3
It is a regrettable fact that although in vaccination we possess a certain
preventive of a deadly disease, Municipal Committees are often so absorbed in
petty affairs that they shut their eyes to it. Year after year the work is incom-
plete (75 per cent—80 per cent), the requirements of the Act ignored and
every few years a heavy mortality occurs.
The following are the remedies:—
(1) All Sanitary Inspectors are being trained in vaccination and, under
Section 7 of the Act, are being notified as Additional Superin-
tendents.
(2) A Vaccination Manual is in preparation.
(3) It is hoped to prolong the vaccination season and possibly make it
continuous throughout the year.
(4) The requirements of the Act must be observed, especially as regards
vaccination stations, which are working well in Saugor, Hoshang-
abad and a few other places.
(5) Prosecutions are too few and Bench Magistrates (Saugor) treat them
too lightly.
If these remedies are made proper use of, the saving of life will be
considerable, to say nothing of sickness and anxiety.
Small-pox.
10. Small-pox was present throughout the year in almost all districts, the
total deaths registered being 4,254. This is no doubt
largely due to bad vaccination work in previous years.
As plague generally prevails in the cold weather period, which is the season at
present prescribed for vaccination in this Province, people leave their villages and
vaccinators find it difficult to trace children and vaccinate them in the working
season. Proposals have therefore been submitted to make vaccination permissible
throughout the year so that work left incomplete in the cold weather months
may be finished in the other months.
Colonel Buchanan, I M.S., who has taken great pains to push vaccination in
Nagpur city has shown very clearly how small-pox visits Nagpur regularly every
few years and exacts a heavy toll, sometimes equal to the total small-pox
mortality elsewhere in the Province. Plague evacuation explains much and
shows the necessity for vaccination being enforced throughout the year.
The Civil Surgeon of Seoni complains that Mukaddams do not give the
vaccinators any help in vaccination work. I am of opinion that a ruling should
be made fixing responsibility on village authorities as was the case in Berar
some years ago.
General remarks.
11. During the year a suitable vaccination instrument case (wooden) was
introduced and a Vaccination Manual drawn up which
will shortly be submitted to the Local Administration.
12. I regret the delay in the submission of this report. The extension of
the vaccination season by two months to compensate for the influenza period
and the prevalence of cholera which necessitated the deputation of the staff on
special duty are the chief causes, but in many cases the offices of Civil Surgeons
and District Councils (who have to furnish information for the financial State-
ment II) are also responsible for the delay. The instructions issued on the
subject were ignored, and many of the statements had to be returned for correc-
tion. The district reports also were not submitted in time — the Berar District
reports have not yet (26th July 1919) reached me.
T. G. N. STOKES, M.B., MAJOR, I.M.S.,
Sanitary Commissioner,
Central Provinces.
NAGPUR:
The 27th July 1919.