3
such check cannot solely be entrusted to the Native Superintendents, many of
whom are no better than the vaccinators, and some of whom have been punished
during the year for neglect of their duties. Indeed several Civil Surgeons asked
that they might be allowed to try the experiment of working their vaccination
staff without the aid of a Native Superintendent, and in districts where this plan
has been tried the absence of a Native Superintendent does not seem to have
caused trouble or embarrassment.
Native Superintendents, even allowing for their smaller numbers, were on
tour for fewer days, visited fewer villages and inspected fewer persons vaccinated,
but certified to a higher percentage of successful cases, viz. 91.33 in 1880-81 against
90.80 in the preceding year.
The percentage of successful cases returned by vaccinators was 96.55, that
certified to by Native Superintendents 91.33, and that certified to by Civil
Surgeons 93.01. The higher percentage certified to by Civil Surgeons seems
explained by the circumstance that one of the duties of the Native Superin-
tendent is to re-vaccinate all unsuccessful and doubtful cases; and if a Civil Sur-
geon's tour follows on that of a Native Superintendent a higher percentage
might necessarily be expected. It is not primâ facie probable that a Native
Superintendent would re-inspect villages seen by the Civil Surgeon. It is how-
ever evident that vaccinators still take credit for a higher percentage of success
than they are entitled to. This would seem to be specially the case in Hoshan-
gabad, where a percentage of 96.49 claimed by the vaccinators was reduced by
the Civil Surgeon to 80.26; in Bilaspur, where a percentage of 92.59 was
reduced to 75.76 ; in Chhindwara, where a percentage of 99.61 was reduced to
86.87; and in Jubbulpore, where a percentage of 96.59 was reduced to 85.76.
The quotations given by you in paragraph 50 show that the percentages of success
receive considerable scrutiny from Civil Surgeons, though the Chief Commis-
sioner finds some difficulty in following the remarks of the Civil Surgeons of
Betul and Chhindwara, which do not seem borne out by the tabular Statements.
8. More vaccination work was done at dispensaries during 1880-81 than
in the preceding year, and this is again satisfactory. Primary vaccinations
numbered 23,083, of which 20,989 were successful; secondary vaccinations 488, of
which 311 were successful. The percentage of successful primary vaccinations
was 90, that of secondary vaccinations 63. The districts which show best in
regard to dispensary vaccination are Jubbulpore, Nagpur, Hoshangabad, Raipur,
Chanda and Saugor. Compared with the previous year the number of operations
at dispensaries in Nagpur and Raipur has largely risen ; operations in the other
districts named have somewhat fallen off.
9. Statement No. II. shows the strength and cost of the department. In
17 districts the Civil Surgeon or Civil Medical Officer is the Superintendent of
vaccination, while in Nagpur there is a Deputy Superintendent. There are 16 Native
Superintendents and 196 subordinate vaccinators, who are grouped thus : 43 in
Class I., 52 in Class II., and 101 in Class III. Attached to this staff are 34
chaprassies and menial servants. The total expenditure of all kinds amounted
to Rs. 37,515-2-10, and the average cost of each successful case was 2 annas
1¼ pies.
10. On the whole, the Chief Commissioner is inclined to think that your
report sets forth a creditable amount of work done. Census operations interfered
to a considerable extent with vaccine work, and lazy vaccinators were not slow
to take advantage of this and perform very few operations, and their indolence
was detected too late. Apathy and repugnance to vaccination still continue, but
if the people do not welcome vaccination as a protection against small-pox they
seem to submit to it as a disagreeable necessity. Patience and tact must con-
tinue to be exercised, and with these further progress should only be a matter of
time. You seem inclined to think that more work might be got from a smaller
staff, which is rather a novel proposition. But as one vaccinator managed to
perform over 5,000 operations, an average of 2,000 per vaccinator does not
seem too high a standard.