34
propose to remove them all except one, who is to be retained for Rájkot Town and Camp,
because the number of vaccinators now maintained by the Native Chiefs is ample for the
Káthiáwád Circle.'
" At para. 14 of the same letter the Superintendent General says
.
.
.
.
' and it would also give two Native Assistant Superintendents to
Káthiáwád, the Chiefs of which now maintain sufficient vaccinators for that Circle.'
" Dr. Blomfield, at the time Officiating Superintendent of Vaccination in Káthiáwád,
in his letter No. 19 of 1871, dated 10th May, informed the Superintendent General of
Vaccination that it would not be prudent to withdraw all the Government vaccinators.
I would suggest, he says, ' that two vaccinators be retained in the Circle for general duty
as there are many Grassias and petty Chiefs who do not entertain a vaccinator, and also
many outlying villages of the larger Chiefs in which it will be difficult to conduct the work,
unless there is some one available for the
duty."In
his letter No. 162 of 1871-72, dated 1
Vaccination informed Dr. Blomfield, ' that Government have decided to retain only one
vaccinator in your Circle.' We have consequently to deal with an accomplished fact;
Dr. Pinkerton is so far correct; the number of vaccinators maintained by the Native Chiefs is
sufficient, but to this should be added—if properly distributed. By the withdrawal of the
Government vaccinators a large number of villages, scattered all over Káthiáwád, will be
deprived of the advantage of vaccination, and these localities would, if left unprotected,
become in time foci of the small-pox disease, and from them epidemics of small-pox would
spread far and wide.
"I find that after the withdrawal of the Government vaccinators 792 villages, distributed
over 161 tálukás, and the property of 324 chiefs or landlords, will be left totally unpro-
tected. To meet this want, in my opinion, the number of vaccinators should not be
increased. In 1870-71 the number of vaccinators paid by the Native States was 40 inclusive
of two Native Superintendents, and the amount paid by the Chiefs towards vaccination
inclusive of the allowance to the Sperintendent of Vaccination for his office, was
"Rs. 10,740.
" Consulting the Administration Report of this Province for 1870-71 I find that the
population of Káthiáwád is estimated at 17,69.875 this would give an annual birth rate of
between 55 and 57,000. According to the same document the number of villages in
Káthiáwád is 3,583.
" Thirty-eight vaccinators are not required for the proper and effectual vaccination of a
province where the births can be estimated at 57,000, and where the number of villages is
3,583.
" On these grounds 1 beg to submit the following proposals :—
" (a.)—The Chiefs of Káthiáwád will entrust the direction, management, and control of
the vaccination department entirely to the Superintendent of Vaccination in Káthiáwád.
"(b.)—The Chiefs of Káthiáwád, instead of paying the vaccinators themselves, will
remit the amount they at present expend on vaccination to the Rájkot Agency. A common
fund will be established, from which all the Native States' vaccinators will he paid on a
pay abstract issued by this office.
" Should this first proposal be accepted. the second and very important question to be next
considered is the distribution of the vaccinators.