32
jection to the inoculation of their calves, but the Hindús (Banias) are opposed to the opera-
tion, and there is often much difficulty in persuading them to lend their calves for the pur-
pose. This is unfortunate, as the greater number of calves in the town belong to Baniás,
who also take more care of their animals than the Mahomedans. It would be more satis-
factory if the calves could be kept at the dispensary, but there is no shed or other place
available wherein they could be secured, and, moreover, they are generally too young to be
separated from their mothers.
" Last year the town punchayet, which consists entirely of Hindús, called upon me and
begged that I would not go on with animal vaccination. In the first place they objected
to the pain inflicted on the calves, and they also disapproved of their children being vaccina-
ted with lymph taken from calves. I talked over the matter with them, and promised that
I would not use their calves when others are procurable, and that their children would only
be vaccinated with lymph taken from other children.
" The operation, as now conducted, involves very little expense, the cost being about one
anna for each calf."
Inoculation of Small-pox.
22. It was reported that an inoculator was at work in
the táluká of Rohrí, in the month of January, and on making
further inquiry, through the Mukhtiárkár, I was told that he had escaped to Khálat.
Small-pox.
23. Through the kindness of the Commissioner in Sindh I am furnished regularly with
the Births' and Deaths' Reports of the several Collectorates
There have been but few deaths from small-pox within the
past year, though many have been reported. This is owing to deaths from measles being
returned as small-pox. I have lately shown in a letter to the Commissioner in Sindh why
deaths from measles are invariably returned as deaths from small-pox ; and the reason is this
that the column headed in English " Small-pox" is in "Sindhi" headed Sitlá, which include
all the exanthematous diseases instead of " Vadhí Mátá," which means small-pox and no-
thing else. Sir William Merewether has taken measures to correct this.
24. Small-pox was more or less prevalent in Ketí Bandar and neighbourhood throughout
the year, but I hope it will soon be extinguished. There have been a few cases at Táttá and
at Karáchí, and more lately in Jacobábád and the tálukás bordering on Khílát, where small-
pox has been and, I believe, is very prevalent. I do not think there have been 20 deaths
from small-pox in Sindh throughout the year. This speaks volumes for vaccination when,
compared with the thousands of deaths from small-pox that occurred, almost annually,
before the introduction of vaccination, and when it is considered that Sindh is exposed on
every side to invasion by small-pox. This year the disease was brought to Ketí and
Karáchí from Kutch and Bombay, and to Upper Sindh from Khílát.
Infection by Syphilis.
25. I have not seen nor heard of a single case of
infection by syphilis or any other disease. The greatest
care is taken in the selection of vaccinifers, for whom there is special column in the regis-
ter.
Village Registers.
26. These have not yet been introduced into Sindh, nor is their introduction practi-
cable into the villages as at present constituted, excepting
perhaps in the case of municipal towns. In Sindh there
are no responsible village officers, and consequently no one to fill in the registers.
We have the " Pátil" and the "Mukhí" as the head respectively of the Hindú and Mu-
salmán community, but, in the majority of cases, neither the one nor the other can read
or write. I think the introduction of the register very desirable for the purposes mention-