25
42. During my tour I satisfied myself that the hostility and fear that existed during
previous year had almost disappeared : some people hid their children, many brought them
up with a bad grace, but the majority brought them freely; this was a contrast to the state
of things that existed during the previous year, when the entrance of the Vaccinators at the
end of the village was a signal to the people to bolt with their children at the other; but as
in countries more civilised than India mothers hate Vaccinators, it is not to be wondered at
if it continues to exist to a certain extent here, even after the operation will have become
well known. I feel confident, however, that hostility will lessen by degrees if trouble be
only taken, the people spoken to freely, and the benefits explained in a popular style. One
of the most influential men on the Bhandara border, who stoutly resisted the Vaccinator till
brought over by Rama, said to me afterwards, "I suppose,Sir, you will give me credit for
having some brains and sense, and if I feared vaccination and diove the Vaccinator out of
my village, what could you except from a Gond-gowar. This man I believe could never be
reconciled to vaccination by harsh means or driving, whereas the diplomacy of his friend
Rama worked him over in a few hours, and when I visited the village he was most energetic
in bringing up all the children for my inspection.
43. On these occasions I never lost an opportunity of explaining vaccination to the
people, I usually chose the Malguzar's verandah or bari, and having collected as many as
I could, harangued them touching the matter in hand. I believe the chief objection to the
operation is the fear of offending Debi, and thereby causing some dreadful calamity. The
antidote I mentioned in last season's report had, however, spread pretty widely, namely doing
puja to the goddess, as they are accustomed to do after small-pox, under the impression that
both diseases are the same in kind, though differing in degree; this idea materially favoured
a successful issue.
44. Appended are the usual returns, those for April 1871 and those for the cold season
of 1871-72, or from October to March inclusive separate.
45. Compared with last year's operations, the returns exhibit the following results:—
Total vaccinated.
1870-71 ... ...
1871-72 ... ...
October to March
11,534
10,951
April
791
3,646
Total
12,325
14,597
Excess in 1871-72 over 1870-71=2,272.
46. As, however, orders have been issued to make up the returns to end of March in
each year, the figures would stand thus,—
1870-71 ..
1871-72 ..
April
...
791
October to March
inclusive
11,534
10,931
Total
11,534
11,742
Excess in 1871-72 over 1870-71=208, leaving those vaccinated in April of the present
year, viz., 2,272, to be carried to the credit of next season.
47. I would here suggest that the returns for each year should in future be made up
to the close of each working season, which is usually some time in April, as it is inconvenient
leaving a month, or part of one, for the following season's returns.
48. Taking Statement No. I. we find the following : —
1871 ...
1872 ...
Percentage of those operated on,
whose ages were under one year
to total treated
15
21
Percentage over one year
85
79
49. Showing that during the season under report fewer children were to be found over
one year unprotected either by small-pox or vaccination.
50. The number of re-vaccinations, only 13, looks unreliable, and so it is. For some unac-
countable reason the men one and all entered all re-vaccinations as primary, this I did not
discover till the returns came to be made up.