37
Small-pox has broken out in Chicholee, Ainkhera Barvee, Kheree,
Sainkhera, Jambara and Amla. I visited all these places myself with the ex-
ception of Chicholee, and found them in a very unsanitary condition ; the as-
certained number of sick ranged from 15 in Barvee up to 40 in Sainkhera.
I personally examined the affected children, and found only 3 who had been
successfully vaccinated, and these children had the disease in a very mild form,
only a few spots to be seen on them ; there were about 7 children attacked,
who had been unsuccessfully vaccinated. Although the people are not so back-
ward as they were some two or three years ago, and in many places have drawn
my attention to the fact that children who have not been vaccinated have been
attacked with small-pox, while others who lived in the same house with the dis-
eased children and who have been successfully vaccinated, had completely es-
caped, yet they show a reluctance to have their children operated on, whether
from fear of the operation, or from religious superstition, I cannot say, but the
work of vaccination is not as popular as could be wished; however, this fear is gradu-
ally disappearing, and I think the season's work just concluded is very satisfactory,
On reference to Statement No. IV. it will be seen that the number of opera¬
tions performed this year is considerably more than last season. Last year the
percentage of successful cases was 92.25, while it is 96.82 this year. The cost per
case last year was 2 annas 3 pies, while it is only 1 anna 11 pies this season On
receipt of your Circular No. 186, dated Nagpur, May 1st, and indeed all through
the season, I have been making frequent enquiries and closely observing the
extent to which vaccination has tended to check the spread of small-pox, and this
is well marked in many places. In several villages the disease some years ago
was almost endemic, whereas in those places it is now seldom met with, and then
in isolated cases. The people themselves remarked this, and brought it to my
notice.
I have taken every means to ascertain the opinion of the principal land-
owners with regard to the benefits of vaccination, and they appear to think it a
very good thing, and seem to appreciate it much more than was the case some
years ago.
If any child in the district is attacked with small pox and the parents be
asked if it has ever been vaccinated, they invariably say yes, whether it is the
case or not; this they do in order that the child may escape the operation ; but
in some instances people have voluntarily brought forward their children to have
the operation performed a second time.
I am decidedly of opinion that arm-to-arm vaccination would be much
facilitated by payment to mothers as a recompense for the trouble of taking their
children to a neighbouring village ; hitherto I have vaccinated from arm to arm
as much as possible, as I consider that a greater percentage of successful cases
is procured by this method than when tubes, points, or crusts are used, and I
have not experienced much difficulty in inducing the mothers to bring their
children a mile or two for this purpose.
On the subject of tentage and carriage for the use of the Civil Surgeon. I
will address you in a separate communication.
6 10 I, 38 290