429
95. I cannot speak in very encouraging terms in reference to the
amount of, or success attending vaccination as performed at the
civil hospitals and dispensaries in the province. At the former, vac
-cination is not carried out by the civil surgeons or their establish
- m e n t , b u t b y a v a c c i n a t o r p r o v i d e d b y t h e m u n i c i p a l i t y . H e f o r w a r d s
his returns direct to the superintendent of vaccination to be incor
- p o r a t e d i n t h o s e f r o m h i s o f f i c e . H e a l s o b r i n g s s p e c i m e n s o f h i s
work for the inspection and approval of the civil surgeons. These
v a c c i n a t o r s , b e s i d e s o p e r a t i n g i n t h e s u d d e r t o w n s a n d s u b u r b s ,
extend the area of their duties to the neighbouring villages, and
likewise visit the various hospitals, e.g., at Kurrachee and Haidarabad,
on requisitions made by their respective medical officers.
96. Apothecaries and hospital assistants in charge of dispen
- s a r i e s h a v e b e e n r e p e a t e d l y i n s t r u c t e d t h a t v a c c i n a t i o n i s a m o s t
important part of their duties, and that they are to use their utmost
endeavours to disseminate the benefits of this prophylactic. But
their labours in this direction are very desultory and unsatisfactory.
97. At Shikarpur and Sakkhar, Apothecary Mr. Neil and Hono
- r a r y A s s i s t a n t S u r g e o n L e a h y a r e m o s t w i l l i n g t o d o a l l i n t h e i r
power to carry out the orders on this matter; but they find their
exertions fruitless in consequence of their having existed for years
a t t he s e t owns muni c i pa l v a c c i na t or s , who a r e we l l known t o t he
people, and to whom the latter resort in preference to going to the
dispensaries in charge of the medical officers. But at other dispen
-saries where this arrangement does not prevail, the amount of vacci
- n a t i o n g e n e r a l l y p e r f o r m e d f a l l s f a r s h o r t o f w h a t i t o u g h t t o b e .
Various reasons are assigned for this. One of the most common is,
that the mooktyarkars do not interest themselves in the matter, and
afford little or no assistance to the medical subordinates in procuring
them children, or inducing the parents to submit them to be operated
upon. This is so uniformly alleged by the hospital assistants as the
chief cause for meagre returns, and especially so when the mooktyar
- k a r i s a H i n d o o , t h a t I a m c o n s t r a i n e d t o g i v e i t a c e r t a i n a m o u n t o f
credence. Against this it may be urged, that difficulties of this des
- c r i p t i o n a r e n o t e x p e r i e n c e d b y t h e s u p e r i n t e n d e n t o f v a c c i n a t i o n
and his establishment, but on the contrary; that the mooktyarkars
and other local authorities render them much assistance. It would
be rather beside the mark to enquire whether this help on their part
arises from a conviction of the benefits of vaccination being so great
as that they should be allowed to overbalance considerations of cus-
- t o m , p r e j u d i c e , a n d c a s t e , n o t t o s p e a k o f t h e o p p o s i t i o n b r o u g h t t o
bear upon the question by the female portion of the community. But
it must be remembered that the Vaccination Department with its
s u p e r i n t e n d e n t , i t s a s s i s t a n t s u p e r i n t e n d e n t s , i t s c l e r k s , p e o n s ,
vaccinators, and their assistants, spread, as they are, throughout the