59
In only very few instances was it possible to obtain reliable statistics concerning"
the results of inoculation. In few villages, however, in which special enquiries were made
ihe incidence of plague attacks was found to be considerably less among the inoculated
than among the uninoculated.
Captain Harriss mentions that rumours of the evil effects of inoculation similar
to those stated in last year's report to have prevailed in many districts were common in the
Gujránwála District. He adds that the accident at Malkowál, a village only a few miles
from the Gujránwála borders, did much to prejudice the people against inoculation.
LAHORE DISTRICT.
104. The people of the Lahore District never accepted inoculation very freely, though
more so before than after the suspension of operations.
Most inoculations were performed in the Kasur Tahsíl, but here, as elsewhere in the
-district, operations were confined to infected villages. No success was met with in the
Sharakpur Tahsil, in which only one person was inoculated. Only 16,233 inoculations were
performed in this district, more than half of which were performed during October
1902.
The Lahore District was unfortunate in experiencing a number of changes in its
medical staff. The services of Captain Ainsworth, who had been appointed District Plague
Medical Officer, were required elsewhere in December, and for some time an Assistant Surgeon
carried on the current duties of the office of the District Plague Medical Officer, as it was
anticipated that Captain Ainsworth would soon return. He did not, however, and in February
Captain Haig was appointed District Plague Medical Officer. This officer, however, was
transferred to Patiala in April, after which it became necessary to appoint one and then
another of the European Medical Practitioners attached to the district to be District
Plague Medical Officer. Both of them left in May when Assistant Surgeon Hari Lál
Basu was appointed District Plague Medical Officer. These numerous changes, besides
interfering seriously with the success of the inoculation operations in the district, also left
nobody possessing sufficient knowledge of these operations to report upon them
satisfactorily.
AMRITSAR DISTRICT.
105. Captain Browning Smith, the District Plague Medical Officer of Amritsar, has sub-
mitted a very interesting and valuable report on the operation in that district, extracts from.
which are reproduced below :—
Attitude of the people.
I. At the commencement of operations the attitude of the people towards not only inoculation but
to any Government interference whatever, was one of
vague fear and distrust, in many places of distinct
hostility ; although, before the spring of 1902, there had
been no plague in the district, the minds of the people were saturated with rumours, vague and absurd, but,
on account of their very vagueness, looming the larger in their imaginations ; rumours of being turned out
of their houses atid villages, with destruction and loss of property, rumours of inoculation needles a yard
long which were pushed in at one side of the body and emerged at the other, rumours of a hundred and one
ailments and even death following inoculation. Reports bcgan to corne in early in October that not only was
the generan mass of the people against inoculation, but that certain zaildárs and other local influential officiais
were preaching against it ; steps were at once taken to meet this and the majority of zaildárs were called in
to a meeting at the house of the Deputy Commissioner on October I5th, and Risaldár Partáb Singh, Extra
Assistant Commissioner, was telegraphed for by the Commissioner to corne in from Gurdaspur and address
them, which he did. All the apparatus was shown to the meeting and explained. The Deputy Commissioner,
myself and the Inoculating Officers present were inoculated before the meeting and eventually the large
.majority including those who were reported to have been most hostile were inoculated.
First steps.
2. On September 30th a meeting of Native Practitioners, Hakíms and Baids from the city washeld
at the Civil Surgeon's house. Lieutenant-Colonel
Mulroney, I.M.S., gave them a very excellent address,
fully expiaining the nature, preparation and action of
the inoculating fluid, and some inoculations were performed before the meeting.
On October 1st a meeting of Editors was called atthe Deputy Commissioner's house and inoculation
explained to them.
On October 2nd a similar meeting was held of all the influenlial men of the city, official and non-
official. Many excellent speeches were made in favour of inoculation.
General p!an.
3. It was soon found that it was practically impossible to inoculate in villages not infected with
plague ; even if the village as a whole was not opposed
to inoculation they would say that as there was no
plague then they saw no use in undergoing the slight
spain and inconvenience caused by it, but that should plague appear they would reconsider the question.
Attention was accordingly directed especially to those villages which were infected and where, in
consequence, the vlllagers, much frightened at the mortality occurring, listened more altentively to the
proposals for their relief.