34
mostly natives of that part of Guzerat, they were looked upon as strangers in Kattywar, and
a distrust felt in their motives and operations. This was in some instances overcome, but in
others never ceased to operate. The vaccination regulations too, as carried out in the
Government districts, and other portions of the Ahmedabad Division, were not considered by
the Political authorities, if enforced to their full extent, as calculated to gain the co-operation
and good-will of the people here, who seem exceedingly jealous of any interference with their
authority. A consideration of these and other circumstances, submitted to Government in a
lengthened correspondence, and by Government to the Medical Board, led the latter to express
an opinion that some improvement in the existing system in Kattywar was called for ; and
Government, in their Resolution of the 28th March 1857, decided on appointing the Civil
Surgeon in Kattywar, Superintendent of Vaccination in that province, according to the terms
specified in the Resolution. This was subsequently confirmed by the Supreme Government
for a probationary period of one year. Under this sanction, and pending permanent
confirmation, a distinct Superintendent's Office, in every respect similar to those kept in
the other Vaccination Divisions, has been opened, and all records and returns regularly kept
and forwarded since the 1st July 1857. ' A portion of the Government Establishment of Vacci-
nation in the Westen Division of Guzerat, counting eight subordinates* of different grades,
has been transferred for employment in the Kattywar districts. The aid of the Chiefs has been
solicited, and will, no doubt, be more freely afforded than hitherto, as their own people are
trained for them near their homes, and their duties carried on under the superintendence of
the Medical Officer of the Agency, who they know is on the spot, and with whom many of
them have opportunities of becoming acquainted. The Government Vaccinators being only
a portion drawn from the Ahmedabad Establishment, no additional expense is, on this account,
caused to Government; and the Chiefs men being paid by them, we thus have an Establish-
ment equal, I believe, to that in most of our Vaccination Divisions, with little or no extra cost
to the State.
Compared with the preceding year, only over the latter half of which, however, our opera-
tions extended, the table before given shows a large increase; but this is owing more to the
greater length of time to which the returns extend, than to any very remarkable difference in
the numbers operated on by each Vaccinator for a like period in either year. The sex, age,
and results are numerically noted in the returns forwarded.† The percentage of successful cases
is about 85.6 in the operations by Government men, and 87 in the returns by Native Chiefs
Vaccinators. The lymph, in most instances where I have been able to examine it, has been
found good, and in others the Vaccinators continue to report it so. Small-pox prevailed in
many parts of the province in the early part of the year, but as usual declined about April and
May. Inoculation does not seem to be practised in Kattywar; and from the painful nature of
the operation, as described to have been formerly done by some travellers who introduced it,
and the apparent absence of any desire on the part of the inhabitants to have their children
subjected to the ordeal, I do not think that it can be considered as in any degree unfavourably
affecting the progress of vaccination. The want of ready aid in propagating vaccination is
much felt in keeping people up to time, which is often no easy matter. The people are naturally
apathetic and given to postpone, and the higher classes, perhaps, set a bad example in their
habit of keeping persons waiting, which seems at times to be thought to add to importance.
The difficulty then that often besets a Vaccinator is to get parents to bring their children with
infection—which they are often averse to do—at the time when the lymph is in the best state for
transferring, and to have applicants for vaccination ready at the same time with their children
to receive it. In doing this, failures are often experienced, delays occur, till the day has far
advanced. In this country, the lymph very soon degenerates and becomes purulent, and by
* Exclusive of the Station Vaccinator borne on Civil Hospital Establishment.
† See Appendix, Tables No. 1 and No. 3.