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seldom indeed with persistent opposition any where in carrying on their operations,
though they have a thankless office to perform, and one which requires the exercise
of a good deal of persuasion: to persuade the ignorant is often no easy matter,
especially when they have something of their own, inoculation,—which many of
them prefer, and it is still more difficult to persuade and overcome the obstinacy of the
few, who seem to oppose for the mere sake of opposition, or for the sake of appearing
as leaders among their own ignorant fellowmen. But the object and end of vaccina-
tion are so good, and so certainly becoming apparent, that we need not fear but that
in time the whole of the better informed Sindhis will be as willing to accept vaccina-
tion as Government can be to supply them with the means of protecting their chil-
dren from small-pox, and they begin to see that it has the virtue of not subjecting
others to a noxious contagion such as is propagated by variolous inoculation. Among
the mass of the ignorant, who do not look forward to any thing further than supplying
the needs of the day, we must expect carelessness and apathy in regard to the lives of
themselves and children, as well as in all things else. To that class which consti-
tutes the mass in Sind, vaccination presents no time-honoured traditions to hold their
fancy. Nothing but their docile yielding to a power, which they know is only wielded
for their good, induces them to submit freely, if not thankfully, to vaccination; their
traditions would lead them to inoculation.
5. I have much pleasure in again reporting that I and the vaccinators have
throughout the past year received the hearty assistance of the revenue and political
officers in the province, and further their moral influence has been brought to bear
in favour of vaccination, and, to it, I may say, is due in a great measure the great
and continued progress of vaccination in Sind.
6. The seventeen Government vaccinators vaccinated 44,126 persons, being
6,398 less than in 1865 ; still I consider they have done quite sufficient work. The
thirteen local vaccinators have vaccinated 23,594 persons, being 11,703 more than
in 1865, they have also done sufficient work. His Highness the Meer of Khyrpoor's
vaccinator vaccinated 975, being 159 more than in 1865. The total number of
vaccinations in 1866 is 68,695, being 5,464 more than in 1865. I think there is good
reason to be satisfied with the quantity of work done during the past year.
7. Of the general causes which affect the quantity of each man's work, I am
unable to say more than I have already written in my three previous annual reports.
This year I have merely to add that towards the end of the past year several vacci-
nators suffered severely from intermittent fever, which rendered some of them unable
to do any work for at least one month, and very little for several months. However,
under the circumstances I am quite satisfied with the quantity of work performed by
each and all of the vaccinators.
8. The Government establishment vaccinated 24,629 males, and 19,497 females,
being 55.81 of the former and 44.19 of the latter in each 100 vaccinated. The local
establishment vaccinated 13,105 males and 10,489 females, or in other words 55.54
per cent. of the former, and 44.45 of the latter. His Highness the Meer of Khyrpoor's
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