( 3 )
9. Native States.—This table shows the Native States in which the members of the staff under
my supervision were employed, together with the results :—
Statement No. III.
Native States.
Patiála ...
Mandi ...
Biláspur ...
Nalaghar ...
Keonthal ...
Mangal ...
Koti ...
Jummu ...
Pataudi ...
Total ...
Total number
vaccinated.
1,150
571
10,691
3,594
2,580
180
87
79
885
19,817
These States, with the exception of Pataudi, which is situate in
the plains, were vaccinated during the summer months. The total
number of operations was 19,817, and the ratio of success in primary
cases was 97.95 per cent. Of late years the vaccinators of the Provincial
establishment have not conducted operations in the territory of Patiála,
that State supporting a vaccine establishment of its own ; but last year,
on account of an outbrack of small-pox occurring in the early part of the
season in several villages near Simla, operations to a limited extent were
permitted to be extended to the infected parts ; it being deemed unsafe to
leave the disease to be checked by vaccinators who were under no control
or supervision, and whose work in consequence was likely to be of a very
imperfect kind. The results obtained in Biláspur were very satisfactory,
owing to the excellent arrangements made by the Rajah. The same
may be said with respect to the States of Nalaghar and Keonthal, the
Rajahs of which gave every assistance.
10.—Simla. Operations as usual were carried on here throughout the hot season, but the number
of children was so limited that occasionally some little difficulty was experienced in keeping up a
continuous supply of the vaccine virus. Great opposition was met with in the bazárs.
The total number of cases vaccinated in the station was 385, against 509 in 1877-78; no failures
in primary cases resulted. There was only one death registered from small-pox in 1878.
KANGRA DISTRICT.
11. Small-pox having made its appearance simultaneously in many parts of this district during
the early summer months, operations were conducted throughout the hot season. In several places the
disease was clearly traceable to inoculation, which, in face of the efforts of the local authorities to put
it down, continues to be largely practised. Although the people, as a rule, prefer inoculation, still they
entertain few or no prejudices against vaccination; and, except in the subdivision of Kulu, opposition is
seldom heard of. In this valley great resistance was at first encountered, especially about Naggar and
Menáli, where the district hakím had a few months before been engaged in vaccination, but with very
unsuccessful results. Of 70 operations performed by this man, only 6 cases, or 8.5 per cent., could be
said to have been successful; a typical example of the so-called vaccination as practised by hakims and
district vaccinators generally. The hakím attached to the Hamirpur Dispensary was reported by the
vaccinators to have performed inoculation to a considerable extent in the early part of the season ; but
this I was unable to verify.
This table shows the results in the different tahsíls:—
Statement No. IV.
Tahsíl.
Kángra ...
Dehra ...
Hamirpur ...
Núrpur ...
Kulu ...
Total ...
Total number vaccinated.
14,841
5,742
5,214
7,541
6,106
39,444
Ratio of successful cases
per 1,000 of population.
66.18
35.04
23.32
58.40
57.85
47.78
The comparatively low
ratios shown by Hamirpur and
Dehra are due to their having
been undertaken at alater period
of the season, when, on account
of the heat, a considerable area
had to be left unvaccinated.
The total number of persons
vaccinated was 39,444, of which
34,927 primary cases were
known to be successful, the ratio
of success being 97.30 per cent. The number of deaths registered from small-pox in 1878 was 227, being
at the rate of 0.30 per mille of population.
I would here take the opportunity of stating that the small-pox returns given in this report
were compiled in the Sanitary Commissioner's Office for the calendar year 1878.
GURGAON DISTRICT.
12. This district continued to suffer terribly from small-pox throughout the hot weather, when
no effective measures could be taken to arrest its course. From this disease alone no less than 6,919
deaths were registered in 1878, giving a death-rate of 9.93 per mille of population. Vaccination could
not be commenced until towards the end of October, by which time the force of the epidemic had all
but exhausted itself: abundant traces of its ravages were left in almost every village and town of
the district. Systematic vaccination had never before been practised; in former years it had been
customary to engage a large staff of local vaccinators for the season (in the season of 1877-78 there
were 28 men employed ), who, by their want of skill and inefficient training, did much to bring the
operation into disrepute. The people, however, were not, as might have been expected, on the whole
unwilling to receive vaccination ; and, every assistance having been given by the local authorities, a
fairly good out-turn of work was effected. Fever continued so prevalent and fatal in Palwal
throughout the cold season, that it was deemed advisable to leave that tahsíl to be vaccinated the
following year.