viii
GENERAL REPORT.
Darjeeling Hills should not be used as nurseries for the lymph required to set
vaccination a-going in the plains, as the Hills of Kumaon and Gurhwal, the
Tehree and Murree Hills, are successfully employed for the purpose in the
North-Western Provinces and Punjab. I shall cause a copy of Dr. Charles'
remarks to be forwarded to Dr. Lidderdale for report; and endeavour, if possible,
to arrange that supplies of lymph shall be collected in and around Darjeeling
and distributed to the plains at the commencement of the vaccine season. The
transmission should be direct; sending either tubes or crusts to Calcutta, in
the first instance, would only cause delay and deterioration.
19. The results of the season indicate, on the whole, good work and
satisfactory progress, and are creditable to Dr. Charles and his Deputy Super-
intendents.
Metropolitan Circles.
20. Metropolitan Circles.—Dr. K. P. Goopta, who assumed the Surperin-
tendence of these circles in October 1872, relieving Dr. Cayley, has furnished
a clear and exhaustive description of the proceedings of the fifth season
of their existence.
Increase of estab-
lishment
21. It became evident at the close of the season 1871-72 that the
existing establishment was not equal to sustaining the thorough vaccination
of the area of the Metropolitan circles at the present rate of work. The
census proved that the population included in this area had been greatly
under-rated, and complaints were received from the local civil authorities that,
though inoculation had been prohibited, vaccinators were not forthcoming
even when specially applied for. A report was called for from Dr. Cayley
who clearly demonstrated that it would occupy six years instead of five, as had
been originally intended, to complete the vaccination of these districts, and
that an increase of establishment was absolutely necessary. This view was
readily accepted by Government, and an addition of 1 head vaccinator,
7 vaccinators, and 8 apprentices to each circle sanctioned. The whole agency
employed during the season is exhibited in statement No. I in comparison
with the previous season.
Summary of the
season's results
Ratio of successful
vaccinations to the
population.
22. The amount of work has undergone a satisfactory increase—more
than commensurate with the increase of agency. The number of vaccinations
amounted to 267,074 and of successful primary vaccinations, to 266,091. To
this must be added 5,426 successful vaccinations (out of 5,487) performed by
vaccinators employed by municipalities, &c., as detailed in para. 17 of Dr.
Goopta's report, and 4335 successful vaccinations ( out of 5,036) performed in
Burdwan, Hooghly, Howrah and Serampore, by the municipal vaccinators
locally entertained. The total yield of the season is therefore 275,915 suc-
cessful vaccinations which, among a population of 7,539,278, gives a per-
centage of 3.65. This must exceed the birth-rate, and if the same amount of
work is accomplished yearly, and there is every reason to believe that it will,
the present establishment would appear to be quite equal to the maintenance
of a high degree of protection among the inhabitants of these districts. Vac-
cination was not, however, uniformly spread over the whole area. And the
estimate above given is artificial; still, for the purpose of judging of the
sufficiency of the gross out-turn of work accomplished in any season, a com-
parison with the total population which it is intended to maintain thoroughly
vaccinated, is necessary. Dr. Goopta very properly makes use of the census
returns of the areas within which the vaccinators were actually employed, and
shows that the amount of work accomplished was more than equal to what
would appear to be theoretically necessary. There is no way, however, of ascer-
taining whether a locality has been thoroughly vaccinated equal to a special vac-
cine census. Some results of this kind are shown in the Table (No. VI) annexed
to this report, but they are meagre and not in obvious relation to the work
done in any locality or year. The superintendent and his staff have little
or nothing to do during the hot weather and rains, and their time might be