CALCUTTA AND ITS SUBURBS.
3
view was by going in a hired conveyance and securing auditors before they had time to
disappear. As a further proof of the temper of the people and their determination not to
submit to vaccination, I may mention that they consulted lawyers as to how they could best
protect themselves against the persistent efforts made to win them over to be vaccinated.
The only counsel they got from their legal advisers was to the effect that, no law was being
broken, and that the best way of escaping what they complained of was, by accepting vacci-
nation and thus securing immunity from the importunities of the vaccine department.
A circumstance which added to the difficulties of combating a community thoroughly
unanimous in their opposition, and combining to a man in withstanding every attempt made
on them, lay in the fact of their looking up to a head man who occupied a position among
them, different to that of any other single man in Calcutta. This patron of the sect was
Baboo Tarrucknath Pramanick, a man of great wealth, intense religious feeling, and
little education. His own family was grown up, but he had two grandchildren unpro-
tected by inoculation; till they were vaccinated, it was hopeless to think of securing any
other Kansaries. I had more than once succeeded in vaccinating among them, they had
seen the harmlessness of the proceeding, admitted its desirability, but on religious grounds
absolutely refused vaccination. I was led to believe that the circumstance of my having
vaccinated some of the children of those who had given an unwilling consent, had rather
impeded our progress than aided in furthering the spread of vaccination ; as feelings of
religious hostility had been excited against those of their caste who had yielded in the
matter and had their children vaccinated, which deterred others from following their
example.
As soon as I had fully mastered the religious objections of Baboo Tarrucknath Pra-
manick, the document sent to Government from the Dhurmorochshiny Shoba, declaring in
favor of vaccination, was sent to him. The effect produced was nil. The declaration of the
Nuddea pundits which I had procured for another purpose was now tried, and the fact
of my having had the children of the pundits vaccinated at their own homes was brought
to prominent notice; the only reply received was, that these holy men could do no harm,
as for him it was impossible that he could risk perdition by following in their steps. No stone
has been left unturned to pursuade this man to allow vaccination to be introduced into his
house. Four superintendents have been in charge of the division in which he lives, each
knew that it would be looked on as no ordinary service did he succeed in this task, and
each, besides his own personal exertions, has brought to his aid the services of influential
friends, and all to no purpose. I myself have enjoyed the most ample facilities for in-
fluencing him, inasmuch as with various medical men in attendance on his family I have
been called in as a consultant in cases of difficulty or danger. I have tried to stipulate
beforehand that vaccination should be performed as soon as danger was past, but a polite
though unmistakably decided refusal to meet my views was vouchsafed.
Failure year after year, device after device being exhausted without effect, made it
look as if permanent defeat were possible. Baboo Issen Chunder Banerjee, who has for
twenty years been one of the clerks in the office of the Superintendent General of Vacci-
nation, one day made the statement that though we had all failed, he knew he could succeed
in accomplishing the feat. He was enjoined to make the attempt, and a promise made
that if he did effect his purpose, his name would be brought before Government as deserv-
ing of reward. On Sundays and at other times when not engaged in his office, he devoted
himself to the task. The fact of his being a Brahmin and his superior education and
familiarity with their sacred writings, seems to have been the means which led to his being
ultimately successful. As the result of his enterprising attempt, the great obstacle to the
Kansaries being vaccinated was overcome; and when the grandchildren of Baboo Tarruck
Nath Pramanick were vaccinated, many of the Kansaries removed their obstinate opposi-
tion. In after years there will now be no more difficulty in practising vaccination among
them than among any other class of the community.
In the locality marked 5 in last year's map, up till this year, the progress of vaccina-
tion has been slow and imperfect.
The butcher class
This quarter is inhabited by a turbulent class of butchers. Though vaccination has
been pressed on them again and again, they have been very backward in receiving it. They
have been openly and actively hostile to the vaccinators, so that a single vaccinator cannot
shew himself alone among them, and a strong party has to be made up to work among
them to prevent blood-shed. Each year they have required the most delicate management
to prevent coming to open collision, and as soon as it was seen that no good was to be
done among them, during any particular season, orders had to be issued not to irritate them
by further visits till another year, when their heated feelings had cooled down. Vaccina-
tion was never in any season at a complete stand-still among them, as they did not combine
as a body against the vaccinators; at times one party, at times another having to be pro-