10
tion to extend their feelings of disapproval to the surrounding villages. It is no uncommon
occurrence to meet with an insolated Brahmin village without a single child vaccinated, yet
the children of the villages in the immediate neighbourhood are all secured from Small-pox.
In this matter the Brahmins evidently wish to learn their experience from the results to be
observed in others, and prefer for a time rather to watch the experiment practised on others,
than be experimentalized upon themselves. I have, therefore, never attempted to force or
intrude the Vaccinators into Brahmin villages, but have aimed at teaching them the benefits of
vaccination from what they themselves may observe. For this reason I have sent the Vacci-
nators to villages in the neighbourhood of Brahmin ones, and have always impressed them
with the knowledge that the Vaccinators are prepared to give their services in vaccinating
their children when they themselves desire it.
" The conduct of the Vaccinators generally, has, during the past eight months, been satis-
factory. Amongst a body of Natives left so much to themselves, and of necessity with such,
little supervision, it is rather a matter of surprise that the work is performed so honestly and
carefully. In only one instance did I detect falsification of the nominal returns, and the
offender I recommended to be degraded, believing this mode of punishment would be a surer
means of deterring the others from practising similar deceptions than dismissal from the
Service."
Statement showing what proportion the number of persons vaccinated in each District bears
to the total population.
Rutnagherry Collectorate ..........
Tanna Coollectorate ..............
Total Population.
665,238
815,849
No. Vaccinated.*
21,829
10,426
Per cent.
3.28
1.27
Of the year 1857 the Superintendent reports:—
" During the past year, as in all the previous ones, by far the larger amount of work performed
has been in the Rutnagherry Collectorate. In that Zilla alone twenty-three thousand three hun-
dred and forty-four (23,344), whilst in the Tanna Collectorate ten thousand four hundred and
twelve (10,412) children received vaccination. In the year 1856 the total number of successful
vaccinations performed in the Rutnagherry Collectorate amounted to twenty-one thousand eight
hundred and twenty-nine (21,829), and in the Tanna ten thousand four hundred and twenty-six
(10,426). An increase of one thousand five hundred and fifteen (1,515) has occurred in the past
year over the preceding in the Rutnagherry Collectorate, whilst in the Tanna Collectorate a
decrease of fourteen (14) is observed in the past twelve months. It is difficult to assign any
definite reason for the want of success in the Tanna Collectorate when compared with the Rut-
nagherry. Throughout the latter no objections whatever are shown on the part of the people,
they receive the Assistant Vaccinators gladly into their villages, and acknowledge the benefit
and use of the practice adopted by them. The case is far different in the Tanna Collectorate.
Though the same advantages are offered, and similar care and trouble bestowed for the propa-
gation of vaccination in this as in the Rutnagherry districts, the people nevertheless manifest a
decided dislike to the practice, and if permitted would, I have little doubt, revert to the custom
of inoculation. They have frequently been asked their reasons of objection, and invariably offer
but one reply, viz. that inoculation is the custom used by their ancestors, and they wish to
adhere to it,—they appear regardless of the advantages to be derived from a newer and better
system. Nor are these objections founded on any reasonable cause. They have never seen
an instance of injurious results arising from vaccination, whilst cases have occurred where
* Refers only to the number vaccinated in the Collectorates of Tanna and Rutnagherry, or a total
of thirty-two thousand two hundred and fifty-five (32,255), whereas the total vaccinated in the
Concan Division is thirty-three thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight (33,798).