20
an unprotected population under a wide-spread epidemic of such virulence ; truly
Small-pox maintains the awful fatal character ascribed to it by the writers of the last
century. De la Condamine estimated that "small-pox destroys, maims, or disfigures
the fourth part of mankind." (Memoire sur Pinoculation de la petite verole, 1754).
Here in Sind we have more than realized this estimate in a single and an isolated village.
The Mukhi, who would not assist with his influence or example to get these children
vaccinated, must have an easy conscience, if he feel no remorse for his conduct; no
doubt he soothes his own and his friends' afflictions with the balm that it was the
will of matadeo. I feel well convinced that had there not been so many protected
children, and had there not been so many vaccinators in Sind, we should have had
a severe epidemic of small-pox in several districts during the early months of the
year. With my present strength of vaccinators I was able to surround small-pox,
wherever it made its appearance, with a wall of vaccinated children, and so prevented
the circumfusion of the disease. I think I am not saying too much for my establish-
ment by asserting my belief that the activity of the vaccinators saved many young lives
to the State.
14. In my report for 1864 I stated my opinion, that with sufficient vaccina-
tors, the very name of an inoculator would disappear from the province. At that
time, I, in common with most people, was under the belief that inoculation was ille-
gal, the opinion of the High Court of Bombay in the matter of the Tanna inocula-
tor has set me right. Since then only one inoculator has been known to practise,
and that was last year in the talooka of Buddeen. I still believe that the Native Sindhi
inoculator will disappear completely, because be has no chance of making a decent
living in competition with so many vaccinators. The man who practised last year in
the Buddeen talooka, by name Boodhoo, was reported to me by local vaccinator Ram
Chund, I endorsed his report to Captain Gillespie, then Deputy Collector of Maho-
med Khan's Tanda district, who had Boodhoo arrested, tried and convicted by the
subordinate Magistrate of the talooka, and sentenced to pay a fine of Rupees twenty-
five, or in default to go to prison for a month. This sentence was reversed by the
Sudder Court of Sind because inoculation is not illegal. Mr. Mansfield considers that
" there is no necessity for special legislation to render the practice of inoculation in
Sind penal" and " that the influence of the Magistrates and their Deputies is quite
sufficient to stop it altogether". And he has instructed the Judicial Commissioner
in Sind " to issue a circular to the Magistrates and their Deputies to assemble the
people of any village in which a case of inoculation is reported, and to point out to
them the danger the whole community is exposed to by the practice, and also to
hold the head men responsible that a case does not occur again." When I recom-
mended that inoculation should be made penal, I was under the belief that an inocu-
lator could legally carry on his deadly work in the face of all authority ; this impres-
sion I derived from the Judicial Commissioner's letter No. 2053 of 28th November
last to the Magistrates of Hydrabad, in reference to the case of Boodhoo ; hence my
strong recommendation that it should be made penal. I think Mr. Mansfield's