( 50 )
One thousand seven hundred and thirty-eight primary vaccinations were
inspected by the Civil Surgeon (Dr. J. Connor), of which 1.647 were found to be
successful, the ratio of success being 94.76 per cent.
Vaccination was begun on the 4th November 1883 in the Alípur tahsíl,
and that part of the district was finished by the middle of January 1884. The
total number vaccinated during the season amounted to 2,551, of which number
28 were unsuccessful; this is only equal to about one-half the number vaccinated
in this tahsíl during the year 1882. This is a great falling-off as compared with
the two previous years, and is in great part owing to the laxity of the
lambardárs and zaildárs in assembling the children for the purpose of being
vaccinated. Except in a few instances they all showed great want of zeal and
energy in the matter, and as a consequence many of the people offered more
opposition than usual, although, as a whole, they are not opposed to it, but it
gives them some trouble to have their children vaccinated, therefore many from
sheer laziness, and some from dislike to the operation, among the latter Hindús
chiefly, did not fetch their children. In some parts of this tahsíl, notably
Alípur town, the vaccination was so far unsatisfactory that the children had
sometimes one successful vesicle, and often only two ; this arose from the objection
of the parents to six punctures being made, and from the timidity of the apprentice
vaccinators in not insisting upon the full number of punctures, and also from the
want of skill in the operators, who tried to do too many from the arms of a single
child ; they can hardly be blamed for this, as parents have an almost invincible
objection to allowing lymph to be taken from the arms of their children.
Perhaps also the very large mortality among the children during the first three
months of 1883 may have been a factor in the falling-off.
Work was begun at Muzaffargarh, with new lymph received from the
Deputy Sanitary Commissioner, on the 17th December 1883, and was finished
by the middle of February. The total number vaccinated was 4,079, or nearly the
same as during the year 1882; of this number 30 were unsuccessful. In this tahsíl
there was no difficulty experienced in vaccinating the children, the tahsíl officials,
zaildárs and lambardárs all showed great energy in the work, consequently the work
was well done. The vesicles ranged from 4 to 6 on each child, they were large
and well formed, and altogether very satisfactory, except in the case of one zail,
that of Kalandarwála, where a new vaccinator, one who had previously been an
apprentice vaccinator at Alípur, tried to do too many from too small a quantity of
lymph; consequently, although 6 punctures were made, the results were often
only one or two vesicles, and sometimes complete failures; this vaccinator has
been threatened with dismissal in case of any laxity being found in his work for
the future. Besides the abovementioned number there were 2,938 children
vaccinated in the Muzaffargarh tahsíl during January and February 1883 ;
these have not been shown in any annual return, on account of the change in the
period of the returns ; 37 of these were unsuccessful.
Work began in the Sinánwán tahsíl on the 13th February 1884, and
was finished by the beginning of April; altogether 1,717 children were vaccin-
ated in the tahsíl as against 1,503 in 1882 ; of this number 31 were unsuccess-
ful ; here too the work was satisfactory, and the results were good, the vesicles-
ranging from 4 to 6, generally the latter. The work was well aided by the tahsíl
officials, zaildárs, lambardárs and chaukídárs, and there was little or no objection
met with. The large diminution in the number vaccinated has already been
accounted for ; the falling-off was confined exclusively to the Alípur tahsíl, and it
was in this tahsíl that the officials did not exert themselves, and consequently
the work was carried on under great difficulties. Many of the people, from lack
of energy by zaildárs, &c., failed to have their children done, and many who
disliked it were glad of this laxity, and availed themselves of it. The vaccination
was carried on by zails, which has been found the surest and easiest way of
getting all the children; the zails were worked consecutively from one to the
next adjoining, and so through the district. The "from arm-to-arm method" was
adopted, and this has always been a most difficult thing to do, the parents have
an almost invincible objection to allowing lymph to be taken from the arms of
their children ; money, except to the very poorest people, is no temptation; reason-
ing oftener fails than succeeds, and any attempt to force the parents would
infallibly lead to an assault upon the vaccinators; so very often the best lymph