4
18. By adopting this plan, as mentioned in one of my early reports, I
myself vaccinated in one day 594 men, women and children in one large town
in the Nagpur district, after having been told that there was not a single
unprotected person in the place.
During the past season it has been carried out with very good results in
two large towns,—Pandurna in Chhindwara and Betul in the district of the
same name, the Malguzars of these towns, both Honorary Magistrates, having
previously given no assistance or countenance to the operators.
I regret, however, that it was objected to by the Civil authorities at
Nagpur, though it had been adopted with marked success on more than one
occasion in former years.
I fear a large proportion of the mortality this year may be ascribed to this
circumstance, for the Vaccinators had great difficulty in getting children or
adults to operate upon from their own personal inquiries, whereas from
experience I have no doubt whatever that they would have been eagerly sought
out or applied to at stated times and places by hundreds who dreaded the
chance of being put to the inconvenience of removal to temporary small-pox
hospitals.
19. Vaccine operations were carried on throughout the year at Nagpur,
Seoni, Bhandara, Chhindwara and Nimar, but in an unbroken series in the three
first stations only At Chhindwara there was a short break in June and another
in October, and in Nimar the operations failed, in September fresh lymph,
however, was sent from Nagpur, and a new cow-pox disease started with the least
possible delay.
20 At Bhandara, Dr. Ffrench, by means of hypodermic injection of
human lymph, succeeded in vaccinating a young calf in November last; after
six days he removed the lymph and vaccinated four men therewith, good
vesicles being obtained without much constitutional disturbance. From the
lymph obtained from these men he vaccinated a second calf with success, and
the virus taken from this second calf was brought into use for vaccinating
children and the people generally.
21. A supply of English lymph was received through the Superintendent
General of Vaccination, Bombay, on October 1st, and distributed to the several
Medical Officers throughout the Province Its employment was followed by very
various results. No report was received from Narsinghpur, Nimar, Seoni and
Sironcha, but in nine districts there was more or less success, and in seven
total failure. At the end of October and beginning of November there was
a good supply of fresh lymph at Nagpur, and charged tubes were sent to every
District Medical Officer as well as to Kamthi, Akola, Pachmarhi, and Bhurtpore ;
further supplies were occasionally asked for from Nagpur, and the Medical
Officers of Narsinghpur and Hoshangabad also received vaccine direct from
Puna, Calcutta or Almora.
22. In the middle of January the virus in Chhindwara was particularly
good and active, and the Medical Officer sent 18 freshly charged tubes to
Nagpur to vary or renew the supply there; but to my surprise I learnt that not
a single case of those operated upon therewith, either by the Civil Surgeon or
Native Superintedent, proved successful However, there was no break in the
succession of operations at Nagpur, and the vesicles seen by me on the day of
writing this were quite good and typical.