to have his household vaccinated, he insisted that the young men who worked in the
fields should be first protected as their lives were most valuable to him.
Instruction of in-
oculators
Fifteen inoculators were instructed in vaccination during the season, but by payment as
proposed in para. 15, most of those residing in Purneah, Julpigoree, Dinagepore, Rungpore,
and Bograh, will come in for instruction.
Without some form of maintenance they cannot remain away from their homes for
such a time as is required for their instruction.
Inoculation is gradually falling into disuse in the Darjeeling circle and happily so as its
protective power on account of careless performance of the operation has been greatly
overrated. I saw at Sumghia, in Dinagepore in March four severe cases of small-pox in persons
three of whom had been inoculated. Every year's experience convinces me the more that,
inoculation requires to be repeated as much as vaccination, and that as at present practised
it does not afford an efficient form of protection for the people generally from small-pox
which is being constantly reproduced by it.
Vaccine census of
23 schools.
The following is the vaccine census of 23 schools examined during my cold weather
tour. Some were sudder station schools, others in outlying parts of districts. I avoided
taking a census of patshalas in villages where vaccination had first been practised as it
would have given a false idea of the protection generally afforded to the country.
No. of schools.
23
No. of boys ex-
amined.
1286
Inoculated.
556
Inoculated per
cent of total
examinied.
43.25
Vaccinated.
280
Vaccinated per
cent of total
examined.
21.77
Had small-pox.
74
Had small-pox
per cent. of
total examined.
5.75
Unprotected.
376
Unprotected per
cent. of total
examined.
29.23
Scheme for teaching;
inoculators
and
providing for the
inspection of their
work.
14. Scheme for teaching inoculators and providing for the inspection of their
work.—I propose that one inoculator be attached to each vaccinator in the plains as an
apprentice on the establishment for not less than a five months' period of tuition. That each
apprentice be paid Rs. 5 per mensem during this period. That when apprentices they shall
be employed as a flying agency for the suppression of small-pox.
That these men when qualified have their names reported to district magistrates who
will grant them purwannahs to practise vaccination in areas already gone over by the
Government establishment.