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as Dr. Brown says, be unwise to rely upon a system of registration as the sole
guide to vaccinators, there is no reason why it should not be an effective auxiliary.
8. PARAS 13-21.—Metropolitan Circles.—These comprise the districts
of 24-Pergunnahs, Nuddea, Burdwan, Hooghly, and Howrah. The average
number of vaccinations annually for the last four years has been 126,820.
The populatian of the circle amounts to 8,013,565 instead of 6 millions as
estimated by the Inspector-General. Taking the birth rate at 30 per mille over
240,000 vaccinations ought to be performed annually for efficient protection
of the children leaving entirely out of sight the existing adult and unprotected
juvenile population. A map is attached to the report showing the amount of
protection given according to the estimate of the Vaccine Department. This
estimate is not based upon any calculation of population, but merely upon a
rough idea of the area traversed and villages visited by the vaccinators. The
census will enable Government to judge much more nearly, and thannah by
thannah, of the actual state of things, and the Lieutenant-Governor requests
that in next year's report if not at an earlier date the whole question may be
carefully examined in the light of the census returns.
9. The Lieutenant-Governor has already seen reason to fear that Act IV
(B.C.) of 1865, prohibiting inoculation, may, perhaps, have been too hastily
extended to this tract, and that Dr. Powell's estimate of what his establishment
had done and could do was over-sanguine. It now appears that the amount of
work done has been steadily falling, the operations in 1869-70 being 155,315;
in 1870-71,139,639; while in 1871-72 they fell to 90,994, the number for each
vaccinator being 1,452 as against 2,123 in 1870-71, and the cost of each suc-
cessful case 6 annas 1 pie as against 4 annas ¼ pie. Several causes are assigned
for this very serious decrease during the past year, the main one being that
operations were chiefly carried on in Burdwan, where endemic fever was raging
to an extent which made the people callous to the arguments of the vaccinators,
who themselves also suffered largely from its effects. It appears too that the
thing was new in Burdwan, and that prejudice against it was strong from the
outset. The floods interfered with work in Nuddea, and owing to the lateness
of the Doorgah Poojah holidays the season was shorter than usual. Increased
establishments have now been given, and the Lieutenant-Governor trusts that
no efforts will be spared to obtain adequate results during the coming season.
The Commissioners of the Presidency and Burdwan Divisions will be desired
to press the matter on the municipalities of those divisions.
10. Dr. Powell found that the plan of attaching vaccinators to dispen-
saries during the recess does not answer in the metropolitan circles; and as
both Dr. Saunders and the Inspector-General concur in recommending that
the order be not enforced, the Lieutenant-Governor will not insist upon it.
The men, when unemployed, will receive two-thirds of their pay, and be allowed
leave at the discretion of the Superintendent.
11. The particulars given in paragraph 11 of Dr. Powell's report regard-
ing outbreaks of small-pox during the year are interesting. In 27 outbreaks
45 villages were affected, and 459 persons were attacked of whom 106 died.
In 24 villages vaccination stamped out the disease. In 34 of the 45 villages
the disease was traced to the practice of inoculation.
12. It is impossible to attach too great importance to the plan of inducing
the regular inoculators to take up the practice of vaccination. The scheme
suggested of attaching them as apprentices to the circles during the working
season has been approved, and the plan of settling them hereafter as licensed
vaccinators for particular tracts subject to inspection, and submitting registers
of their work, seems a good one. Beyond this, however, no interference should
be attempted between them and their patients. They should be allowed to
take such fees and perform such ceremonies as they may think right. The
Lieutenant-Governor will look with interest for the results of all experiments
of this kind.
13. PARAS. 22-28.—The Darjeeling circle comprises 8 districts, the popu-
lation of which amounts to 7,946,790, while the establishment is much smaller
than that allowed for the more compact area and but slightly larger population
of the metropolitan circles. Though the amount of work done during the year is