5
Taking the number of births registered for a year as 8,067 and the number
of deaths under a year as 994, an approximation to the number under 1 year
available for vaccination would be 7,073 ; the number vaccinated of that age was
2,619, leaving a balance of 4,454, or 62.9 under 1 year still unvaccinated in the
district. I have little doubt that had Dr. Hall been able to visit the district
earlier the amount of good work done would have been much greater. The
Vaccinators as a body did not work as well as they should have done. Two
left their circles without permission, and one attached to Multai was lazy and
inattentive, leaving as many as 632 without enquiry as to result of operations.
There was a good deal of sickness amongst the men.
One Vaccinator, Behari Lall, accompanied the Civil Sugeon on his tour
and did little work in his own Circle.
In Chhindwara Mr. Price pursued the plan of collecting children in cer-
tain central villages, taking care that the parents should not have any considera-
ble distances to travel when bringing them; by this means he was able to vac-
cinate large numbers directly from arm to arm with the highest ratio of success,
a matter of considerable importance amongst people who do not recognise the
difference between a true vaccine vesicle and a sore following the introduction of
bad or imperfect lymph. Little objection appears to have been made to travel-
ling short distances above the ghats, but much in the parganas below the ghats,
I believe as much from apathy as any other reason, as there is little objection to
the operation itself.
The Jagirdar of Harrai in former years gave every assistance to
myself when operating in his jaghir, and I am pleased to see that he has done
the same in the the year under review.
I would notice the large proportion of children under one year of age vacci-
nated in the district, calculated to represent about 73 per cent of those living.
The figures in my office differ from those of Mr. Price, but the result is
about the same :—
Births during year
Deaths under 1 year
Approximation to number available
Number under 1 year vaccinated
Percentage
9,304
1,573
7,731
5,706
73
The Vaccinators appear to have worked well, and the Medical officer to
have been careful and zealous in his supervision.
At Seoni the Civil Surgeon objects to collecting children at central
villages, under the belief that mothers would not accompany them, that much
indignation would be excited, that the explanations given would be carried to
the outlying villages in a distorted form, so as to be absolutely valueless, and
that indignant mothers would be active opponents. From my own experience,
however, I consider that Dr. Barter has magnified the objections to what he calls
the collective system.
There can be no doubt that it would be simpler to operate from village to
village if the establishment were sufficiently extensive and a sufficient number
of children could be taken from one village to another to ensure arm to arm
vaccination. The importance too of having the nature and object of the opera-
tion carefully explained to the leading members of the community cannot be
exaggerated, and when Superintendent General of Vaccination it was my custom
to have assembled at my several halting grounds the chief men from all
villages within a circuit of about four miles. There was little difficulty in collect-
ing them and their children also. Not a child was touched till explanations had
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