3
as to my ability, successfully, to carry it out, more especially as I was aware of the fact, that
the unceasing exertions of some of the ablest and most pains-taking members of the Medical
Department, through a period of nearly half-a-century, have not been sufficient to achieve
much in the propagation of this best of God's boons in the Town and Island of Bombay. As
proposed in the scheme, six Stations were opened in different parts of the Island; and
as the several Charitable Dispensaries of Bombay were fortunately conveniently placed
with reference to the different localities, it was thought advisable to secure them for
vaccinating Stations. Thus, one was established at the Nag-Davee Charitable Dispensary,
situated in a thickly-populated part of the Island between Mambadavee and Mandavee ;
another at Girgaum, on the premises of the Shunkersett Charitable Dispensary, so as to
be conveniently placed for the residents of Mahaluxumee, Malabar Hill, Girgaum, &c. ; a
third at Lower Colaba, in the Branch Charitable Dispensary there situated ; the fourth
in the Fort, at the Fort Gratuitous Dispensary, in the Bazar Gate Street. The original
Station at the gate of the Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Hospital, together with the four above noticed,
formed five Stations in all. There was thus one more to be established in the south-western
part of the Town; and as there was no conveniently-placed Charitable Dispensary near,
Mr. Lisboa—a Graduate of the Grant Medical College—offered us the use of the veranda of
his house, which we thankfully accepted, as the place was very conveniently situated between the
Dhobee Tank and Kalcadavee districts, on the Pallar Road. In selecting the Dispensaries
as Stations, we had another and a very important object in view, viz. that of ultimately making
them over in working order to the Medical attendants of the Dispensaries, so as to enable
them to carry on, with comparative ease, vaccine operations. After the establishment of the
six Stations, it was a question how we should proceed to work with them—whether to attend
continuously at one Station only for a length of time, till all the persons in the particular
district were vaccinated, or to allot one day of the week to each Station. On consideration,
the latter plan was adopted, because Vaccination could thus be extended over the greatest part
of the Island in the shortest time, and the centres for the supply of vaccine lymph multiplied,
so as to enable us, in case of the supply failing at any one Station, to fall back on the others.
The experience of the past fifteen months has fully proved the utility of the plan. The
hours of attendance for Vaccination were, in the first instance, fixed from 10 A.M. to
1 P.M. But it was found necessary to change the hours to from 8 to 11 A.M.
There were formerly, in connection with the Department, ten Vaccinators, who were, for the
most part, employed in vaccinating children at their own houses. As under the new system,
domiciliary Vaccination was abolished, and as all the operations even at the Stations were to be
performed by the Superintendent himself, the number was, in the first instance, reduced to
six,— one being placed in charge of each Station. A part of the scheme Dr. Peet had proposed
was the reduction of the Vaccination Staff to three, which number he thought was sufficient
for the work required of them; but the superoir authorities deemed it requisite to retain
in the Department six Vaccinators, so as to allot one to each of the Stations. A few months
experience, however, showed that six Vaccinators were unnecessary, and an opportunity of
effecting a reduction to three soon presented itself, which was taken advantage of. I can
say, from experience, that the three have been able to perform the duties as efficiently as the
six did at the commencement. All the Stations thus opened, however, could not have been
expected to be permanent ones, as they could not comprehend the whole Island, and as time
could not be spared to attend them after the number of persons to be vaccinated in each
particular district was fairly exhausted. Some of them therefore required occasionally to be
changed from district to district. The Byculla, the Nagdavee, and the Dhobee Tank Stations
have continued to work unceasingly up to this time; nor do I think they will ever be required
to be given up, as they are well placed in thickly-populated parts of the Town. But as all
the children in Colaba, whose parents could be induced to bring them to be vaccinated, were