9
they not receiving any remuneration or pay from Government. Regarding the inclination and
wishes of the people on the subject of vaccination, I can confidently state, that, throughout
the Rutnagherry Collectorate, (the one which I have been principally engaged in inspecting,)
the ryots (with the exception of the Brahmin class) are as desirous of receiving vaccination as
Government is of promoting it. Throughout every Talooka, one universal opinion was
expressed to me by the Natives,—all were unanimous in wishing to have their children
vaccinated, and showed the greatest anxiety that I should pronounce their children, whom
they brought in numbers, to have been successfully operated on. I have repeatedly over-
heard the poorer class express their gratitude to Government for sending not only Vaccinators
amongst them, but also an European to inspect their work. The Natives fully appreciate
the visits of an European officer,—and the very circumstance of his presence imparts to their
minds a degree of confidence about vaccination, which could never be attained by the periodi¬
cal visits of a Native.
" I regret to say that the only hindrance and obstacle which I had to encounter, was the
supineness and inactivity of the Vaccinators themselves, and the misrepresentations they
continually made to me regarding the inclination of the Ryots on this subject. Formerly
much difficulty arose in furthering vaccination, owing to the superstition which always has to
be overcome when any novel introduction is proposed to Natives,—this has entirely ceased,
and, as far as the people themselves are concerned, no difficulty or objection need be feared.
But the Vaccinators being aware of the objections formerly advanced by the Ryots, have
readily made it a ground of excuse for the small amount of work which many of them have,
up till latterly, been doing; nor was it until I had personally visited the villages, and learned
from Natives themselves their great anxiety to have Vaccinators sent amongst them, that I
was unable to disprove their statements. As a proof of this I may call to notice, that, during
the last two months, when I was travelling through the districts, and personally inspecting
the work of the Vaccinators, the number of successful cases had increased by one thousand
(1,000) and upwards.
"The lymph throughout both the Tanna and Rutnagherry Collectorates is in abundance, and
of genuine quality.
" It will be observed that the number of children vaccinated in each Collectorate is not in
proportion to the population. In the Rutnagherry Zilla, the population amounts to six
hundred and sixty-five thousand two hundred and thirty-eight (665,238), and the number
vaccinated during the last twelve months twenty-one thousand eight hundred and twenty-
nine (21,829), the proportion therefore which the number vaccinated bears to the total
population is 3.28 per cent. The area of the Rutnagherry Zillah is estimated at three thou-
sand nine hundred and sixty-four (3,964) square miles, or one hundred and sixty-eight (168)
souls to the square mile. The population of the Tanna Collectorate is calculated at eight
hundred and fifteen thousand eight hundred and forty-nine (815,849), whilst the number vacci-
nated was only ten thousand four hundred and twenty-nine (10,429), exactly half the number
of the Rutnagherry Zillah, though the population of the latter is less than that of Tanna
by more than one hundred and fifty thousand (150,000). The area of the Tanna Collec-
torate is five thousand four hundred and seventy-seven (5,477) square miles. The great
disproportion here shown can only be explained by the fact of the very advanced state of
civilization of the Natives in the Rutnagherry Zillah, compared with that in the Tanna
Collectorate, and as schools spring up, and civilization advances in the latter, so will I conceive
vaccination.
" It has been before stated that, with the exception of the Brahmin class, the Ryots, espe-
cially of the Rutnagherry Zilla, are as desirous of receiving vaccination as Government is of
promoting it. The Brahmins, as a body, are totally opposed to the system of vaccination :
their opposition, however, is altogether founded on some foolish superstitious principles,
which can only be a matter of time to eradicate. Fortunately they have no desire or inclina-
2v