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part of their regular duties. If they will do this, a great object will be gained.
As early as possible in November, operations were renewed in the district, and
by the middle of December the whole of it had been visited.
Precautions to prevent the
spreading of Small Pox.
Strict quarantine regulations
advised.
4. Whilst at work here, I had several opportunities of noticing how com-
paratively easy it is to check Small Pox from becoming
epidemic in the villages of a district—in large towns it
would of course be a matter of more difficulty. By insisting on the carrying
out of good quarantine regulations, on the first appear-
ance of Small Pox in a village, the disease rarely spreads
to others; and by enforcing the order (Section 269 Indian Penal Code) forbid-
ding those laboring under an infectious disease from going in the Public ways—
such diseases—and Small Pox is of course included,—would be confined to a still
smaller area. In his statement of mortality in the Punjab for the month of
May, the Sanitary Commissioner remarks on the advisableness of such arrange-
ments, and I trust the attention of district officers may be especially called to
them. Even in large towns a great deal might be done to check Small Pox from
spreading. I feel sure that, but for the arrangements made by Colonel Mercer,
a much greater number of deaths would have occured in the Sealkote district.
Work was of necessity carried on slowly during November and December, the
people being much engaged in irrigating their fields with water drawn from
wells, because of the scarcity of rain.
5. In December I visited the several districts down to Delhi. I have no
particular remarks to make on any of these, with the exception of Lahore,
Delhi, and Loodiana.
Proposal made to the Muni-
cipal Committees of Lahore and
Delhi to entertain their own
vaccinators.
6. As in the cities of Lahore and Delhi vaccinations had been always
very unsatisfactory, I, early in the season, proposed to
the Members of the Municipal Committees of each, that
they should entertain and pay two vaccinators who
should be under their special orders, their work being seen from time to time
by a Native superintendent of vaccination, merely for the purpose of noting
and reporting on the character of the disease established. Through a mis-
apprehension, the vaccinators were not entertained at Lahore. I believe the
plan will be adopted there. In Delhi they were entertained. My reason for
wishing this plan to be adopted was, that I hoped the Committee would take
some real interest in the work if they had men of their own choosing in their
pay, and under their own orders. Though I have been much disappointed, I
trust in the end to obtain success.
Assistance given by Honor-
ary Magistrate "Mahboob Bux"
of Delhi.
Small Pox epidemic in Delhi.
Carelessness of parents in al-
lowing their children attacked
by Small Pox to go about the
streets.
With one exception, that of Honorary Magistrate Mahboob Bux, I could
not discover that any of the Delhi Committee had taken
a real interest in the work by giving help to the vacci-
nators. Small Pox was, at this time rife in the city, and
through the carelessness of parents allowing their children who had the disease
to go about the streets and mix with others, it was
spreading rapidly. I attended a meeting of the Com-
mittee, presided over by the Commissioner of the dis-
trict, and pointed out to the members the banefulness of such practices, and
some good rules were at once drawn out. It is to be hoped these rules may be