5
without any serious inconvenience. If he means by this that the dispensaries
are closed for patients on these days, I think the practice objectionable, and that
it should be discontinued. They should be able to find sufficient time for the work
without resorting to this practice.
Staff.—10 Vaccinators, 1 Native Superintendent. Average number of opera-
tions performed by each vaccinator 2,089. The Native Superintendent's conduct
is reported as fairly satisfactory.
12. Narsinghpur.—The number of operations in this district was 15,251,
showing an increase of 2,711 over the previous year's returns.
Owing to the Civil Surgeon's absence on deputation, and the presence of
cholera in the district the supply of lymph could not be kept up. Some tubes
were therefore sent for from Nagpur, and a sufficient supply was obtained in
time to allow of operations commencing on 23rd October.
It appears from the Annual Report that the Civil Surgeon ordered Hospital
Assistants to discontinue vaccinating in the villages around their dispensaries, as
they encroached on the work of the Vaccination staff, and their absence from
their dispensaries caused inconvenience. His experience differs in this respect
from that of the Civil Surgeon of Jubbulpore. He appears to have fallen into
the opposite extreme.
There was an increase in the number of vaccinations in all circles except
one where the vaccinator's services were temporarily required for cholera duty.
Dr. Daphtary has made a comparison of the number of children under 1 year
operated on, with the births and deaths for the year, and he thinks the number
returned in Statement I does not fall far short of the total available for vacci-
nation.
The Civil Surgeon was out in camp for 56 days and inspected the vaccin-
ated children of 400 villages, amounting in all to 5,690, 5,498 of whom were
successful. The Native Superintendent, Ahmed Beg, is badly reported on, both
as to character and work: he inspected 9,910 children : in other words, the Civil
Surgeon and he inspected 15,600 vaccinations, whilst the number of operations
recorded in his inspection return is only 15,251. There must have been a good
deal of double inspection in this district to account for these figures.
Staff.—Consisted of 8 vaccinators and 1 Native Superintendent. Average
number of operations by each vaccinator 1,906.
13. Hoshangabad.—There has been a considerable decrease in the work
done in this district. The total number of operations was 17,949 with 97 53
per cent successful, against 19,216 in 1880-81. If compared with other years,
however, the results are good. The decrease is satisfactorily accounted for
by the Civil Surgeon. Two causes operated in reducing the amount of work
accomplished. One of the Vaccinating staff did not arrive till the end of Novem-
ber, and being quite a beginner, had to receive instructions before being sent
out into the district; he did not therefore reach his post before the middle of
December.
Again, in February 5 vaccinators were withdrawn from their work during
the greater part of that month to inspect passenger trains during the return of
pilgrims from Allahabad. Were it not for these disturbing causes, the number
of operations would probably have exceeded that of the previous year.
The Civil Surgeon is not very loud in praise of the Native Superintendent,
who is stated to be dilatory in the submission of his reports, and sometimes
incorrect in his details. The returns do not show a single operation performed
by this man, though he was 135 days in camp, and inspected 8,648 children.