8
Of the total number, 54.6 per cent. were males and 45.4 females. Under the head Circles,
84.3 per cent. were Hindoos and 86 Mussulmans. The proportion of other castes is larger
than in former years, amounting now to 6.7 per cent. and the Parsees also have increased,
but their number is still insignificant, being only 159 or 0.2 per cent. of the total. Under the
head of Age, 48.3 per cent. were under, and 51.7 above, one year. The former class prepon-
derated in 1863, and the reason that older children are now in excess, is that up to this time
certain villages, in consequence of their distance from the vaccinator's residence or some other
cause, had been seldom or never visited, and consequently a larger number of unprotected
children, or even adults, had accumulated in them. These arrears are now being cleared
off; and as the present establishment, with the support it now receives from Government, is
able to visit almost every village in the Circle in a year, there is every reason to hope that the
report of 1865, or at any rate those of subsequent years, will exhibit a large excess of infants.
The vesicles have been normal in appearance and filled with abundance of pure lymph.
In the monsoon, however, they generally burst too early, and during that season normal
crusts rarely form. On the return of the cold season, however, they resume the normal
appearance and present well-formed crusts.
Small-pox was nearly absent from the Surat and Broach Districts. It appeared in a
number of villages of Kaira Zillah in February, March, and April, and I have no doubt would
have been very prevalent and caused large mortality if most of the villages had not been
carefully gone over by the vaccinators a few months previously. Measures were taken to
arrest the disease by vaccinating all the unprotected children in the villages as rapidly as
possible. With the exception of the cause referred to in last annual report, inoculation was
not heard of, and as the practice is confined to narrow limits, viz. Bulsar and Bugwara,
I have little doubt it will soon be entirely supplanted by vaccination, which is making
considerable progress.
The number of capillary tubes received, although not sufficient for general use by the
establishment, was sufficient to show that the vaccinators can be taught how to charge
them. The tubes, although they are excellent means for conveying lymph, are not free
from objections. The contained lymph sometimes decomposes, and if made use of at a
particular stage may produce the same ill effects as other decomposing animal fluids.
The contents of some tubes received from England had become quite fœtid, and one instance
came to my knowledge in which lymph from a tube charged by me caused boils on the
child's arms which gave rise to a good deal of uneasiness on the part of the parents. In this
case the lymph was several days old, probably a week or more, and had been exposed
to the heat of the sun in transit by post: but I believe if the tubes were filled with perfectly
pure lymph free from pus and blood, and preserved carefully from heat, and the lymph made
use of a few hours after being taken, the result would generally be satisfactory.
The Native States' returns exhibit an increase of 3,247. The whole of this occurred in the
Palunpore State, and was owing partly to increased industry of the vaccinators and partly
to an additional vaccinator entertained by the Dewan of Palunpore at the instigation of
the Political Superintendent. The Mahee Kanta vaccinators have suffered from ill health
to such an extent that, although the exertions of the Political Agent in the propagation of
vaccination are unceasing, yet there is a falling off in their operation of 1,137. This was
expected by me a year ago, as mentioned in last annual report, but there is little doubt that
the decrease will be only temporary, as the Mahee Kanta Chiefs generally, and more especially
the Maharaja of Edur, manifest considerable interest in the vaccinators' progress.