2
two men leaving only 5,202 to represent the work of the remaining six men. The
Civil Surgeon, Amraoti, draws attention to the fact that only 80 per cent of the avail-
able children are vaccinated so that there is a population of over 5,000 per annum
growing up unprotected and this in spite of the very high average amount of work
done,viz., 2,462 operations per man. It will be found, however, that the percentage
of work in other districts is generally below this figure, and when the mode of cal¬
culation is considered and also the movements of the population, I doubt if an
increase in the staff will solve the difficulty. In towns it is frequently found that
the number of infant vaccinations is greater than would appear possible from
a consideration of the vital statistics. There is no real paradox in this, for many
women leave the towns for their accouchment and return later so that the births
are registered elsewhere, while in other cases the vaccinated child dies within
the year and so is not included in the number available. In one or two cases the
cessation of vaccination by Sub-Assistant Surgeons is deplored as these men did
excellent work and are eminently suited for it, but with the present District con-
trol of the Department the new system is more uniform. The Civil Surgeons,
Narsinghpur and Raipur, followed the example of Nimar in the matter of having
the names of all unvaccinated children recorded on the back of the village form
(with reasons). As this plan secures careful work and facilitates check, it would
be well if it were generally adopted. There are many complaints of laziness,
falsifying books and collecting children from distances all of which are in inverse
proportion to the supervision exercised, which in many cases offers room for im-
provement, A vaccinator is sometimes a most unapproachable person in his circle,
and I think every vaccinator should furnish on the reverse of his weekly report
a programme of the villages or locality he intends to visit in the ensuing week.
Primary Vaccinations
6. Primary vaccinations by the District Staff numbered 466,693 against
462,134 in the previous year, the chief increase being in
Bilaspur ( + 5,917), Raipur ( + 4,499), Bhandara ( + 3,130),
Amraoti ( + 2,489), Chanda ( + 2,449), Balaghat ( + 2,331), Drug ( + 2,295), Yeot¬
mal ( + 1,490), and Akola (+ 1,013). As explained in paragraph 3 above, all the
Northern and plague stricken districts show a decrease, except Nimar where the
increase was very slight (36), and Akola, where the increase is perhaps due to the
appointment of an additional vaccinator. In the Feudatory States, the number
fell from 69,105 in 1908-09 to 63,981 in the past year due to the low work done
in Bastar.
Re-vaccinations.
7 While the primary vaccinations increased, re-vaccinations show a de-
crease. 65,811 operations were performed by Vaccinators
in the Khalsa area and 6,523 in the Feudatory States,
against 75,807 and 7.026 respectively in the preceding year. Small-pox having
been less prevalent during the year apparently accounts for the decrease. That
this work is unpopular is well known, the labouring adult not unnaturally objecting
to it, but that the difficulty is not insuperable is evident from the Seoni report,
which shows 12,163 re-vaccinations, whereas Damoh, Wardha, Nagpur, Bhandara
and Balaghat only return a few hundred. There can be little doubt that this
admits of modification.
Finance Statement II.
8. The total cost of the District Vaccination Establishment, which was
Rs. 65,994-0-7 in 1908-09 fell to Rs. 61,184-6-10 in the
past year. The decrease is noticed under heads " Estab-
lishment charges " and " Contingencies." The compensation allowance paid to the
vaccination staff for dearness of food-grains increased the establishment charges
in 1908-09 and the diminished number of vaccinations performed contributed
towards the decrease in contingent expenditure in 1909-10. The expenditure under
'Travelling allowance' shows an increase over the previous year, but the figures under
this head are quite inaccurate and misleading. Ordinarily the Civil Surgeons during
the course of their tours inspect dispensaries, sanitation and vaccination, and the
travelling allowances they draw cover all these three duties, hence it is not possible
tor them to maintain a separate account of travelling allowance drawn for vacci-
nation. In the Feudatory States, the total expenditure rose by Rs. 146-1-11, due
to the entertainment of additional vaccinators at Kanker and Korea and to the
inclusion in the returns of the pay of the vaccinator of Changbhakar.