SONTHAL PERGUNNAHS.
41
opposition that was offered in certain quarters. As I did not think it at all practicable
to bestow the necessary amount of constant and close supervision upon these distant places
without sacrificing the, interests of the work in those quarters where it was being hotly
and systematically pursued, I thought it advisable to recall the vaccinators to Rajmehal sub-
division. He went on working in a few villages near Maharajpore and Teenpahar stations
till the beginning of March, when his services were urgently called to check the progress of
the epidemic of small-pox that broke out at Kanklotea(Sahibgunge). Thus the work this
year has been carried on in 83 villages in Rajmehal sub-division; 68 in Pakour; and
7 in Godda; giving a total of 158 villages protected by vaccination.
Number vaccinated
during the year
Cost of each success-
ful case.
6. The total number of persons vaccinated during the year as shewn in the accom-
panying returns, amounts to 11,071 against 8,352 of the previous year; the number success-
ful—10,490 against 7,561, the percentage of success being 95.08 against 90.86. The cost of
each successful case has been 4 annas 1-5th pie against 4 annas 8-42 pie. Each man on
an average vaccinated 1,845.16 cases against 1,392 of the preceding year.
Compared with pre-
vious year
Thus there has been, as compared with 1871-72, an increase of 2,719 persons vaccinated
and 2,929 successful vaccinations; a rise by 4.22 in the percentage of success and a reduction
of 7 pie in the cost of each successful case. There has also been an increase of 453.16
in the number of cases vaccinated by each man.
This, I humbly presume to say, should be accepted as an exceedingly gratifying result
considering the smallness of the staff at my command, the nature of the people among
whom the operations were conducted, and the extreme difficulties and dangers under which,
in a hilly and jungly tract like this, the deputy superintendent has had to carry on
his work of inspection and supervision.
The work, as already shewn above, was not spread in a desultory manner but, as far
as practicable, in certain definite areas as may be seen in the accompanying sketch map,*
which however, owing to the district being greatly intersected by hills, cannot be expected
to convey more than a mere approximate idea of those areas.
Lymph supply
The operations were commenced early in October, with tubes of lymph received from
England and from the Superintendent General's Office, Calcutta, as also with such crusts of
last cold season in my possession as had kept well, and with supplies of lymph and crusts
received from the superintendent of vaccination, Darjeeling. In starting vaccine operations
in several places at the outset, large supplies of matter are required which cannot be ob-
tained from one source.
Arm-to-arm vaccination was practised, as far as practicable ; nearly half the number
of operations being so. But owing to the prejudices of the people as shewn in previous
reports it was not so often allowed as we wished.
Inspection
7. The tabular statement given below shows the results of my inspections. I have
this year adopted the plan pursued in the Metropolitan circles in minutely noting down
the number of points that were successful in each case. In all other respects my inspections
were conducted very much on the same plan as last year. I would take my vaccinators
with me in the inspection of their work and verify the results in every case that could
be seen, by minute examination and by comparison with the registers kept. The Sonthals,
most of them as a rule, generally leave their homes and go out a little after day break,
some to the fields for tilling the ground, others to the jungles for cutting wood or collecting
leaves, and others for tending cattle and so forth, and do not return till a little before
dusk. In many cases I would prevent their going out by sending previous notice through
the chowkeydars, and would thus be enabled to make a thorough and complete inspection
of all the cases; but in some instances I would fail to overtake them before their going
out, due notice perhaps not having been served through the negligence of chowkeydars.
In such cases however, I would send for them on all sides and would not leave the village
till as many as could be brought back were submitted for inspection. In this way I have
tried to make my inspections as thorough and complete as possible. In the course of my
inspections I would also, as occasion offered, take the opportunity of correcting any defects
in my vaccinators by affording them practical instruction on all subjects connected with
the selection of matter for operation, the production of perfect vesicles and crusts, and
the method that should be pursued in bringing about satisfactory results, and of impress-
ing on their minds the necessity of affording systematic and thorough protection. And
I am happy to say that, with the exception of a few rare instances, in which from careless-
ness or want of skill on the part of the operator (which was soon corrected) bad vesicles
* Not reproduced.
11