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old arm to arm system as practised by uneducated and unprofessional men at a
distance from immediate supervision.
Another point in favor of animal lymph in public estimation was that calf
vaccination did away with the necessity for a child being taken from one
village to another for the purpose of affording a lymp supply, or for the child
of a high caste man being vaccinated from one of low caste, both procedures
being unpopular and often strongly objected to.
In regard to religious prejudice, none was met with, though it is more than
probable that had the villagers not been gradually accustomed to see calves and
buffaloes vaccinated until it had become quite a commonplace procedure, and
had they not had time to realize the advantages to themselves accruing from
the use of animal lymph, I have no doubt objection would have been raised on
one ground or another.
When the system of vaccination direct from the calf to the exclusion of
the arm to arm method was introduced, it was anticipated there would be some
trouble in the procuring and feeding of the calves ; but this has not proved
to be the case, save in municipalities, where, owing to the difficulty of procur-
ing animals, the use of lanoline lymph has been recommended.
Berar being entirely an agricultured province with large herds of cattle in
most villages, there is no difficulty, as a rule, in obtaining calves for vaccination
purposes. The village patel supplies the vaccinator on loan with the animals
required, receiving a receipt for the same, he, in his turn, passing a receipt to
the vaccinator when the calf is returned to him. Each vaccinator has a circle
assigned to him averaging some 60,000 inhabitants, and is required to reside
permanently in his circle. This circle is sub-divided for vaccination purposes
into smaller circles, each of which has to be taken up systematically in rotation
and protected as far as possible at the rate of 40 per 1,000 of the population.
Before leaving one sub-division and going on to another, the vaccinator has to
report to his Superintendent and obtain his permission, which is not granted
if the Superintendent considers the rate of protection afforded insufficient.
Under this arrangement District Superintendents have systematic control over
their men, and the vaccinator, or " Devi Doctor" as he is called, comes to be
well known to the people amongst whom he resides, and, if he is a good man,
soon gains their confidence and respect.
At the close of the monsoon, generally about the end of September, each
vaccinator is furnished with a small quantity of lanoline paste lymph to start.
his supply, which is allowed to die out during the rains. With the paste a
few children are vaccinated, and when a successful result has been obtained, a
calf is inoculated from a child's arm, and vaccination then kept up from calf to
calf or renewed from a healthy child should it show signs of degenerating.
The method of itineration is as follows On the result day, in a certain village,
the vaccinator protects as far as possible all the available children, and operates
upon one or more calves; these he distributes to the village or villages he may
have arranged to work in next, usually situated not more than three or four
miles distant, leaving the animal in charge of the patel, who tells off a watan¬
dar dher to look after it, and to supply it with grass and water. Only weaned
animals are used for vaccination purposes. The vaccinator having affixed a
bamboo collar to its neck to prevent it licking itself, goes off to another village,
where he may have a result to record, or another calf ready to yield lymph for
vaccination. On the fifth day, or 96 hours as near as possible from date of
operation, he returns to inspect the calf, and if the result is successful, which
is usually the case, he has the children collected and proceeds to vaccinate
them, first cleansing the shaven part of the calf with warm water as well as
the children's arms—at least he should do so—though this part of the procedure
is, I am afraid, often neglected. Sometimes when villages are close together,
a calf can be taken from one to the other on the result day ; but if taken any
distance, the vesicles get rubbed.
In this way, some vaccinators in the height of the working season have a
calf result every day of the week, or at least one every other day, which can
generally be managed by a little arrangement.
It will thus be seen that nothing is paid by the department for either the
hire or feed of the calves, and no difficulty up to now has, as a rule, been expe-
rienced in procuring any number of animals save in municipalities, where the
work will in future be carried on with lanoline paste lymph.
B-69—3