17
the Collector of Canara the desirability of appointing a special vaccinator for the
Mooudgode district as a temporary measure, he sanctioned early in January the
appointment of a vaccinator to be paid out of Local Funds, but even then I could not
for some time secure the services of a vaccinator. I had a candidate at the time in
the office, but on my directing him to proceed there he refused on account of the
insalubrity of that part; so I was obliged to appoint a man who had been before
acting as a substitute in the Canara zillah, though he is somewhat over the regulated
age. In many villages where small-pox is prevalent the Natives do not bring forward
their children as readily as might be supposed. I have myself witnessed the reluct-
ance of Natives to be vaccinated under these circumstances ; this is especially the case
in a part of the Canara collectorate, and to some extent for the following reason.
Some years ago it was a common belief and disseminated by a civil surgeon of that
district (a copy of whose letter was not long since sent me by the Collector) that when
small-pox was epidemic in a place, it was useless, not to say noxious, vaccinating in that
place, but that vaccination should be vigorously carried on in surrounding villages, so
as to place a barrier of protected persons between the infected and other localities. The
efficiency of this plan only seems to be ingrained into the minds of the Natives of those
parts (especially about Sircy), so that the vaccination of the people during periods of
small-pox is attended with no little difficulty. However desirable and advisable the
latter proceeding may be, the former, I am of opinion, should not be lost sight of. It
is true vaccination may get into disfavour somewhat in some instances from the fact of
its failing to afford protection to those operated on, who may already be incubating the
variolous poison, but when it is a question if the person vaccinated has or has not con-
tracted the disease, it is preferable to run the risk than not vaccinate at all, as in
the latter proceeding no security can be possible, whereas under the former there is
the reasonable chance of the person being vaccinated before he has contracted the
poison of small-pox. One point also is the aversion some Natives exhibit to allow
lymph to be taken. At one village that I visited for this purpose, the parents had
actually run off with their children to the jungle, having heard of the reason of my
visit.
Registers.
15. Registers of vaccination are now kept in all villages of the collectorates of
this Circle, at least orders have been issued by the Collec-
tors for such to be kept, and in most of the villages I have
inspected they are fairly kept up. Some few instances I have met with where they
have not been, but I have always brought it to the notice of the Collector. These
registers will, I believe, prove an excellent aid to vaccination, because the Patels and
Koolkurnees will now see that they are expected to assist the vaccinator. In the Native
States these registers have not yet been introduced ; I have addressed Colonel Anderson
on the subject of their speedy introduction into the Kolapoor State, and he informs
me that orders will be issued for them to be kept. Major Westropp, the Assistant
Political Agent, is also endeavouring to prevail on the Chiefs of the Southern Maratha
States to introduce these registers in their villages. In February last I also addressed