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mille of population. The percentage of success is 93.9. There are only 8
revaccinations. Each vaccinator's average is only 225. Vaccination is very
backward here but I hope it will soon improve.
Aden.
97. Aden has a population of 19,289 and an area of 12 square miles.
By some mistake the Government station vac-
cinator had been kept on since 1871 till near
the close of the year : but there is now only
the municipal vaccinator who is quite able to do all the work. There were
1,145 persons vaccinated or 59.3 per mille of population, but there were
probably a number of those vaccinated only temporary residents, such as
Somalis and other Africans and perhaps also some Arabs. The percentage
of success is 80. There were 120 revaccinations. Each vaccinator's average
is only 632. The success ought to be much higher.
The vaccination department might
assist the sanitary department.
98. The Army Sanitary Commission in reviewing my report for
1870-71, stated that " The returns show that
" the superintendents of seven out of ten circles
" visited and inspected 1,922 villages during
" last year and nevertheless so far as their
" special duties were concerned they appear to have had no function to per-
" form regarding local disease causes so extremely prevalent in Indian villa-
" ges and cities.
"This remark is not made with the object of taking exception to any
" portion of the vaccination organization or work. The facts already given
" show how efficiently this work is performed.
" The Commission are likewise too little acquainted with the local or-
" ganization of these villages to take upon themselves to make any recom-
" mendation on the subject. But seeing that the whole object of the vaccina-
" tion organization is to check the spread of one form of epidemic disease
" they would beg to suggest the question whether without in any way im-
" pairing the efficiency of the organization or interfering with its proper work,
" it might not render very efficient inspecting service in helping towards the
" removal of local disease causes ? The Commission make this suggestion be-
" cause, amongst other reasons, this Bombay Vaccination Department par-
" takes very much indeed of the character of what might be a most effi-
" cient sanitary service for the Presidency. It shows how in principle such
" a service should be organized, and it appears to be possible that the sani-
" tary inspecting work might be accomplished without an agency in duplicate
" which must necessarily partake very much of the character of the agency
" already in existence, while adding materially to the outlay."
This was brought to the notice of this Government in Her Majesty's
Secretary of State for India's letter No. 4 (Sanitary) dated India Office,
London, 26th March 1872. I would beg to say that I believe the suggestion
of the Army Sanitary Commission could be beneficially carried out without
any considerable cost, indeed, it might be done without any additional ex-
penditure at all. I know that it may be said that the officers of the vacci-
nation department might devote too much of their time to sanitary matters in
general and that vaccination in particular would suffer thereby: this is a
danger that I do not fear, because for many years to come, in India, vac-