NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
27
in the year, and as the number is limited the choice of vaccinifers is also limi-
ted. By circles the increases and decreases in dispensary vaccinations are :—
Central Circle ... ... ...
Southern do. ... ... ... ...
Western do. ... ... ... ...
Eastern Gujarath Circle... ... ...
Western do.
do. ... ... ...
Sindh Circle ... ... ...
Muscat ... ... ...
Deduct Decrease ...
Total Increase ...
Increase.
71
...
556
1,009
454
...
144
2,234
1,031
1,203
Decrease.
...
493
...
...
...
538
...
1,031
As regards the decrease in Sindh, Dr. Williams says :—"There has been
"quite sufficient work done in the dispensary towns this year." Dr. Raby,
with reference to the falling off in his circle, says it is " due in some measure
" to the less number vaccinated by Mr. Mackenzie at Kumpta, who says he
" has pretty well vaccinated every available child."
Aid of a peon to dispen-
sary officers to help in
carrying on vaccination.
53. With regard to the orders of Government in the 13th paragraph of
their resolution No. 3998, dated 25th November 1873,
I stated in my last report, paragraph 28, that Dr.
Raby had made arrangements in his circle for dis-
pensary officers being aided by a peon in carrying
on vaccination. I have now to report that arrangements have been made at all
dispensaries for giving the aid of a peon, or some other local official either
permanently or on vaccination days.
54. In the Central circle the arrangements are:—
The dispensary officers at Dápuli, Vengurlá, Wái, Puesáwali, Mhaswad,
Pátan, Islámpur and Karhád will be given a mamlatdar's peon on the vacci-
nation days. There is a peon entirely at the disposal of the Karmálá dispen-
sary officer. Juner, Sirur, Saswad, Jejuri and Iudápur are supplied with a
special peon by the mamlatdars and municipalities concerned.
55. In the Western circle Dr. Cody says the dispensaries of Kalian,
Tháná, Bassein, Bhiwandi, Bandora and Penth have each a peon. The
dispensary servant assists at Sinnar. At Kurla, Kelvi Máhim. Ioli, Dindori,
Irandol and Parolá the village police patel or other local officials assist
the dispensary officers in carrying on vaccination. At Alibag and Pen
the mamlatdar gives the aid of a peon. Dr. Cody adds: " I beg to
" submit that supplementing any of the above means of assistance given to
"dispensary officers, by a special peon, would, in the first place, be adding
" considerably to the cost of each vaccination already viewed by Government
" (vide Resolution No. 2473, dated 27th August 1874, General Department,
" paragraph 9,) as averaging too high ; and in the second place would be
" substituting a means with little or no influence, as compared with the
" present, to further the progress of vaccination. For these two reasons, I
" have taken on myself the responsibility of making no representation to the
" local authorities, with a view to obtain a special peon for vaccine purposes
" for any dispensary in this circle, and so have taken no action on that part
" of your Circular No. 1440, dated 27th February 1874, which direct such
" recommendation."
28
56. In the Eastern Gujarath circle there is a special peon at each of
the dispensaries of Anklesar and Sádrá; a dispensary peon at Borsad,
Mahmudábád, Mahudá and Godhra; and at all the others the aid of a
municipal peon or some other local official is obtained on vaccination days.
Dr. Cola thinks the aid given at Balsád, Rándir, Jambusar, and Borsad, is not
sufficient; but after a trial for a year or two, we will know exactly whether
it is so or not.
57. In the Western Gujarath circle the dispensaries have each a peon.
58. In Sindh Dr. Williams thinks a special peon is an unnecessary
expense, and he has made arrangements for the dispensary officers being
assisted by existing local officials, viz., Kotwal's peon, Mukhtiarkar's peons,
municipal peons or dispensary peons. At only one dispensary, viz., Manorá,
there is no aid, and as there are only about twenty vaccinations a year there,
Dr. Williams does not think any special aid necessary.
Army vaccinations.
59. There was a decrease of 824 in the number of vaccinations in the
Army in the year 1873-74, and again in this year's
report there is a falling off of 2,074. As far as I can
see, it appears to be due to want of subjects, as I have already stated.
Average number of
vaccinations by each
vaccinator for the whole
department.
60. For the whole presidency the average number of vaccinations by
each vaccinator is 1,828, or 176 more than in the
preceding year. The four Army vaccinators are
excluded from this calculation, because a good deal
of their work is returned in regimental returns. By
establishments the average of each vaccinator's work is as follows :—
1st.
