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Phillour Nou Baharudeen, gave me every assistance, and I particularly wish to bring his
services to notice.
6. Cities of Lahore and Umritsur—In the Districts already visited by the Establish-
ment, vaccinations have been carried on favorably : the usual difficulty has been met with
in large cities and towns. In Lahore and Umritsur little or nothing has been done. The
members of the Municipal Committees of these cities were urged by me to take interest in
the work, and to employ vaccinators of their own; from want of funds they were unable to
entertain men, and I therefore placed some at their disposal, but little work was done by
them. It is quite impossible for vaccinators, unaided, to do any real good in such large
cities as these are.
Opinion respecting compulsory vaccination.—Indeed, my own impression is, that vaccina-
tion should be made compulsory in large cities, and that until it is so, epidemics of small pox
will be frequent. All native gentlemen and others with whom I have conversed on the
subject, have expressed themselves in favor of compulsory vaccination, and have said that
when the people know it is compulsory, their objections to it will soon cease. If it should be
compulsory in large cities, why not also in the towns and villages ?
7. Delhi.—Epidemic of small pox in January.—In the city of Delhi small pox was
epidemic during all the cold weather of 1868-69 : it was at its height in January 1869. At
this time the members of the Municipal Committee and Dr. Penny, the Civil Surgeon, did
their best to arrest its violence, and a large number of vaccinations were performed.
Measures taken to arrest its violence.—An immense number of deaths however occurred,
which might have been prevented, had active measures been taken at the commencement of
the outbreak. At the same time, were efficient measures taken for having the city thoroughly
vaccinated, no such epidemics would occur.
The " Bhaguts" said to administer pills of small pox matter.—Dr. Penny, in a report on
this epidemic, alludes to a practice said to prevail among the " Bhaguts," of administering
pills made of scabs of small pox, and that persons partaking of these pills became most
severely affected.
Similar practice once usual in the Simla hills.-Mode of giving, and effects produced by it.—
When inoculation for small pox was common in the Simla hills, a somewhat similar method
was usual. The inoculator operated on an individual with small pox matter, inserting it
under the skin of the arm, and at the same time caused him to drink some water in which a
scab of small pox had been dissolved. The inoculators stated that if only the water with
the dissolved scab in it was drank, the disease would be so virulent as to almost certainly
cause death. I have, therefore, no doubt, but that the practice of giving pills of small pox
matter did really exist in Delhi. Dr. Penny's report on the epidemic has been received by
His Honor, little needs therefore be said about it here; but I cannot resist referring to the
latter portion of it, in which he instances a striking example of the protection afforded by
vaccination to the community occupying the Pahargunge section of the Sadr bazar. I quote
his own words—" Small pox raged fearfully all round these people, but not one of them was
infected, the contrast of the wailing and mourning to be heard in the neighborhood, with
the bright cheerful faces of the parents of the saved ones, was very remarkable."
Major McMahon, Deputy Commissioner, who has always interested himself in vaccina-
tion by his advice and directions, contributed much towards arresting this terrible epidemic.
8. The Municipal Committee of Delhi speak most favorably of the conduct of Native
Superintendent of Vaccination Ghazee Ram.
9. Deaths from small pox in the Punjab.—The number of deaths from small pox in
the Punjab, appears at first sight to be almost beyond belief. The year 1865 may have
been an exceptional one, in it 65,595 deaths are recorded. I give a statement of the deaths
for five years.