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29. Mr. Wright, the Apothecary at Alhyar-ka-Tanda, is by his intel
-ligence and fondness for his profession attracting many of the people
of the surrounding villages to his dispensary. He is a fair operator,
and has of late been successful in several stone cases which have
been rumoured about in the neighbourhood, and the attendance at
the dispensary has increased in consequence. By order of the
Magistrate and President, Haidarabad District Municipalities, Mr.
Wright visits once every month the towns of Adam-ka-Tanda,
Mussurpoor, and Mirpur Khas, remaining at each two or three
days. A visit of this duration is of very questionable benefit to the
people, but is productive of great injury to the apothecary's legiti
-mate work at Alhyar-ka-Tanda, as was evidenced by the somewhat unsa
-tisfactory state in which I found, the records, instruments, and medicines
at his dispensary. I would desire to bring this matter to your notice,
as this constant going and coming on the part of the apothecary
quite unsettles him, and prevents his giving a proper amount of
attention and care to his duties at Alhyar-ka-Tanda, while the bene
-fits resulting from such hurried visits are very doubtful. The natives
around should rather be encouraged to come to him, and as regards
one of the towns visited—Adam-ka-Tanda—it numbers over 4,000,
and might with advantage have a dispensary of its own.
29 a. In the month of September last a reference was made by the
Supreme Government, through the authorities in Bombay, as to
whether a medical subordinate of lower grade than an apothecary
might not be placed in charge of this dispensary, and also of the one
at Tatta. I replied in the negative, and my reasons for doing so
were as follows :—Alhyar-ka-Tanda is certainly not a large town,
population being not above 4,560, but it is a very important one,
inasmuch as through it passes all the traffic from the Shadadpur
District and northward to the southern boundary of the Khyrpur
State. Also it is a focus for the trade pouring into Haidarabad from,
Umarkot and the Nagar Parkar Districts lying north and east. The
constant stream of persons this occasions, and which is quite distinct
from the resident population, requires to be considered in estimating
the demands upon the resources of the dispensary and the skill and
qualifications expected from the individual in charge. Important,
and even serious cases, are not infrequently brought in here. The
post is rendered thus at times one of considerable responsibility and
difficulty, and the services of a more efficient and skilful person
than a hospital assistant of average attainments is, I think, impera
-tively called for. The same may be urged, and with even greater
force, in favour of Tatta remaining in charge of an apothecary. This
is a large town and of considerable importance. The population is
at least three times as numerous as that of Alhyar-ka-Tanda, and the
attendance at the dispensary shows that the natives are quite alive
to the benefits arising from an institution presided over, as at pre
-sent, by an able and intelligent apothecary. Into Tatta also conveys
the traffic from the Shahbunder, and beyond that of the south and
south-east portions of the Thar and Parkar Districts. European
Government servants likewise, when in these parts, are dependent for