Proccedings of the Honorable the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab in the Home Department,—No. 2667, dated
8th August 1876.
READ—
Annual Report on Vaccine Operations in the Punjab for the year 1875-76 : received on the
26th July 1876.
REMARKS.—The numbers vaccinated by the provincial establishment
during the year were 300,506, being a decrease of 71,428 on the numbers of last
year. So far as this decrease may be the result of abstinence from compulsion, it is
not unsatisfactory. But it is observable not only in the number of operations
performed by the regular provincial vaccine establishment, but also in the
numbers performed at dispensaries and by municipal and local fund vaccina¬
tors ; and the reasons which the Superintendent-General assigns for it do not
appear to the Lieutenant-Governor sufficient. These causes are said in the
first place to be the great prevalence of fever during the early part of the cold
season, to the time of the district subordinate officials being so much occupied
in the preparations for the troops marching to and from the Delhi camp, and also
to the slowness with which work has for some time been carried on in the Delhi
district. The Lieutenant-Governor is unable to see that vaccine operations
can be held to depend upon the movement of troops, which does not throw
upon village officials such engrossing labour as to altogether occupy their time
and prevent them from assisting the vaccine establishment. No doubt the
early part of the cold weather was unhealthy, but the Lieutenant-Governor
would have been glad to have seen the ground lost in the early part of the
season, recovered during the later months. His Honor would be glad to be-
lieve that one reason for the decrease was due to the smaller number of un-
protected children in these districts which have already been visited by the
vaccine establishment, but he is hardly disposed to think that, considering
the prevalence of small-pox in the Punjab, and the normal increase in the
population, any decrease in the annual number of operations can be properly
assigned to this cause.
2. His Honor has himself remarked in marching through districts of the
Delhi Division the strong feeling that existed against vaccination, and he
especially remembers the complaints which were made by the inhabitants of
Sonepat. It is therefore with the greater pleasure that he sees that vaccina-
tion has been successfully carried on in this town and in the neighbouring
districts of Gurgaon and Karnál.
3. Amritsar, which from sanitary statistics appears to be one of the most
unhealthy towns in India, has always unfavourably distinguished itself by its
opposition to vaccine operations, and the Lieutenant-Governor is glad to under-
stand that the opposition is decreasing, though he cannot consider the results of
the present year good, and a large proportion of the Municipal Committee still
appear to be, if not hostile, at any rate, apathetic, in the matter.
4. The percentage of successful operations, 98.43, is, if the returns be
reliable, extremely encouraging; but the Lieutenant-Governor cannot but
entertain doubts of the accuracy of the returns by vaccinators on small pay,
who naturally try to make the work performed by them appear as good as pos-
sible, and the Superintendent-General should make sure that his observation
noted on the Sirsa report, that the returns of 1873 were found to be deliberately
conected, does not equally apply to other districts. Any proved cases of fraud
of this description should be severely and summarily punished.
5. The Lieutenant-Governor is glad to observe that His Highness the
Mahárája of Kashmir has permitted vaccination to be carried on within his
territories; and the Rájas of Bassáhir and Bhagát have set an excellent exam-
ple both in encouraging vaccination and allowing their children to be operated
upon. In the list of names of native gentlemen conspicuous for their endeavours
to promote the cause of vaccination, it is observed that the larger proportion are
Tahsíldárs or Government officials. It is unnecessary in future reports to