10
under vaccination, a Native Superintendent would be appointed, and eventually
a Native Superintendent would be required for each Tehseel Sub-division of a
District. This system could only be commenced by very small beginnings, for
neither the money nor the establishment are at present available, but I think
that in each District a circle of vaccination comprising the villages of the
Sudder circle of Registration might be instituted at once under the immediate
supervision of the Civil Surgeon, and in time as Vaccinators were trained and
means become available, the system might be expanded and additional circles
brought under vaccination.
40. The greatest obstacle to the extension of vaccination in these Pro-
vinces is the difficulty of obtaining efficient Vaccinators, those employed
hitherto have been for the most part Mahomedans of low standing, a class
that is much disliked by the Hindoo population, and they are generally most
untrustworthy; it would appear too that they are not generally con tented with
the service. In 1869, on a division of the establishment being transferred for
operation into the Chanda District, 5 out of 10 refused to go and resigned ; and
of 30 Vaccinators now belonging to the establishment 12 were entertained at
the commencement of the last working season, 17 only have been two years in
the Department, and of these there is not one fit for promotion to the vacant
appointment of Superintendent. Vaccinators to work well with the people should
as far as possible be natives of the tract of country in which they are employed
and of as good caste as can be induced to take service and at first it will be
necessary that District Medical Officers should direct their attention chiefly to
procuring and training good Vaccinators.
41. In districts where the Sudder town is large there should be no diffi-
culty in training Vaccinators, but where this is not the case, a larger number
should be employed in the circle under the Civil Surgeon than the work within
the circle absolutely requires. Native Superintendents should be more highly
paid and selected from the more influential castes, and I believe it is more im-
portant that they should possess caste and position that will give them influence
with the people than that they should be qualified as Medical practitioners, and
for this reason I should not be disposed to place Native Doctors or Sub-Assistant
Surgeons in these appointments. Under the Native Superintendent of vaccina-
tion would be combined the sanitary inspection of the villages within their
sub-divisions and the duty of primarily enquiring into the circumstances attending
out-breaks of epidemic disease or any unusual prevalence of disease, and with
the staff of vaccinators under them they might effect much good in the
distribution of medicines.
42. The Vaccinators and Superintendents would be entirely under the
orders of the District Authorities, subject to inspection by the Sanitary Com-
missioner, and I believe that District Officers would find an organization of this
kind of great value at all times, but particularly in seasons of sickness and
distress such as this Province passed through last year.
Proposals more in detail for carrying on vaccination on the plan I have
above described will be submitted separately.
S. C. TOWNSEND,
Sanitary Commissioner.