3
of the previous triennium when the average was 6,212. In the Feudatory-
States, the figures were 1,855 in 1905-06, 1,485 in 1906-07 and 1,817 in 1907-08.
Primary vaccinations
10. The primary vaccinations done by the Khalsa vaccinators during the
triennium numbered 1,358,227 (470,973 in 1905-06,
442,481 in 1906-07 and 444,773 in 1907-08) against
1,304,641 (426,424 in 1902-03, 415,037 in 1903-04 and 463,180 in 1904-05) in
the previous period, the excess over the latter being 53,586 Had it not been
for the hindrances to the work already referred to, the increase would have been
still larger, now that primary vaccination is becoming more popular than in the
past save in a few tracts, which are very far from the head-quarters stations,
where the Civil Surgeons cannot often go and where the conduct of vaccinators
made vaccination unpopular. Excluding the districts of Chanda, Raipur, Bilas-
pur, Drug and the four Berar Districts, whose statistics for the past triennium,
according to their present area, are not available for comparison, six districts
show an increase in the number of operations performed, and eight a decrease.
The districts showing increases are Nagpur (10,932), Jubbulpore (7,665), Seoni
(5,522), Saugor (5,291), Balaghat (5,043), and Hoshangabad (4,150). The In-
crease in Nagpur and Jubbulpore is due to the entertainment of extra vaccinators.
The districts showing decreases are Damoh (659), Betul (724), Bhandara (899),
Chhindwara (1,169), Narsinghpur (1,792), Mandla (2,288), Wardha (4,823) and
Nimar (5,179). The decrease in Damoh and Betul is ascribed to people leaving
their houses in search of work owing to the prevailing scarcity, and in Bhandara,
Chhindwara, Wardha and Nimar to the epidemics of plague and cholera. In
Narsinghpur the Civil Surgeon attributes the decrease to opposition on the part
of the people, but that this is the real cause is doubtful, as there is no reason for
presuming that there is greater opposition here than in other districts : indeed the
fact that the returns of Narsinghpur show that during the last triennium, 20,178
persons were re-vaccinated, the highest number for any district, with the ex-
ception of Seoni, would point to a different conclusion. In Mandla, affairs seem
to be in a very unsatisfactory state. The decrease is attributed to the conduct of
vaccinators, who absented themselves from their circles and falsified their records.
The Deputy Commissioner writes that work in the past years also was very bad
which is evidenced by the large number of deaths from small-pox, and suggests
the present low-paid vaccinators being replaced by better and highly paid men.
It is doubtful whether this would improve matters; stricter supervision would
probably be the most effective remedy, and I agree with the Commissioner that
a second selected Superintendent should be posted to the district for a few
years this, with the more immediate control of the District Vaccination staff
now vested in the local authorities, will probably have a beneficial effect.
In the Feudatory States, 56,103 operations were done in 1905-06, 64,334 in
1906-07 and 58,862 in 1907-08. The increase in 1906-07 is due to the inclu-
sion in that year of the statistics relating to the Feudatory States of Jashpur and
Sirguja, which, owing to the non-receipt of returns, were not included in the
statistics of the other two years.
Re-vaccinations.
11 Re-vaccinations by the District Establishment rose from 180,012 in
the past triennium to 211,185 in the period under review,
and in the Feudatory States from 9,533 to 17,209.
Opposition to re-vaccination seems to be decreasing, but I think the prevalence
of small-pox has been a potent factor in increasing the number. The largest
number of re-vaccinations was done in Seoni (29,351), and Narsinghpur comes
next with 20,178. Then follow Betul with 15,418 operations, Saugor with 15,205,
Amraoti with 13,369, Jubbulpore with 13,125, Akola with 12,820 and Buldana
with 10,056. The numbers done in Bhandara (1,900), Wardha (2,560), Bala-
ghat (2,654), Drug (3,865), Nagpur (4,750) and Yeotmal (4,708) are not
encouraging. The work done in Mandla (6,607) is very low considering the high
mortality from small-pox which occurred there.
Finance
(Statement II)
12. The total cost of the District Vaccination Establishment, which was
Rs. 61,617-13-1 in 1905-06, fell to Rs. 59,987-1-3 in the
succeeding year, but again rose to Rs. 62,924-15-10 in
1907-08. This increase in the past year was due to compensation allowance paid
to the staff on account of dearness of food-grains, to the inclusion of the pay of
the vaccination tour khallasies, to the increased travelling allowance paid to
vaccinators on account of their transfers as explained in paragraph 4 and to the
erection of district lymph depôts in some head-quarters towns. Compared with
the previous triennium, the expenditure during the past triennium, seems high