2 Government Civil vaccinators... ...
2nd.
51 Municipal
do. ... ...
3rd. 20,3 Local Fund
do. ... ...
4th. 129 Native States
do. ... ...
2,419
1,176
2,106
1,640
61. I shall now. give the average number of vaccinations for each vac-
cinator by circles. Idoso, because it is some merit to a superintendent to obtain
a high average amount of work for each of the men serving under him :—
Circles.
1. Sindh
...
...
...
2. Western Gujarath ... ...
3. Central
...
...
...
4. Eastern Gujarath
...
...
5. Western
...
...
...
6. Southern
...
...
...
7. Baroda
...
...
...
8. Aden
...
...
...
9. Presidency
...
...
...
10. Kuteh
...
...
...
Average number of
persons vaccinated by
each vaccinator.
2,790
2,141
2,001
1,872
1,616
1,520
1,295
1,097
919
275
Names of Superintendents.
Surgeon J. Williams, M.D.
Surgeon-Major Blomfield.
Do.
do. Pinkerton, M.D.
Dr. Cola.
Surgeon Cody.
Do. Raby.
Surgeon-Major Seward, M. D.
Surgeon Nolan, M.D.
Mr. Anantá Chandrobá.
Mr. Dorábji Hormasjí.
33
" districts of Talájá, Mowá, Jafrábád, Una and Viráwal; in each I found there
" had been much small-pox during the previous year and that it was still pre¬
" vailing in Jafrábad, where the vaccinator denied its existence, although I
" found cases in the village in which he was residing. I found it also in Una
" and Viráwal to a small extent though the virulence of the epidemic had
" abated.
" The work in these five districts was bad, and the returns false, with
" the exception of Mowá, where that which I inspected was well done and the
" register correct.
"At Viráwal I was attacked by sunstroke on the 27th of May and was
" unable to travel until the 10th of June, when I started for Rájkot inspecting
" en route parts of the districts of Junágad, Jaitpur and Gondal dispensary, in
" all of which the work was indifferent. I arrived at Rájkot on the 20th of
" June.
" On the 5th November, I started again posting through Bhownagar to
" attend the thakur, who was sick. I there inspected the work of Lal Sing,
" who had been lately appointed, and found it satisfactory ; but small-pox had
" recently appeared in the town.
" I then returned to the Jasdan district where the work was good. I
" discovered twelye cases of small-pox in one village and sent for the vacci¬
" nator.
" In Botád some of the work was good, and the cicatrices from English
" lymph, introduced last year by Dr. Butler, some of the best I have ever seen ;
" the vaccinator, however, had neglected parts of his district for three years
" and his register was false ; as he had been previously discharged by Dr.
" Blanc for the same offence but re-appointed, he was dismissed the service.
" In Saela the work was middling and the register incorrect.
" In Wakaner the work was carelessly done and the register wilfully
" falsified.
"I then returned to Rájkot, finding in the district of the station vacci¬
" nator that many of the children in his register had not been vaccinated by
" him, but by candidates who were placed with him for instruction. Having
" been directed by the superintendent general to inspect the district of
" Sanand in the Ahmadábád collectorate, in which the vaccinator was suspend¬
" ed for charges brought against him by Assistant Superintendent Sardarmia,
" who also said the man was infirm and unfit for further service, I started on
" the 15th of January, passing through Saela. In the town I found that
" small-pox had prevailed during the monsoon and was still present, though
" only lately reported by the vaccinator.
" I next visited the Wadwan district where the vaccinator had been
" reported for false entries. I verified the report, and the superintendent
" general suggested his discharge ; but as he had hitherto borne a good cha¬
" racter, he was cautioned and reprimanded.
"I next passed through the border of the Limdi district, where I found
" the work neglected, but the vaccinator had commenced in that direction. In
" the Veramgaon district I found the new work good, but the old very bad,
" as reported last year by Dr. Butler; there had been much small-pox which was
" not reported, though the vaccinator had been at some of the villages while
" it prevailed.
B 99—
34
" At Sanand, I saw the vaccinator Valabrám Dinánáth, and found him
" quite competent to carry on the work which had been very much neglected,
" and small-pox had been very prevalent, but not reported by him or the
"Assistant Superintendent Sardarmia; his recent work however was good.
" With the consent of the superintendent general he was re-instated on
" the 1st of March, having been suspended for two months.
" In the town of Sanand, which is in charge of the hospital assistant at
" the dispensary, Balaji Mukund, the vaccination had been much neglected.
