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APPENDIX No. III.
From Dr. J. Barter, Civil Surgeon, Seoni, to the Sanitary Commissioner,
Central Provinces.
REPORT ON VACCINE OPERATIONS IN THE SEONI DISTRICT, CENTRAL PROVINCES, FOR THE
SEASON 1871-72
The plan of operations adopted during the previous season, as given in the report
for that period, it may be remembered was to work from village to village, or rather from
door to door, to spare neither time nor trouble in explaining to the people the benefits and
objects of vaccination, and to rely on this system for results rather than on coercive measures
by means of chupprassies.
2. My reasons for adopting this system being briefly as follow, I felt confident that
were I to collect children at central points from groups of villages much indignation would be
anoused, and as the mothers would not in a large number of cases accompany them the
objects and benefits of the operation would probably never reach them ; and even supposing
their friends took the trouble to explain what they had heard regarding vaccination, the
information would reach unwilling ears, and in so distorted a shape as to render it absolutely
valueless, the result would doubtless be that both fathers and mothers, not having heard a
very clear account of the operation, and indignant at having their children taken to a dis-
tance nolens volens to be operated on, would doubless concoct measures to escape the inflic-
tion and baffle the Vaccinators in future years; this state of things would probably go on
year after year, a never ending but increasing hostility.
3. On the other hand, by adopting the system of vaccinating the children at their
homes under their mothers' eyes, and at the same time taking the trouble to explain its
objects and reasons, familiarity with the operation would be induced, hostility and fear would
diminish year by year, and though at first results may be low. still [ felt sure that the
labour of explaining and coaxing would gradually diminish, and the total number of children
vaccinated would increase instead of decline. It I may judge from the results of the year
under report compared with the previous one I think I am justified in saying that my views
are correct.
4. I knew that what I may call it the collective system had been tried elsewhere, and
moreover, whilst I was not tied to any particular mode by the Sanitary Commissioner, I was
aware his views tended so far in this direction, that to protect the greatest number of children
possible within a given area should be the end aimed at, it was not without much thought
therefore that I adopted a mode which, as regards totals, contrasted eventually unfavourably
with other districts, but having consulted the Deputy Commissioner, Captain Saurm Brooke,
whose knowledge of native views and thought was far superior to mine, and his ideas com-
ciding exactly with mine, I adopted the system without hesitation as reported during the pre¬
vious year.
5. Though satisfied that my system was that most suitable to this district, still, before
commencing operations during the present season, I again talked the matter over with
Captain Brooke, the question to decide being whether it would be advisable to continue
operations as conducted during the previous year; or, on the supposition that the people
had become sufficiently familiarised with the operation to admit of the collective system
being introduced, to adopt it in preference. Captain Brooke advised me not to change, stating
that we had handled a matter most distasteful to the people so as to secure a maximum
measure of good at a minimum amount of discontent, that as far as his information extended
there were no complaints against the operation, that the dislike which naturally existed at
first had given way to a considerable extent, and that the people had nothing at all events
to complain of on the score of trouble, Vaccination it should be remembered was a subject
the people both hated and feared, the former because it was foreign to their ideas, their
manners and customs, and the latter because of their dread of offending the goddess Debi; to
allay their fears and dispose of their harted was by no means an easy task, and Captain Brooke
was of opinion, as the result of direct enquiry, that this end had been partially accomplished,
and his advise therefore was to persevere in the same course.
6. There are in this district certain classes, as for instance Ponwars, originally of Rajput
stock, they inhabit the rice-growing pergannas, the majority of them are respectable and
well-to-do, their women seldom leave their houses and are indeed very little outside their
own houses, they in common with other classes disliked vaccination, and from their domestic