17
Decrease.
4. In the Municipal Establishment, a decrease is shown of 327 persons, which decrease
may, in my belief, be altogether attributed to the very
careless and inattentive way in which the man employed
by the Tháná Municipality has hitherto performed his work. He has, however, been placed
under the more immediate control of this office since 1st of January, and I hope to be able
soon to advise the Municipality of some means to secure for them a better return for the
very liberal support they give to vaccination. During the year he has only performed 350
operations, a number that seems simply ridiculous when the wide field for exertion he has
is considered, and also one that very inadequately compensates for the good salary he receives.
In Panwel and Uran, between which one vaccinator is employed, the year's results are much
more satisfactory, and vaccination is in both places making fair progress, and altogether seems
to be on a far better footing.
Dispensaries.
5. Amongst the Dispensaries there is a decrease this year in the number of operations
performed, and the returns from some of them are so
very small that their utility as propagators of the pro-
phylactic may be questioned. There are, however, four instances where this doubt can
scarcely exist, and where I think energy, very praiseworthy and untiring, has been displayed
to secure the protection of the people in the vicinity of the Dispensaries by the Officers in
charge. I allude to the Officers holding charge of the Dispensaries of Dápulí, Vingurlá,
Kalián and Alibág; they, of the twelve Dispensaries included within the limits of this Circle,
are the only ones from which any thing like presentable returns have been submitted dur-
ing the year. As reports have been submitted from each individual Officer, giving in detail
the result of the year's work and the cause of decrease, &c., I will not further allude to
them here, but would at the same time bring forward the names of the following Officers as
those who have been, in my opinion, the most zealous in furthering vaccination in their
neighbourhoods: Honorary Assistant Surgeon Pollard, Mr. Apothecary Underwood, Sub-
Assistant Surgeon N. Dhanjibhái, and Sub-Assistant Surgeon M. F. Pereira.
Vaccinators.
6. There were 32 vaccinators, including all establishments, employed in this Circle during
the year, one of whom, however, was only employed for
the last month, and their conduct as a body has not been
such as would enable me to report favorably on them. Without particularising or entering
into the details of individual cases, I may state that I have had to inflict fines in a good
many instances, chiefly for offences that may be considered under the headings " Indolence "
and " Carelessness." Under these remarks I allude more immediately to the men employed in
the Tháná and Kolábá zilhás, amongst whom want of zeal is an almost universal failing.
The men employed in the Ratnágirí zilhá have given far less trouble, and have performed
their duties throughout the year far more zealously. In fact, had a similar amount of zeal
been displayed by the Tháná and Kolábá men, the returns would have shown a far greater
increase than that I have already called attention to. There was a good deal of sickness
amongst the Tháná vaccinators, that superadded to causes just referred to, has occasioned in
more than one instance a break of work. When any man had occasion to go on sick leave, a
substitute was appointed, but the amount of work performed by these men was in nearly
every instance very small, and by no means compensated for the absence of the permanent
incumbent. The lymph was lost in every case where these arrangements were made, and as
the progress of setting it going again was of a necessity slow, so the returns submitted were
proportionately small. The largest number of operations was performed by Head vaccinator
Málji Mulekar, in the Málwan táluká, and the smallest by Vishrám Bájí, Máhim táluká.
The number of operations performed too by Bábájí Ganojí, of the Wádá táluká, was ridicu-
lously small. In fact, I am not at all sanguine that the Department derives any benefit from
retaining on its establishment these two last mentioned individuals, and I doubt very much
6 V R