" This man, who was on leave at the time of my visit, had been repeatedly
" supplied with fresh lymph, which generally failed in his hands though re¬
" ported good by other vaccinators. I introduced good lymph before I left.
" At Veramgaon the work of. the municipal vaccinator was good, but
" the amount was insufficient.
" In Jinjiwada the cicatrices were middling, and there had been much
" small-pox which had not been reported especially in the town of Lakhtar.
" In Dhrangdra the work was good, but small-pox prevailing to a small
" extent. I saw several cases amongst the Dheds at the village of Matak.
" I sent for the vaccinator who reported that it did not spread any further
" after my visit.
" In the Morvi district small-pox was prevailing in an epidemic form ;
" it had previously been reported by Assistant Superintendent Ranchoddás,
" who, with the assistance of a candidate, was engaged in suppressing it.
" I found it in many villages, principally among the Dheds, who were en¬
" tirely unprotected.
" In Dharol, where I was at the end of the year, I found small-pox in
" the Amrun and Juria tálukás. It is reported to be raging in the town of
" Juria, which I am about to visit.
" On the whole, I think vaccination is making satisfactory progress in
" the circle.
" In Kathewád, the only part of which I have any previous knowledge,
" it has certainly made a great advance since 1867, when I acted as super¬
" intendent; but still small-pox is very prevalent, and nothing but constant
" supervision will keep the vaccinators up to working in a way that will
" effectually suppress it; they are too apt to be careless about their lymph,
" and consequently much of their work is comparatively useless."
Dr. Williams' tour.
Dr. Williams' tour in Sindh covered nearly the whole province. In
Karáchi zilhá he visited 6 tálukás and 4 dispen-
saries. In Haidrabad collectorate he visited 8
tálukás. In Shikarpur zilhá 13 tálukás, and the
whole of the tálukás in the Upper Sindh Frontier district and in the Thar
and Parkar. He inspected every dispensary on his route.
Aid from civil and poli-
tical officers.
69. It may be said that the backbone of the department is the aid and
support it receives from the revenue and political offi-
cers. The officers of the department are the head
and arms; but they would fall to pieces in useless
efforts without the willing aid of all local authorities. This dependence on
such aid is probably more marked here under our voluntary system than it
would be among a more highly educated and better off people : but, even
36
" duced from Kamrej pargana of Gaikawadi territory; everywhere the dis¬
" ease was readily checked. In the whole of Gujarath a very severe epidemic
" of measles and chicken-pox prevailed from February up to the close of
" the year." 473 deaths were reported.
Small-pox in the West-
ern Gujarath circle.
4th.—Dr. Blomfield notices the prevalence of the disease in Kathewád,
and western part of Ahmadábád district, and in the
Pálanpur state. 388 deaths are returned from Ahmad¬
ábád zilhá.
Small-pox in Sindh.
5th.—Dr. Williams says :—" Taking the year 1874—from January to
" December—by itself, there have been but few deaths
" from small-pox. But in the latter part of the official
" year, i.e., the first three months of 1875, many people
" will have died from small-pox, especially in Gadrá, táluká Chachrá, in the
" Thar and Parkar zilhá. As the returns to the sanitary commissioner are
" available for the calendar year, and those for February and March have not
"yet been received, it will be more convenient for comparison if I give the
" number of deaths from small-pox for the year 1874.
" In the Karáchi collectorate :—6 in January, 1 in February, and 1 in
" March in the town of Karáchi; and 2 in February and 1 in July in the
" táluká of Jati ;—making a total of 11.
" In the Haidárabad collectorate, no death from small-pox returned.*
" In the Shikárpur collectorate, there are five deaths given ; viz., 1 in
"April in the táluká of Ubáoro, 1 in May in Ghotki, and 3 in June in a
" village near Sitá in Kakar. I am almost certain these latter three were not
"from small-pox, as there was not a single case of the disease within a radius
" of 150 miles of Sita. It is very strange to have three deaths from small-pox
" in one village and not a trace of the disease to be found by the assistant
" superintendent who went to make special inquiries. When I marched by,
" the village had been deserted owing to its having been submerged by the
" terrible floods that inundated the right bank of the Indus last year.
" In the Frontier Upper Sindh no death recorded.
" In the Thar and Parkar districts 1 death in July in the táluká of
" Chachrá.
"This gives a total of 17 deaths from small-pox (including 3 doubtful)
" registered in Sindh in the year 1874.
