18
All these cases had been vaccinated from crusts or points. The case I saw
had no marks whatever. Compare this with the following :—
In march last I inspected for the first time the children vaccinated by Vac-
cinator Mahomed Talib "arm to arm" in 1870-71 in the villages north of Umreth.
Each case had generally 3 perfectly typical marks on each arm, which seemed
as if only done a few months back, showing how well this Vaccinator performed
his work, and as a matter of fact small-pox has not appeared in any of these
villages for years past.
During my recent tours I made it a point to examine all the cases of small-
pox reported during the season, and I may fairly say that although there have
been many undoubted cases of true variola, the great majority were cases of
chicken-pox, which in no way prevented the children from running about seem-
ingly no worse for the disease.
At Borgaon (8th March) near Sausar, I saw over 20 children who had re-
cently suffered from small-pox and chicken-pox of a mild type ; they were all
from 4 to 8 years old, and had not been previously vaccinated.
At Rajnah, on the 9th March, I also saw upwards of 80 children varying in
age from 6 to 12 years, belonging to the villages of Chicholi, Rajnah and Seoni,
who had recently suffered from small-pox and chicken-pox. All these children,
with one exception only, had not been previously vaccinated, as I not only ex-
amined each child but made enquiries from its parents. The exception noted
was in a child in whom a modified small-pox appeared 20 days after vaccination,
and while other children were still suffering from the natural disease.
I visited Pandurna on the 10th March, where last year small-pox had appear-
ed and caused many deaths; but the steps then taken and the great number of
children vaccinated, had the effect of entirely checking the progress of the disease,
although I saw 3 cases of chicken-pox running about with the other children in
no way inconvenienced by the eruption.
On the 12th March I arrived at Peepla in the Mohgaon Circle, and was in-
formed that a great many children were then suffering from small-pox in the
village. On enquiry at the houses of the infected, only 5 sick could be found.
One with chicken-pox and 4 with small-pox : none of these were vaccinated, and
they were all grown up children. I also saw about 15 children from the village of
Pundri said to have had small-pox recently. Every case was one of chicken-
pox, many of whom had the small dried crusts still on them. One child was
shown to me as having been vaccinated during the season a month or two only
before my visit, in whom small-pox had appeared after vaccination, and who,
when I saw it, was covered with the dry minute crusts of chicken-pox. I ex-
plained to the people that in the first place the disease was not small-pox (bara
matha), but chicken pox (gondri matha); and next, that had not so many children
been vaccinated in their village there was little doubt that instead of an
outbreak of chicken-pox, which is attended with little or no bad consequences
generally, small-pox would probably have spread amongst them from the 3
first cases which occurred in their village. I am not sure that they were
convinced with all I had to say to them, but they went away laughing and in very
good humour.
On the 2nd December I visited Mokher, above the ghats, and saw 3
grown up children (Mohammadans)who had recently suffered from small-pox, and
who had not been vaccinated. One case was covered with pits, the others less
so, but in all, the attack must have been severe. The Vaccinator came on three
several occasions to this village and brought with him several children from a
neighbouring village having typical seventh day vesicles from which to vaccinate