26
4. During the season I made five tours, and visited upwards of 200
villages in various parts of the district. I had more than one opportunity there-
fore of examining the work of the Vaccinators, and I consider that the work
generally, was well and honestly performed. Early in the season, however, the
Vaccinators in the Korai, Cheri, and Laknadon Circles, were inclined to be
idle, and I was obliged to rouse them to diligence by threatening to suspend
them. The Native Superintendent was directed to look these men up as fre-
quently as possible, and to report to me the progress, or otherwise, of their
work The amount of work done, was verified by comparing the entries in the
village forms with the names of the children brought for inspection. This was
always done in the presence of the Malguzar and Kotwal; and particular en-
quiries were made to ascertain that none of those successfully vaccinated in pre-
vious years, were again borne on the list for the present season.
5. Prejudice is fast wearing away, and the people are now more reconciled
to vaccination. This year I heared nothing about the "Railway god.'' It is
seldom that the Vaccinator meets with any hostility or obstruction. The only
instance of something like serious opposition, occurred in the village of Hathnapur
in the Seoni Tahsil, In this village, a Baniah not only objected to have his
children vaccinated, but assaulted the Vaccinator. The Police after investigating
the matter, brought the case before the Extra Assistant Commissioner, and the
assault being proved, the Baniah was sentenced to pay a fine of Rs. 50, or in
default, to suffer 6 months' rigorous imprisonment. It is gratifying on the other
hand to note such an instance as the following. Fyaz Mahomed Khan, Mal-
guzar of Anjunia, in the Lakhnadon Tahsil, insisted upon having his child re-
vccinated this year; he was told that it was an unnecessary precaution, as the
child had been successfully vaccinated last year, but this did not satisfy him.
This is not the only instance in which I have seen a Malguzar come forward
to set an example to the people of his village. The people generally are now
fully alive to the benefits conferred by vaccination ; they are also aware that
although vaccination does not procure absolute exemption from small-pox in
every case, it yet provides against marked disfigurement, loss in impairment of
sight, and danger to life. Occasionally parents state that their children have
already had small-pox, and that vaccination therefore is unnecessary ; when
pressed, however, to describe the character of the eruption and to point out "scars"
they qualify their statements by saying that it was " Chota Matha." This with
them, means either measles or chicken-pox. I have never, however, found much
difficulty in convincing them that the protection afforded by " Chota Matha" was
insufficient, and that vaccination was therefore necessary.
A very good plan for collecting the inhabitants of villages near one's camp
for the purpose of explaining to them the benefits of vaccination, is to let the
people know that you have a supply of " fever medicine." I always take into
camp a small drug chest and a stock of quinine and bark. By dispensing medi-
cines to such as need them I believe I secure a good many allies in my vac-
cination work. A fever-broken villager places more faith in quinine than in
" Sri Krishna" himself, and is extremely grateful to you for the smallest modi-
cum of the drug.
6. In the month of June 1873 an out-break of small-pox was reported in
the villages of Turia and Amajhiri, near Kamasa. The disease was imported
from the Chhindwara district. A lad suffering from small-pox was brought from
one of the Chhindwara villages to Turia, and to this one case succeeded the
40 subsequently reported. Only one death occurred.
It is worth noting that of the 75 children who had been successfully vac-
cinated here during the season of 1871-72, not one was attacked by the disease.