" There were 5 deaths from measles registered by mistake as small-pox,
" viz., 1 in May†and 2 in June in the táluká of Chachrá; and 1 in May in the
" táluká of Sanghar‡ both in the Thar and Parkar ; and 1 case in November
" in the táluká of Shahbandar in the Karáchi collectorate,
"But all the deaths from small-pox have not been registerted. In
" addition to the above the following have been reported by the assistant
" superintendents or the vaccinators, viz., 4 in Jati (1 in April, 2 in June and
* This is incorrect, because 1 is returned from Allyar Ka Tanda.—J. P.
† There were no deaths from small-pox registered in May in Chachrá district.—J. P.
‡ There was no small-pox death registered in Sanghar district, so this appears to be an
error on the part of Dr. Williams.—J. P.
37
" 1 in July) in the Karáchi collectorate*; 1 in Badin in July in the Haidr¬
" abad collectorate ; one in Ghotki in April in the Shikarpur collectorate ;
" 2 in Thul* in May in the Jacobabad district; and 4 in Nagar Parkar (3†
" in May and 1 in June) in the Thar and Parkar district.
"These 12 added to the above 17, give, as the total of deaths from
" small-pox in Sindh in the year 1874, 29, which is considerably less than
" that of 1873.
"But the total for the latter year given at page 157 of the Vaccination
" Report for the year 1873-74, and which has been taken from the returns of
" the sanitary commissioner, is incorrect. The following deaths from measles
" should have been deducted, viz., Sehwan 12, Mainjhandá 1, and Khandiárá 5.
" This would reduce the 81 to 63 deaths probably from small-pox. The
" number of cases of small-pox reported during the year was 375, which is
" probably below the mark ; but accepting it for what it is worth, it shows
" the ratio of deaths to attacks to be not greater than 1 in 13. This is no
" doubt due to so many of the cases being very mild and the disease modified
" by either previous inoculation or vaccination.
Prevalence of the disease
during the year.
" In April the disease was already present in Jati and was conveyed
" thence to Badin in the same month, where it prevail¬
" ed to a very slight extent till September, as its occur¬
" rence was not reported till August. In the same
"month, too, the disease was imported a fresh from Kutch into the towns of
" Karáchi, Shahbandar and Nagar Párkar; and into Mirpur Mátelo and
" Ghotki from Jesulmir and Bháwalpur.
" In May the disease was introduced into Ubáoro and Thul from Bháwal¬
" pur.
" It was comparatively easily subdued, and the province was, with an
" exception or two, free from it till December, when it was again introduced
" into Ubáoro from Bháwalpur, into Chachrá from Jodhpur, and into Nagar
" Párkar from Wághar in Kutch.
" In January, February and March the disease kept pouring in from
" Jodhpur and Kutch, and was brought into the tálukás of Kiprá, Chachrá,
" Umarkot, Nagar Párkar, Mitti and Diplá in the Thar and Parkar districts,
" into the town of Karáchi, and into the tálukás of Badin and Baga-jo-Tando,
" in the Haidrabad collectorate, where generally speaking it exists now. I can
"hardly understand how it has not yet shown itself in Haidrabad, for there is
" almost constant communication between all these places and that town.
Small-pox in Kutch.
6th. Mr. Dorábji Hormasji in the report for Kutch, says :—" During
" the last three months small-pox was raging with
" violence; especially in February. It is now (April)
" fast disappearing."
Small-pox in Bombay
City.
To sum up, the year was a non-epidemic one, and the deaths have been
comparatively few, and of even these, there is the known fact that deaths from
measles have been reported as from small-pox in some cases. Thus taking
the city of Bombay, where there were 258 deaths
returned, it has been ascertained that in the 73 deaths
which were reported in the last four months of the
* This is not correct, as they have been registered. —J. P.
† One in May has been registered.—J. P.
49
population.
The area is much too large, and the population is a little too
high also. The primary vaccinations numbered 9,634 including 221 at the
Sadra dispensary. The percentage of success is 97.1, and there were only
20.8 per mille of population protected during the year. Re-vaccinations only
numbered 86 ; no returns of small-pox are received. There is room here for
a good deal of progress and extension.
Rewá Kanthá.
111.
Rewá Kánthá with a population of 512,569 and an area of 4,736
maintains 10 vaccinators ; so each has an average of
51,256 of population and 473 of square miles ; returns
are received from the dispensary in Baria. The primary vaccinations were
14,067 and the percentage of success 95.8. There were 26.1 per mille of
population successfully vaccinated.
There were only 97 re-vaccinations.
