10
rant and recusant natives. It has been alluded to before as a reason for refus-
ing to give up or even to preserve vaccine crusts which it was said were offered
to the god.
42. In my Circular published as far back as 1868, and in my reports, the
use of the lancet has been deprecated, owing mainly to the difficulty of operating
with it without drawing blood,—so great an objection in the eyes of the
natives.
The use of vaccinating needles has been recommended as being in every
way preferable.
In the same Circular it is distinctly stated that small-pox may follow suc-
cessful vaccination, but that it is then usually in a mild form.
43. Nagpur.—The results in the Nagpur district have not been as good
as I could have wished. The numbers vaccinated have been falling off for the
past two years, and during the season under review were fewer by 491 than in
1871-72 ; the successful cases of primary vaccination decreased by 106, but the
ratio of success has improved from 83.66 to 87.01 per cent. Of children under
1 year available about 152 per mille had been operated upon.
44. The ten vaccinators worked as before under the immediate superin-
tendence of A. Parthasarathi Naidoo, a 2nd Class Hospital Assistant of the
Madras Establishment, a young man, as I fully believe zealous, painstaking and
trustworthy, but who unfortunately has litte personal influence either over his
subordinate vaccinators or amongst the people of the district. He made four
tours, visited 269 towns and villages, and examined 5800 children, and has
brought to notice a number of more or less important matters, showing a careful
and minute supervision. Not one of the vaccinators has given me entire satis-
faction ; where the character of the work has been good the amount performed
has fallen far short of what might legitimately be expected. Two men worked
badly, made false returns and had to be dismissed ; and a third absented himself
without leave at the height of the season and when an epidemic of small-pox
rendered his services in Nagpur particularly important.
45. Vaccination was performed regularly throughout the year in the city
and a supply of fresh active lymph thereby maintained. At the commence-
ment of October two successful operations were performed with English lymph
just received; and from the two sources, before the end of the month, sufficient
lymph had been collected in tubes to supply each district in the Province and
to allow of the local vaccinators being sent properly furnished to their several
Tahsils. Good active lymph has not failed up to date.
Europeans in the fort were operated upon from time to time as new Detach-
ments arrived, and on several occasions a cow-pox disease was established amongst
the Madras Troops, as a continuous series of cases was not kept up by the
Regimental Medical Officers.
46. On November 1st and 2nd operations commenced in all of the four
Tahsils ; two vaccinators having been sent to each, two were retained for work
in the city.
In the early part of the present year small-pox in a severe epidemic form
visited the city and district. Vaccinators were withdrawn from the neighbour-
hoods where the disease seemed least prevalent, and were employed in the city
and circles where the epidemic was most severe. At this time when their
services were most required, one vaccinator left his post in Nagpur to visit
Calcutta, and a second had to be dismissed. There were no other trained can-