Report of the smallpox commissioners, appointed by government : with an appendix, Calcutta, 1st July 1850.

  • Bengal (India). Smallpox Committee.
Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the smallpox commissioners, appointed by government : with an appendix, Calcutta, 1st July 1850. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    ractcr in tlie new recipient, unmodified by any antece- dent of that sort. In short, every single case of Ino- culated Smallpox does of necessity help to spread the disease among the population, by adding to the num- ber of its active exciting causes. 34. Twenty years ago Dr. Cameron reported— “ It is now well ascertained that Smallpox Inocula- tion is the great means by which Variola is kept in existence in Calcutta.” He further stated that there were then “ no less than 10 to 15 Ticcadars annually in Calcutta for the purpose of practising Small- pox Inoculation.” In 1844 the Superintendent of Vac- cination reported that the “ Smallpox is annually intro- duced into Calcutta by a set of Inoculators, numbering about 30, to the great endangerment of Public Health.” 35. At the present time, it is ascertained that their number has risen to 68. Mr. Law has succeed- ed in framing a Statement of the names and residences of all of them (Appendix page xxviii) and a number of other particulars regarding their operations. It ap- pears that 42 of the number are permanent inhabi- tants of Calcutta, residing chiefly in the North Divi- sion or Native part of the town. They are principally of low Hindoo castes or trades^ such as those of Mau- lee, Tauty, Koomar, and Napit, from which they derive their principal livelihood during nine months of the year, practising their Profession only during the other three. The remainder are Brahmins or Dy- bogyas, and these are said to come to town annually from Burdwan, Hooghly, Beerbhoom, and the adjacent West and Northern districts, generally in the month of Maugh, remaining in town for about 4 or 5 months, and inoculating on an average 70 or 80 persons each.