6
establishing excellent lymph, but complained of difficulty in finding subjects for operation. In
the adjoining districts of Amode and Wagra, I found General No. 14 busily and satisfactorily
employed ; and after inspecting his work, and that of apprentice, General No. 190, who was
working with him, I travelled into Oolpat Purgunna, in Surat Zillah, and was engaged in
examining the work of General Nos. 47 and 179, till the rains drove me into Surat. During
the monsoon I occasionally visited some of the villages in Chorasee district, and on December
3rd, I commenced my present tour by going to Neriad. Having examined Vaccination
in that district, and in the neighbouring Purgunna of Matur, I crossed into Dholka with the
view of ascertaining the reason of a falling off in the returns of the two vaccinators who reside
there. One I found had been suffering from fever, and both were loud in their complaints that
they do not get proper assistance from the native officials. I have little doubt that they have
some reason for such complaints, but as I have lately communicated with the acting Collector,
and he has consented to issue instructions on the subject, perhaps there may be some improve-
ment.
Sub-Assistant Surgeon Dossabhoy Pestonjee, Deputy Superintendent, joined this Department
on the 14th January. He first proceeded into Rajpeepla, and examined the work of the vac-
cinators employed there. He reported favorably on Ardesur Edulsaw, but very unfavorably
on Puddumsing and Pehlwansing, who were soon afterwards dismissed. The Raja by whom
the vaccinators are paid, affords them assistance and encouragement, and appreciates the
benefit of the prophylactic. He next travelled through the Punch Mahals and Rewa Kanta,
visiting successively the town of Hallole, Kallola, Godra, Deoghur, Dohud, Jhallode, Loona¬
wars. He mentions as obstacles to the propagation of Vaccination in those districts the
extreme ignorance of the people,— the thin-scattered nature of the population, and the wild
hilly character of the country,—the unhealthiness of the climate in some parts, and the want of
co-operation of the Chiefs. He relates a case in which the people came willingly to be vacci-
nated by himself, but objected to be operated on by the assistant vaccinator, having lost con-
fidence in him from having observed three instances, one of them fatal, in which small-pox
followed the operation. He then travelled into the Mahee Kanta,where he visited the Subur
Kanta and Eadur districts, and inspected Vaccination in each, also in the Government District of
Prantej, where his tour previous to the monsoon terminated. After the rains commencing at
Neriad, he travelled into the Napar and Borsud Purgunnas, in Kaira Zillah; Cambay, Jum¬
boosur, and Amode, in Broach Zillah; and Hansote, Unklesur, and Koorsud, in Surat Zillah,
which brings us to close of the year. During the past two and half months he has examined
and reported the work of General Nos. 188,52,127,128,19, 95, 190, 193, 106, and 179,
the correctness of their records and the character of their lymph, &c. His remarks on the
manner in which the village officials in Surat Zillah perform their duties, in connection with
Vaccination, are confirmatory of the correctness of complaints which constantly reach me from
the vaccinators. He writes, " I have had personally the opportunity of coming in contact with
several village Patells, Havildars, and Tallaties; and from what I have actually seen and
experienced, I have been most reluctantly compelled to make a very unfavorable report of
them as regards their zeal and co-operation in the cause of Vaccination. I have found that
the village Tellatie is seldom, if ever, present at his post, but resides at his own native place, or
at the seat of the Mamlutdar's Kutcherry. The village Havildar either renders some futile
efforts to collect children for the purpose of Vaccination, or, as is generally the case, goes away
to another village on the pretence of some very important business requiring his presence
there."
Since Sub-Assistant Surgeon Dossabhoy Pestonjee, joined this Department, I am happy to
be able to state, that his zeal and attention in the performance of his duty have been praise-
worthy.