17
As regards animal vaccination, the vaccinators state that they have met
with great difficulty. This seems entirely due to a semi-religious and semi¬
superstitious belief amongst the Hindus that, in allowing themselves to be
vaccinated from calves or buffaloes, they are in a way partaking of the animal,
and so acting contrary to their religion. Proper assistance was not afforded by
the headman of the village in some instances, and, lastly, some difficulties had
arisen from the unwillingness of all villagers to lend their animals. The Civil
Surgeon visited 121 villages and inspected 1,154 cases.
42. Balaghat.—No supply of lymph was kept up during the year, on
account of the vaccinators being employed during the non-working season on
cholera duty, which continued on into the working season. On the 11th Sep-
tember twelve tubes of human lymph were received from the Civil Surgeon,
Nagpur, and with this two buffalo calves were vaccinated, the supply from
which furnished the lymph for the commencement of the working season.
Supplies of lanoline paste were received on seven different occasions during
the working season; 582 operations were performed, of which 381 proved success-
ful. The first signs of inflammatory action were observable on the fourth day,
and in some cases later; the vesicles then matured were as in other forms of
lymph. There was no difference to be observed in the height of inflam-
matory action nor in the resulting cicatrix when lanoline paste was used.
The system of animal vaccination has been put in practice very success-
fully, and highly successful results were obtained from this lymph. Out of
the total number of 5,387 children vaccinated, 5,313 were successful.
The total number of persons vaccinated in the district were 13,523, against
15,097 in the year previous to this, showing a decrease of 1,574. This decrease
is due partly to the introduction of the new system and partly to there being
a less number of children available for vaccination by nearly 2,000.
The Civil Surgeon was on tour of inspection for 63 days ; visited 365
villages, and inspected 6,058 children, with 5,887 successful cases.
The vaccination staff is said to have worked satisfactorily. The registers,
&c., of the vaccinators were found correct.
43. Bhandara.—A constant supply of lymph was kept up in the towns
of Bhandara and Powni by arm-to-arm vaccination throughout the non-working
season.
Before the working season began supplies of lanoline paste were received
from Pachmarhi on different dates. The condition on receipt was good, and
it was used up within 21 days, during which period it retained its full activity;
1,826 children were vaccinated with this lymph, of which 1,381 proved suc-
cessful.
As regards the introduction of the system of carrying out vaccination with
animal lymph in the district, the Civil Surgeon remarks that, although it has
not been found practicable to carry out the system fully this season, yet the
results for the first year are fairly satisfactory, and there is little doubt that in
time the practice will become popular. The chief difficulty this year was
in obtaining calves at first in sufficient number; 2,155 operations were made,
of which 2,086 were successful.