12
They are known as Debi mata, Kangni mata and Bodri mata.
The only difficulty is, that in our registers there are no columns for the two
latter, and should a child die of measles it has to be entered as small-pox.
Of the remaining 2,183 cases which were really small-pox Dr. Cullen found
that 2,057 had not been vaccinated.
Of the 125 who had been vaccinated, 77 bore one mark, 41 two marks and 7
three marks.
With regard to inspection of vaccination the Civil Surgeon saw 6,450 cases.
Of these successful 5,931. The Native Superintendent saw 13,062 cases,
of these successful 12,472. The municipality of Khandwa and Burhanpur
have passed bye-laws making vaccination compulsory at the age of six months.
This is understood by the common people to forbid vaccination at an earlier
age than six months.
During the present epidemic few children reached 6
months without taking small pox. In the district Dr. Culleu found the super-
stitious old women, as a rule, bitterly opposed to vaccination. The men he
found apathetic on the subject. The real fact is, that India is quite unlike
England. In England the question discussed by supporters and opponents of
vaccination is this :—
Does vaccination do good or harm ?
In India the question is—will the goddes Debi be offended or not ?
Dr. Cullen mentions the great assistance he has got in his work from the
Deputy Commissioner and from the Tahsildar of Khandwa. Vaccination was
carried on to a considerable extent all through the year, and Dr. Cullen thinks this
should be done more than it has hitherto been. He finishes his most admirable
report as follows :—
" Finally there is one subject I would ask the Deputy Surgeon General to reconsider,
and that is, the necessity for vaccinators, who have attended the lectures on
Hygiene, reporting on the sanitary state of the villages they visit. This is much
disliked by the vaccinators themselves, and is resented by the villagers, and tends
to make the vaccinators unpopular, and is also a weapon that may be used, if not
for any profit, yet, in in terrorem over any village or villager who may offend them.
As the Civil Surgeon and Native Superintendent visit nearly the whole district
each year, these reports are quite unnecessary from a sanitary point, and should
be restricted to occasions when a man is specially deputed to enquire into any
disease, or occurrence at a village."
The Commissioner in forwarding Dr. Cullen's report to me writes :—
" I agree with the Civil Surgeon that vaccinators should not report on the sanitary
condition of villages.
The tendency is to place them in antagonism with the
village people, an arrangement which retards vaccination work, while an opening is
given to dishonest subordinates to plunder."
Staff—
1 Native Superintendent.
5 Vaccinators.
Total primary cases... ...
Of these successful... ...
Last year total primary... ...
Of these successful... ...
Dispensary vaccination
Total primary cases... ...
Of these successful... ...
Last year total... ...
Of these successful... ...
13,620
12,947
10,613
9,614
635
591
382
330
18. Betul.— After the season's work was over no vaccination was done
till June, when a little lymph was obtained from Chhindwara; but no really
good vesicles were got till English lymph was received from the Sanitary Commis-
sioner in October.