9
merit was unable to visit many villages oftener than once in two years, and some
were not visited at all, a large number of children must therefore have been
available, mortality from small-pox notwithstanding; as a matter of fact three
men reported having performed 4,907 operations and the correctness of their
returns has not been questioned by the Superintendent; again vaccinators should
learn to rely on themselves instead of on Tahsildars who have other duties to
perform, and it is the duty of vaccinators to conciliate Malguzars. I think there-
fore that the excuses put. forward should not be accepted; six of these men have
proved themselves utterly useless and should have been dismissed, four have
grossly neglected their work showing returns varying from 814 to 970, five have
shown a bad season's work or between 1,016 and 1,279, whilst three only have
done well.
One Hospital Assistant only did well, the remainder ignored their instruc-
tions ; it is absurd for these men to suppose that adequate punishment cannot
reach them for such deliberate disobedience.
31, Bilaspur.—In
this district too a heavy small-pox epidemic prevailed,
yet the average number vaccinated by each man reached just double the out-turn
reported at Raipur, and the aggregate increase reached 10,251. The defects in
working as brought to light in 1878 were remedied, and Mr. Ferdinands' report
shows that his arrangements were good, that he did a fair amount of inspection,
and that the establishment worked well, and gave reliable results ; the only blot
on the year's work is the poor out-turn shown by Hospital Assistants: there is no
opposition in this district.
32, Sambalpur.—For
the first time the people opposed vaccination, the
epidemic of small-pox attacking vaccinated and inoculated persons shook their
faith somewhat; this obstruction was however only temporary, and the work
soon went on as before. Three of the feudatories, however, Raigarh, Barara,
and Sonpur, the Deputy Commissioner states, have ceased to support vaccination
and have taken to inoculation. Major Scott writes thus :—
" On the whole however we have I think to congratulate ourselves that the khalsa and
Patna, where most has been done in previous years, the opposition met with was
only nominal; this I attribute to the fact that in Patna though the disease was
introduced by strangers the resident population escaped altogether, and in the
khalsa notwithstanding the virulent nature of the small-pox which prevailed, the
proportion of deaths to attacks was small, and the people saw that while adults who
had previously had the disease or had been inoculated, were attacked, infants who
had recently been vaccinated escaped altogether. This was a fact contrary to all
experience, for it is notorious that prior to the introduction of vaccination the
disease was almost entirely COD fined to children; the adults being protected
either by having had the disease or by inoculation.''
And Major Scott states that Brahmin influence has had weight with the
various Rajas rather than any dislike on the part of the people generally who
bring their children over the border from Bamra for vaccination, moreover that
whilst inoculation brings in an income, vaccination entails an outlay; the cessa-
tion of vaccine operations not being thus due to religious antipathy and only
partly due to want of faith, the matter only requires the Deputy Commissioner's
personal influence to place matters again on a proper footing.
33. The Commissioner of the Division writes thus:—
" A remarkable exemption however occurred in the case of the feudatory state of Patna
in the Sambalpur district. Here for some years past vaccination has been carried
out thoroughly, village by village, and in consequence this tract was entirely free
from small-pox during the year. A better proof on a large scale of the value of
vaccination properly performed could not be given nor a stronger proof afforded
that the vaccine arrangements of the khalsa portion of the division were defec-
tive, for the protection obtained in Patna should also have been obtained over
some part at least of the khalsa if the same thoroughness of work had been the
rule."
34. The Civil Surgeon reports now that 1,607 persons were attacked in
the town of Sambalpur and its suburbs, of whom 239 died ; the mortality being 4
per cent of attacks among those who had been inoculated, 13 among those