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ABSTRACTS OF REPORTS OF CIVIL SURGEONS.
RAJSHAHYE DIVISION.
Moorshedabad.
Moorshedabad District.—Dr. Shircore, who relieved Dr. Coates on the 4th of April
1873, reports as follows :—
Number of vaccina-
tors.
" 1. There were the usual number of four Government vaccinators employed during the
season, of whom two were attached to the Berhampore and two to the Moorshedabad dis-
pensaries. These men are permanently entertained, each receiving Rs. 10 per month, and
cost Rs. 480 per annum. When not engaged in vaccination work they assist in the general
duties of their respective dispensaries.
Municipal vaccina-
tors.
" Besides the Government vaccinators, there were five others employed and paid for
by the different municipalities. These were attached to the dispensaries at Berhampore,
Kandi, Moorshedabad, Azimgunge and Jungipore, and a sixth was entertained by the
zemindar of Lalgola at his own expense, in connection with the dispensary recently
established by him at that place.
" It appears that in consequence of some delay which occurred in receiving fresh vaccine
virus, active operations could not be commenced before the month of January, consequently
the municipal vaccinators attached to the dispensaries were engaged at different dates.
Thus, I find that the man at Kandi was employed from October to March, whereas at
Berhampore he was entertained from January to the end of April, at Moorshedabad from
January to March, and at Azimgunge from January to the end of May last, while he at
Jungipore worked from November to February. These five municipal vaccinators likewise
received Rs. 10 per month each, and in aggregate cost Rs. 220 for the season. The vacci-
nator at Lalgola was entertained on the same day the dispensary was opened, 14th Janu-
ary, and continued to the end of March, costing Rs. 25 for the period.
Plan of operations
" 2. In the out-dispensaries the plan of operations adopted seems to have been very
simple. The vaccinators were deputed from village to village to search for children and to
persuade the parents to have them vaccinated.
" In Berhampore itself, the station was divided into two parts, north and south, and one
of the Government vaccinators was posted to each. The third vaccinator was sent to the
villages bordering on the station, and he seems to have visited one after another without
adopting any particular plan.
Assistance derived
from the police.
Supervision.
" 3. Notice was sent to the police when vaccination was about to begin, with a request
that aid may be given to the vaccinators whenever any necessity for such arose; and
vaccinators were directed to report to the officer in charge of the police station the number
of cases daily vaccinated by them, and the police were solicited to verify, as far as was
possible, the reports of the vaccinators, and after satisfying themselves as to their accuracy
to countersign them previous to submission to the civil surgeon. The work of supervision
in the out-dispensaries seems to have been left in a great measure to the medical officers
in charge of the institutions, some of whom occasionally went out to the villages, but gene-
rally the vaccinators brought children, or crusts, to the dispensaries to verify their work.
On the occasion of the civil surgeon's visits to the dispensaries he took the opportunity
of inspecting the vaccine operations as far as it was practicable. In Berhampore, Dr. Coates
had two fixed days in the week for the inspection of vaccine operations on one of which
he himself inspected, and the sub-assistant surgeon took the other day. The work of
inspection was conducted, both at the charitable dispensary and in the houses where
people were vaccinated.
Number vaccinated.
" 4. On the whole, the amount of work done during the season was considerably more
than that of the previous year. Thus, in Berhampore, 1,791 persons were vaccinated against
1,074 last year, and at Kandi and Azimgunge the number was more than double of the
preceding year. At Moorshedabad, the increase was nominal, but this was owing entirely
to the sub-assistant surgeon, the late Shama Churn Dey, being ill throughout the vaccination
season. At Jungipore, too, the increase was very slight, and it is feared that the native
doctor then in charge of the dispensary did not supervise the operations as he ought to
have done. Nevertheless, comparing the total of work of last year with the results of the
present season, it will be seen that 1,138 persons were vaccinated in excess of last year.
But the figures given in the accompanying returns show the amount of vaccination done
up to the end of March only. Since then a considerable number more has been vaccinated
owing to the prevalence of small-pox in certain parts of the district, where the people
alarmed at the havoc committed by the disease, set aside their usual prejudices and
objections, and eagerly availed themselves of the protection afforded by vaccination.