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tion in many of the tálukás. I have received reports of its being carried on in the Bhiwandí
Táluká, in Máhim, in Sáshtí and some others, and as long as it is allowed to go on without some
punitive deterrent, so long will it undoubtedly prevail. The district officials in the absence of
any legal means to strengthen their hands are loathe to interfere, and £ must say with good
reason, for it would not be over-pleasant to find that on interposing their authority they
found it set at defiance. A good case in point occurred in the Mahim Táluká, where the As-
sistant Superintendent for the Tháná Zilhá, Mr. Máhádeo Vináyak, brought to the notice of the
Mámlatdár that a Kumbhár was inoculating in the táluká, and requested he might be restrained
from doing so. The Mámlutdár stated he could not interfere, as the man was committing no
crime, and, if he did so, he would be punished on being placed before him in the usual course.
I have recently addressed Mr. Robertson, the Collector, on this subject, suggesting that some
means might be devised to restrain these people from practising inoculation, and thereby
spreading small-pox amongst the people. But, in the meantime, I would ask here if the time
has not come when some legal prohibitive steps might be taken against it. The generally
received opposition to doing so cannot be said to prevail here, as a glance at the returns will
show that complete means of vaccination are decidedly within reach of the people, and while
they are so, I think no hardship would be inflicted by enforcing the discontinuance of inocula-
tion, which long-existing prejudice amongst many sections of the population induces them to
prefer. These two causes, opposition and prevalence of inoculation, have mainly contributed
to the hinderance of the spread of vaccination in the Tháná. Collectorate, and I think, too, a
general want of cordial support to the vaccinators from the district subordinates has aided
them not a little.
Village Registers.
17. The keeping of the village registers in this Collectorate is not performed in such a
way as to render them in very many instances of the
least use. There are some exceptions I must say, but
the generality of the taláthis make up their registers either by copying those of the vacci-
nators when so permitted, or taking down the names as subsequently given them from me-
mory of the pátils. This latter process must of a necessity be defective, for in many of the
táluká villages the pátils are a most ignorant and illiterate class of men, while the former
defeats one of the chief objects of the village register, a check on the vaccinators' returns.
I some time ago addressed the Collector on this subject, and endeavoured to point out
the necessity of directing the taláthi's presence in the village during the vaccinator's visit.
He agreed with me in deeming the taláthi's presence advisable, but did not think it possi-
ble to secure it on all occasions under the existing state of things. Some of the taláthis have
as many as fifteen villages in their charge, and taking their many other duties in connection
with them into account, he did not think their attendance during the vaccinator's visit always
feasible. He, however, said he would order their presence when possible, so that I am in
hopes a more efficient village register will be kept in the current year.
Jawár Native State.
18. In Jawár, vaccination has been making good progress during the year, the returns
from which show an increase over 1871-72 of 656
persons treated, the total number for this year being
1,081. This number is, I think, capable of further extension, which I hope to see in the
coming year, as there is yet a good deal of work in arrears to be performed. I noticed
this in a recent visit to the State, as also the fact that the work had been hitherto
entirely carried on in the two Maháls of Jawár and Dherjí, while that of Gunjár had
been left altogether neglected. As far as I could ascertain, there is very little opposition on
the part of the people of this State to vaccination, and any retrograde movement will be
more attributable to want of energy on the part of the vaccinator than to any other cause,
There is one thing, though, to be said, that the district is exceedingly unhealthy during the
months immediately succeeding the monsoon, and at that time work is only carried on there
with great danger to health. In fact, the same may be said of the northern and eastern tálukás