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Native Chiefs under these Agencies—five (5) Vaccinators in each. The Sirdar Puttawatas of
the Edur Raja have agreed to keep up a sixth man in the Mahee Kanta, and by and bye the
Palhunpore Dewan may be induced to keep up an additional Vaccinator for his extensive
district, which is insufficiently provided for; but people's minds were otherwise so much engaged
during the past year, that it would probably have seemed ill-timed to have urged any matter
of the kind.
" The present Establishment therefore under the Superintendent in Western Guzerat consists
of twenty-five (25) subordinates, viz. fifteen (15) Government, and ten (10) Native Chiefs'
Vaccinators.
" I regret that I am unable to state in figures the comparative results of the labours of Vacci-
nators in the Western Division for 1856 and 1857, in consequence of the records of the office
having been removed from my charge before the close of the latter year. This information
will, however, doubtless be supplied in his Annual Returns by the present Superintendent.
It is almost needless to observe, that with the transfer of yearly one-third of the Government
Establishment, and withdrawal from the totals of the sum of the work of all the Native
Chiefs' Vaccinators in Kattywar, there must be a considerable falling off; what this may
amount to might be approximately estimated from a simple comparative statement of the
total of vaccinations by the Government and Native Chiefs' Establishments, as they stood in
the records of the Western Division, Guzerat, for the first and second six months of 1856 and
1857. The diminution in the last would show about the amount lost in so much time ; but
this Return I have been unable to procure correct, probably from having failed to explain
exactly what I want; the information, however, if deemed of any moment, can be easily
obtained from the office where the records now are. I may add that the work of the Katty-
war Vaccinators was accounted for separately from the 1st July 1857, which explains why the
decrease in the last half year would afford an estimate of diminution thus caused in the
Returns from the Western Division, Guzerat. The total vaccinated in Kattywar in that time
would not do so fairly, as considerable changes, affecting the work of the Vaccinators there,
had to be carried into effect.
" The lymph, when I left the Division, was generally in good condition, and continued to be
reported so until I delivered over charge of the office.
" Small-pox has been generally prevalent throughout the country this season, but. no
special reports of its occurrence (beyond a casual mention of its having appeared at Deesa, in
an application for lymph from that station) were made during the time I was in charge of the
Guzerat districts. I am not aware that inoculation is in them practised ; nor, except the pre-
judices of the people, and want of confidence in the operation, do I know of any obstacles to
the spread of vaccination in Guzerat. I should trust that the silly idea that Government
intended charging or taxing the parents for it, which once was entertained in the direction of
Rhandapore and countries bordering on the Runn, has long ago ceased to exist.
" Beyond engaging the interest of Native Chiefs in support of vaccination, and encouraging
any desire on their part for the entertainment of extra Vaccinators, for whom there is ample
room in the districts under both the Mahee Kanta and Palhunpore Political Agencies, and
which can be best done through the officers in charge of these, when fitting opportunities pre-
sent, it does not strike me that much is required in furtherance of this object in the Western,
Division, Guzerat. The practice is, I hope, gaining ground and favour, slowly it is true, and
with much to struggle against, but still gaining. If in the present year, as in other provinces,
Small-pox prevails more or less in Guzerat, and the benefits of good vaccination have an
opportunity of becoming appreciated, an important step would be gained towards making
it popular. Ignorance of our intentions, and distrust of the real benefit of what we offer, are
amongst the chief obstacles to our progress, and any thing tending to remove these must-
operate powerfully in favor of the undertaking.
" A new charge, or rather division of the old one, has been apportioned me, and in trying
to promote vaccination in this during the past year, and attending as Civil Surgeon to other