18
which a certain class of people will pursue a steady course towards any end they may wish
to attain. An infant, it was reported, died about a month after it had been vaccinated, and
ill usage by the vaccinator and vaccination were given as the causes of its death. I will not
enter into any detail of evidence advanced to sustain this charge, but will merely state that
when I came to Rohá I enquired into the matter to the entire exoneration of the vaccinator,
though the first receipt of the report made me somewhat prejudiced against him. The fa-
ther of the child said the vesicles on its arms had dried up some time before its death, and that
fever and not vaccination was the cause of that event taking place. In support of this
statement made to me in presence of the Mámlatdár, I had the evidence of the child from
whom it was vaccinated, and that of other children for whom it was used as vaccinifer,
in none of whom did there appear the slightest sign to indicate that bad lymph had been
used, and too the Assistant Superintendent for Kolábá said that he saw the child himself a
day or so after it had been used as a vaccinifer, and that then there was nothing unusual in
its appearance. Under these circumstances I think I was perfectly justified in exonerating
the vaccinator, though the Assistant Collector, Mr. Johnson, who subsequently investigated
the case, came to a different conclusion, and gave it as his opinion, that some arrangement had
been come to between the father of the child and the vaccinator.
Considering that the
vaccinator was removed from the táluká, for obvious reasons, immediately after the occur-
rence was reported, I do not think any arrangement of this description was at all feasible,
and with this remark I shall leave the subject at rest.
General progress.
15. In speaking of the general progress I propose taking in detail the different districts
into which this Circle is divided, but before doing so it
may not be out of place to give a short outline of the
Circle entire. It extends from the confines of Damman northward to those of Goá in the
south, being limited eastward by the range of the Gháuts, and to the west by an extensive
sea board some 250 miles or more in extent. It thus three parts confines Bombay, the only
part of that city uncovered by it being its western aspect towards the sea. The result of
this is a free radiation of small-pox infection from Bombay whenever it prevails there ; and
further a facility of importation of the same infection through the many ports dotting the
large sea board by means of incoming foreign craft.
The Collectorates comprised within
this are, first, Tháná, with the Native State of Jawár ; second, Kolábá, with the Native State
of Janjírá; and, third, Ratnágirí, with the Native State of Sáwantwádí.
Tháná Collectorate.
16. In the Tháná Collectorate vaccination has retrogressed rather during the past year
the number of persons treated being only 15,939, or some
1,515 less than the returns exhibited for the year 1871-72.
However paradoxical it may appear, the fact stands that in this district the places where pro-
gress and civilization are making greatest strides, vaccination evidently retrogrades, while in
the wilder parts, where the people are ignorant in the extreme, it seems to be making steady and
sure way. I can only account for this by stating that the people, as I have found them, are
much more manageable in the latter places, and that they are more ready to accept any ad-
vice offered them. As instances of what I mean I may state that in the large towns such as
Tháná, Kalián, Bhewndy, Bássein, Máhim, Dhánu, &c., &c., vaccination makes little way, and
that little even only amongst the poorer portion of the population, while small-pox seems
to have a permanent habitat amongst their crowded thoroughfares. The children of the well-
to-do and supposed to be enlightened portion of the people, are seldom submitted to the
vaccinator, and this, as I believe, is not from any want of faith in the prophylactic itself, but
merely an indifference on the subject and a knowledge that there is no compulsion in the
matter. It is my belief, and not alone mine but that of most of the officials I have conversed
with on the subject, who have paid it any attention, that vaccination will never be efficiently
carried out in these towns until made compulsory. Another fact I may state that I think has
hindered the more general spread of vaccination in the past year was the prevalence of inocula-