( 5 )
rate through the Tehseel. It might also have been hoped that in the
Municipalities where public opinion is sufficiently enlightened to support
a vaccinator, it would have been enlightened enough to persuade the peo-
ple generally to bring their young children to be protected from the
scourge of small pox. In towns too the support and influence of officials,
and the supervision of the Civil Surgeons might have been expected to
produce a marked effect. On the other hand it is possible that with people
in large masses, it is less easy to influence opinion, than by taking the
rural villages in detail, where the residents are often found to be simple
and open to conviction. It is possible too that the supervision of your
Department may have been less zealous, the Native Superintendents not
feeling the same responsibility as for the work of the Government vacci-
nators, who are exclusively under them.
10. I am to request your most careful attention, and that of your
Superintendents, to this question, and His Honor hopes that the subject
will be fully enquired into during the next cold weather, and elucidated
in your report. A copy of these remarks will also be forwarded to all
Civil Surgeons and Presidents of Municipalities, who will, His Honor
trusts, exercise a vigilant supervision over the operations of the Munici-
pal Vaccinators.
11. Another remarkable feature in this table is the steady decrease
in the number of vaccinations performed by each vaccinator as one looks
down the list in paragraph 8, except Benares. The Rohilkhund tale of
work is much larger than that of Meerut, Meerut stands higher than Agra,
Agra than Allahabad, and Jhansie lowest of all. This has often been
remarked on before, and partial explanations have been given, which can-
not be called satisfactory. That Bundelkhund with its rude and sparse
population should be most backward is natural enough. Equally natural
is it that vaccination should be most popular in Rohilkhund, its first home
in the plains. But the reasons why Benares, where vaccination contends
with inoculation for popularity, and Meerut, should be higher than Agra,.
and why Allahabad should stand lowest of all the older and more civilised
Divisions, have yet to be sought out.
12. A third and novel feature in this table is the appearance of
" Omedwars," i. e. working candidates or apprentices. Their work is sepa-
rately shewn in Rohilkhund only, and was never shewn there till this year.
In Benares they are certainly employed (and are, it appears, paid for each
successful operation they perform) ; but they probably are entertained
every where. Their position should be clearly recorded, their pay stated,
and their work separately shewn. You speak of them in one place as hav-
ing been abolished, but in another passage you rightly say that a regular
system of entertaining local apprentices has been approved by Government.
Their entertainment seems at present to be a necessity, for only in this
way can men be trained up to acquire the necessary skill as successful
operators, and as far as possible every district should in time be supplied
with a body of trained vaccinators, working in the places where they were
born and are known, and where they prefer to remain.