8
intended. This practice does not exist amongst the Establishment of the Concan Division.
With the exception of one man, whom I am obliged to retain in office as Karkoon—there
being no regurlar Karkoon sanctioned for the Vaccination Establishment, for the purpose of
carrying on the daily Marathi correspondence,—each man is solely employed in the work for
which he was at first intended—namely, that of itinerant Vaccinator. With reference to the
second subject referred to in the same letter, viz. that of unqualified substitutes being
employed during the absence of any of the Vaccinators, I would beg to state that I have
always been careful to prevent such an abuse to Vaccination occurring. In this Division, a few
Oomedwars—generally four or five—have been encouraged to accompany the Vaccinators, for
the purpose of becoming instructed in their work. These men are permitted to be attached
to those Vaccinators only who are known to be active and intelligent. Some Oomedwars in
this Division have accompanied the Vaccinators for three or four years. They are as fully
qualified to perform the work of a Vaccinator as any member of the Establishment, and when
leave is granted, or a vacancy required to be filled, a qualified substitute can always be
supplied without loss of time.
REPORT FOR 1859.
IN my Report for the year 1858, I was enabled to show an amount of work which had never
hitherto been accomplished in this Division; and though the actual number of operations for
the year under consideration is below that of the previous one, this diminution has arisen, not
from any want of activity on the part of the Vaccinators, nor from disinclination of the
people to receive Vaccination, but from causes which will be satisfactorily explained hereafter.
The total number of persons vaccinated during the past year was 39,669, and in 1858 there
were 45,983, thereby showing a decrease in actual figures of 6,314 in the Returns of last
compared with the preceding year.
But it was stated in the Report for the year 1858, that, in consequence of the prevalence of
Small-pox in the Rutnagherry Collectorate, four additional Vaccinators had been employed
temporarily for different periods during the year, and that, out of the total number of
vaccinations performed, the operations of these four men, in the aggregate, had amounted to
1,357, having a total of 44,626 vaccinations as the actual work of the regular Establishment.
During the past year, owing to the almost total exemption from Small-pox in this Division,
it was found necessary to entertain only one extra Vaccinator, and that for the short period of one
month. His operations amounted to 135, and deducting this number from the total 39,669,
a remainder of 39,434 is shown as the actual work of the seventeen itinerant Vaccinators on
the Establishment, one man being employed as Karkoon in the Superintendent's Office. The
difference therefore of the work of last year, contrasted with 1858, may be stated at 5,192
decrease. The cause of this deficiency is readily explained, from the several facts that,
owing to the introduction of the new system, which was being made trial of for the payment
of Vaccinators by percentage on their work, an immense amount was performed by them. In
fact, in parts of the Rutnagherry Zillah, during the year 1858, there was scarcely an available
child of above one year old left unprotected; the Vaccinators consequently since then had
found it more difficult to collect subjects for operation.
But there were other circumstances to account for the deficit in last year's Return. In
the month of March, one of the best Vaccinators on the. Establishment, died, and a consider-
able time elapsed before his substitute was supplied, and lymph re-established in the part of
the country where he had been employed. In the month of April, one Apprentice was dismissed
for falsification of his Returns ; one First Assistant, of 30 years' service, was obliged, on account
of infirmity and loss of sight from old age, to resign his appointment. In both of these cases