29
inoculation, has sometimes his own life placed in jeopardy, by the very means he
seeks for protection, as well as being a source of danger to those around him. For
while the disease, so inoculated, may show itself in a few scattered pustules, with
more or less of febrile disturbance, it may also come out in the confluent or most
fatal form, and so actually destroy the life it was meant to preserve. I think that
having said so much, I have said enough to show that, the practice of inoculation is
not only dangerous to the life of the individual, but it is also dangerous to the public
health generally: and yet, while a remedy is at hand, for the punishment of those
who exhibit such dangers by other means, this is left to hold its way unquestioned.
That inoculation is pretty extensively practised in some districts of this circle I
have had frequent intimation of, and though in every case that has come to light
the aid of civil authorities has been sought to prohibit it, yet I am fully convinced
that it will never be effectually stopped without giving power to punish those who
persist in practising it.
No ill effects of vaccination.
11. After something over 5 year's experience now of the department,
during which time, I may say I have tried to
be as observant as circumstances would permit
of, I have never noticed an instance where a specific disease other than
cow-pox was introduced into the system through the agency of vaccination.
I have however sometimes noticed ulceration, but not of a specific nature,
at the seat of the vesicles which I have been always able to account for in two
ways. The first was ill-treatment of the vesicle by the subject himself, tearing it
open when it got irritable and applying some irritant remedies to it afterwards;
and the second by the vaccinators making use of inflammatory lymph, or taking
pus with the lymph, by pressing out too much, the vesicles on the vaccinifer. I
once noticed an abscess formed in the vicinity of the vesicles, fortunately in time
to remedy it, but this I only noticed once. With this slender experience of ills
arising from vaccination I think I feel justified in pronouncing it benign in its
effects.
Small-pox after vaccination.
12. That small-pox will sometimes occur after successful vaccination I do
not think will now be denied ; but then it is rather
the exception than the rule, and it is, when so occur-
ring, shorn of its fatality. I saw one unmistakeable case myself in a boy some
8 or 9 years old. He had three undoubted vaccine cicatrices on one arm which, 1
should pronounce very good, while scattered over the trunk and limbs were also
indelible marks of small-pox pustules. His parents told me that he contracted
the disease some three or four months after his being vaccinated, but that it affect-
ed him so slightly that he was not confined to bed or the house for even one day ;
while a brother of his, who was not previously vaccinated, and who contracted
the disease about the same time, was so bad that his life was for a time despaired
of and after recovery his face remained frightfully scarred, a fact I had myself an
opportunity of witnessing.
Aid from civil authorities.
13. I have had to make many and frequent applications during the year to
the different district magistrates for assistance, when
the vaccinator met with unusual opposition, and I am
happy to say that in every case I met with a most cordial and ready desire to meet
my wishes. It would help us not a little, if the collectors and assistant collec-
tors would, on all occasions when they visit villages on other duty, make enqui-
ries as to the state of vaccination there; and at the same time impress on the
people the importance of it; and examine the vaccination and small-pox registers,
kept by the village officers ; and see that they are kept with proper care and in
proper form. Mr. Trevor, the first assistant collector at Nasik, I know from
personal experience, does the latter, for I found in the Báglán táluká, which is
under his charge, in almost every village I visited that, he had examined and
initialled these registers. In the Kolábá collectorate this department was in the