GENERAL REPORT.
xvii
mend the creation of a third species of vaccinator until it appears how the
existing system works.
57. Baboo Bhoobun Mohun Mitter has conducted the duties of his ap-
pointment with zeal and judgment, and has so far amply justified his selection
for the important position he occupies.
Dispensary vaccin-
ation
Descriptions of vac-
cinations included
in the term.
58. Dispensary Vaccination.—Under this term is included all vaccination
not performed by a regularly organised special establishment. It embraces
vaccination performed by vaccinators attached to dispensaries and paid either by
Government or by the dispensary funds, by vaccinators employed and paid
by municipalities either temporarily or permanently, and by converted inocu-
lators. The vaccination is, therefore, of a very unequal quality, and it is not
easy to reduce it to any general description. The work of different districts
varies greatly in many respects, as regards the number of agents employed—their
diligence and success, and as regards the amount of supervision exercised over
them and the consequent reliability of their returns. The success of dispen-
sary vaccination depends very greatly, almost entirely, on the interest and
energy which the Civil Surgeon may exert.
Increase of agency
employed.
59. I have already shown (Statements Nos. I. and II.) that the agency
employed in dispensary vaccination largely exceeded that of any previous
year. The resolution passed on my report for 1871-72 led to a considerable
development of vaccine agency, and the increase from 100 to 172 was entirely
due to an increased number of vaccinators being employed by municipalities
and dispensaries, for the number of vaccinators paid by Government underwent
no increase. A great increase also took place in the number of inoculators
who were induced to exchange their own practice for vaccination.
Increased amount of
work done.
Difficulty regarding
lymph supply.
60. The increase in the number of vaccinations was very considerable,
the figure of 1871-72 having been nearly doubled. Much difficulty was ex-
perienced in setting up a good vesicle in most stations owing to the failure
of the supplies received from Calcutta at the commencement of the season.
Dr. Charles discusses this subject in his report, and after showing the difficulties
he experiences in collecting and preserving lymph towards the close of the rains,
suggests that the Darjeeling Hills should be used as a nursery for lymph,
and that the establishment should be employed to collect and distribute it
at the commencement of every season. I have caused Dr. Lidderdale to be
requested to submit a report on this subject. The question is one of very
great importance, and will not be lost sight of. Dr. Mathew of Midnapore,
by keeping vaccination agoing throughout the year, was able to supply himself
with lymph at the beginning of the season. He makes the important ob-
servation that " infants can be vaccinated at all seasons of the year success-
fully " Other Civil Surgeons might endeavour to imitate this practice. The
advantage of having a good and certain source of lymph supply for the pur-
pose of starting the season's work cannot be over-rated.
Cursory view of dis-
pensary vaccina-
tion
Burdwan,
Bancoorah,
Midnapore
61. Table No. V. gives the particulars of dispensary vaccination in
detail, and a careful abstract has been prepared of the reports of Civil Surgeons.
I shall glance cursorily at the results as they have been thus displayed. The
amount of work done within the Burdwan municipality was miserable in every
respect. In Bancoorah great progress has been made in inducing inoculators
to vaccinate, and much credit is due to Mr. Connolly and his assistant for the
success they have attained. For Midnapore special arrangements were sanc-
tioned, and the number of vaccinations is three times as numerous as in the
previous year. The outbreak of fever which occurred during the cold weather
interfered much with the success of the experiment. It cannot, however, be
pronounced a failure, and I have caused Dr. Mathew to submit a proposal for
a renewal of the grant assigned to him last year, and I shall be prepared to
support its repetition. Inoculation has evidently become discredited, and it is