I
have no returns of small-pox. The progress here is very good.
Cambay.
112. Cambay state with a population of 83,494 and an area of 350
square miles has 1 vaccinator who primarily operated
on 2,660 persons with a success of 98.1 per cent.
There were 31.4 per mille of population successfully vaccinated.
Re-vaccina-
tions were only 24. Progress is very satisfactory.
Dharmpur.
113. Dharmpur state has a population of 74,592 and an area of 225
square miles. The 1 vaccinator primarily operated
on 3,668 persons and obtained 99.2 per cent. of
success. There were 48.7 per mille of population successfully vaccinated.
This is a very high rate and must decline after vaccination has been prac-
tised a few years more and when all the arrears shall have been worked up.
Bansda.
114. Bansda has a population of 32,154 and an area of 321 square
miles, and 1 vaccinator primarily vaccinated 2,127, of
whom 98.1 per cent. were successful.
66.1 per
mille of the population were vaccinated successfully. Vaccination has only
been practised here since 1871. The operations were
in 1870-71
1871-72
1872-73
1873-74
.
1874-75
89
762
1,457
2,860
2,127
7,295
Sachin state.
115. The small state of Sachin has only 16 villages, a population of
17,103, and an area of 65 square miles. The Chorasi
táluká local fund vaccinator of Surat zilhá does the
vaccinations in these villages. In the year under report there were 546
primary vaccinations and 1 re-vaccination.
There were 30 per mille of
population protected in the year.
116. Dr. Cola has written an interesting account of the introduction
and progress of vaccination in these native states, which I here give in ex¬
tenso :—
B 99—g
50
" The credit of the systematic introduction of vaccination into the native
" states of Gujarath is due to Dr. Mahaffy, who was for a lengthened period
" superintendent of vaccination in the North-Western Division of Gujarath.
" In 1848 Dr. Mahaffy, desirous of carrying out the benevolent intention of
" Government with respect to vaccination, suggested to Captain Wallace, the
" Political Agent in the Mahi Kánthá, ' the great blessing it would be to the
" people in that province if the chiefs would consent to support a couple of
" vaccinators to be constantly employed in his districts.' This suggestion
" was warmly taken up by the Political Agent, who offered to guarantee the
" pay of one vaccinator himself. The scheme, having been submitted to the
" Medical Board, was placed before Government and circulars were addressed
" in March 1849 to several political officers on the desirability of introducing
" vaccination into the native states, in response to which the first steps were
" taken and vaccination was commenced in several states. As regards Mahi
" Kánthá, Rewá Kánthá and Pálanpur, the following information will not be
" altogether uninteresting.
Mahi Kánthá.
" In 1849, on the suggestion of Dr. Mahaffy, the Political Agent succeeded
" in inducing the Maharaja of Idar to engage one vac¬
" cinator for his districts. It was not possible to get
" the minor chiefs at once to agree to defray the expenses of another vaccina¬
" tor, but the Sadra Bazar Fund was at the time rich, and Captain Wallace,
" with the sanction of Government, engaged an additional vaccinator who
" was paid out of the Bazar Fund for some time till assistance from the minor
" chiefs was obtained. The following shows the progress of vaccination for
" the few years following the introduction of vaccination :—
" Last 10 months of
Year
Do.
Do.
" First 9 months of
1849
1850
1851
1852
1853
...1,017
... 1,000
... 4,054
... 5,021
... 2,634
Primary vaccinations.
"
"
"
"
Rewá Kánthá.
" It appears that in reply to the Political Agent's representations only one
" chief agreed to entertain a vaccinator. The Raja
" of Rájpiplá consented to keep a vaccinator for his
" territory on Rs. 18 a month Baroda money. The Chota Udaipur Raja
" offered to pay Rs. 5 a month, which was equivalent to a refusal, whereas
" all the other chiefs under that Agency declined,—the Rajas of Lunwádá
" and Sunth on the ground of poverty, the Raja of Deogad Baria and the
" manager of Godhrá on the plea that the people were opposed to vaccination.
Pálanpur.
" The two principal chiefs in this territory, viz., the Diwan of Pálanpur
" and the Nawab of Radhanpur,at once and with much
" willingness agreed to entertain a vaccinator each in
" their territories, and the following was the progress :—
" Pálanpur
"
"
"
" Rádhanpur
"
"
1850
1851
1852
1853
1850
1851
1852
Last six months ...
...
...
First six months ...
Last six months ...
First four months ...
June ...
l,595
3,210
2,879
1,444
397
234
55