38
year 26 really died of measles. Here is an error to the extent of 35 per cent.
The errors so carefully and precisely shown by Dr. Williams exhibit how
useless the small-pox deaths' returns really are as far as exact knowledge is
concerned.
The frequent irruptions of small-pox into Sindh was brought to the
notice of Government through the Commissioner in Sindh's Memorandum
No. 243, dated 9th March 1875, giving cover to Dr. Williams' letter No. 921,
dated 20th idem, and Government in their Resolution No. 849, dated 20th
idem, in the General Department, transfer red the subject to the Political
Department, and a Resolution was passed, in order to ascertain if a better
system of vaccination could be introduced into Kutch and into the Rajputana
states, which was communicated to the political officers there.
Obstacles to the spread
of vaccination.
71. It may be affirmed generally that there is no real opposition to
vaccination anywhere now ; but if we come to par-
ticulars we note a good deal of apathy and care-
lessness on the part of communities that are not only
intelligent but are believers in the value of vaccination as a prophylactic.
Then again there are limited areas, or rather castes, in which vaccination
makes but slow progress; such are the tálukás of Nargund and Ron in
Dharwad collectorate, and in a part of Bombay city itself. In the first instance,
the caste is the Lingayat Wanis who stop progress ; in Bombay it is the
Mahomedans. Dr. Raby has complained of want of assistance, in collect-
ing the children for inspections, from village officials in some few instances.
But I do not think the officers of the department have much to complain of
in this respect. Speaking for myself I can say I do not meet the least diffi-
culty, and further I have almost always met with the very best attention from
village officers. But even if an officer of the department occasionally do
meet with some little want of the usual politeness of village officials, it can-
not be very much wondered at, for it is self-evident that our inspections
must be a trouble to parents : they cannot bring their children for our inspec-
tion without leaving their own work to stand for at least some little time.
These inspections are absolutely necessary, because without them Govern-
ment could not be certain that the vaccinations are good. Mr. E. P. Robert-
son, collector of Dharwad, in his letter No. 3783, dated 10th December
1874, says:—"The Lingayat community is especially strong in the Nar¬
" gund and Ron tálukás, and it is only by practical endeavours on the part of
" the vaccinators that the strong caste and religious prejudices of these persons
" can be overcome." Again he says :—" Where the people, the Lingayats, are
" deeply opposed to vaccination your department (vaccination) cannot expect
" to get zealous aid from Lingayat village officers. As time passes on we
" must hope that education and progress will do much towards removing
" the prejudices. To needlessly drive and irritate them will do more harm
" than good." I endorse every word of Mr. E. P. Robertson's views ; and I
will only add that the officers of the department, as a body, have always tried
to lead rather than to drive, and to the tact and discretion of the individual
officers who have served in each circle is due in a great measure the progress
made. A diagram of progress for the circles would almost be an infallible
index of the tact, discretion, and wisdom of the different superintendents
who have held charge of each circle. I conclude this paragraph by the
statement that there is not a single difficulty that the department cannot
look forward to overcome in a reasonable time, and it would be injudicious
to hurry on or drive the few prejudiced who still oppose our endeavours to