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females, and nine hundred and twenty-two (922) males; of these again eight hundred and seven
(807) have been children under one year old, and seven hundred and twenty-eight (728) have
been above that age. Compared with the previous year, the numbers have increased some-
what, the twelve months of 1856 showing at the time a total of one thousand four hundred
and forty-seven (1,447) operations, making a difference in favor of last year of eighty-eight
(88). This increase has been occasioned by the larger number of female children having
been vaccinated in the year 1857, showing an increase of seventy-seven (77) females over the
numbers of the previous year, leaving only eleven (11) males to make up the difference
between the two years. It is not easy to say whether this difference between the two
sexes has any determinate bearing upon the question of male and female births amongst
the population generally, or whether it arises from accidental alternations and changes found
to occur amongst communities of living beings, as well as in the organic and inorganic worlds.
Probably both causes have been in operation, and the fluctuating state of the community in
and around Broach, especially at certain seasons has, this year, by a fortuitous assemblage of
circumstances, produced this result. In the first part of the year the numbers diminished in
some of these months considerably, especially in the months of March and May. There
being in the first mentioned month a falling off of one half the number of the corresponding
period of the preceding year, whilst from the beginning of July till the end of December, a
steady increase over the last six months of 1856 was observable. The cause of this
disparity in numbers appears to be that the cotton season of 1857 was much later than
ordinary seasons, at which periods large bodies of labourers with their children, from the
districts, seek the town to obtain employment in cotton cleaning; but on their arrival this
year, it was found the Village Vaccinators had been already amongst the majority of them, and
consequently there were fewer children to operate upon in Broach. There is an average
influx at such times of persons from the different Zillahs amounting to four thousand (4,000)
men and women. Thus, had the cotton season of 1857 been favorable, a larger number
than the present would have been shown in the Returns. The successful cases of vaccination
have amounted to 94.9 per cent. The lymph remains good, and the condition of the vesicles
is every way desirable. Some cases of Small-pox have appeared throughout the year in the
town, but the people do not desire medical interference, and it is only by accident a know-
ledge of the fact is attained. No inoculation is practised in Broach, so far as I am acquainted,
and I have made special inquiries upon this point. From what therefore has been said,
vaccination in Broach progresses favorably in spite of the objections raised by Brahmins and
Parsees, from whom more enlightened views might not unreasonably be expected. Another
difficulty is also met with amongst the towns-people, that whilst generally speaking, they are
willing enough to submit their children for vaccination when solicited, they strongly object to
the vaccine matter being removed, in consequence of which they secret their children, and it
is not without some trouble occasionally they are ferreted out from their hiding places, when
the parents then acquiesce in our arrangements. The district people on the other hand offer
no objections whatever.
" To overcome this prejudice on the part of the towns-people must be left to the progress
of time and to the repeated assurances of Vaccinators and their Establishments, that the
transmissions of the virus from their offspring to other children will cause the former no
harm, for by a strange perversity of reasoning they anticipate no evil to their own child from
the vaccine matter of another, but at once conjure up visions of loss of caste, disease and
death, when they are desired to allow it to be transmitted from their charges, to another being
similar to themselves. Of such blind folly time alone must be the eradicator.
7v