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11. Though instances of small-pox having been spread by inoculation come more
or less frequently under the notice of every observer, it is difficult to estimate the
actual damage done in any particular locality. The restrictions undergone by inoculat-
ed households in this division are quite inadequate to prevent the infection spreading.
In Bengal it is usual for all the children in a village to be inoculated at the same time,
but here it seldom happens that more than a single household is inoculated at a time;
while the unprotected adults, delicate children, and infants under one year old are
allowed to stay in the house with the inoculated children and by way of prophylactic
are treated with a conserve of ginger, turmeric and assafœtida. True it is that clothes
are not sent to the washerman until the inoculation is completed, but then they are
never subjected to the influence of boiling water, but are washed along with the other
clothes from the village. This is said to be a frequent means of infection, and I can
quite believe it, as the Dhobies themselves are never inoculated, for even a Malee loses
caste if he inoculates a Dhobio or a Chumar. The restrictions regarding the services
of the barber, the eating of fish and the giving of alms seem to me rather useless while
the adults of the house are permitted to go about the village.
12. The danger of infection also depends on the number of persons in the vici-
nity who are not protected against small-pox. In Dr. Sutherland's table we find the
unprotected amount to 36 per cent., while Dr. Charles give 10 per cent. as the average
near Calcutta. Supposing these numbers to be approximatively correct, inoculation
performed with equal care in both places is at least three times more dangerous to the
general population in the District of Benares than it is in the neighbourhood of
Calcutta.
13. Since the Inoculators discovered that their operations were discountenanced
by the Government they have been more careful and secret in their movements than
they were formerly; still every year, especially in February and March, not only do
several cases of death from the operation come under my notice, but, on enquiring into
the origin of outbreaks of small-pox, it not unfrequently happens that I can trace these
to the operations of the Inoculator. At first I thought the Inoculators might be pun-
ished under the " spreading of contagious disease " sections of the Penal Code, but since
I discovered my mistake I have confined myself to the suaviter in modo while dealing
with them. In this way, and by giving small rewards during their apprenticeship and
by appointing the more suitable of them as Vaccinators, I have been able to gain over
several. Thus lately, while in the Bustee District, I heard of the death of two adults from
small-pox in a house where a Malee had a week or two before inoculated a child. This
man was after some time got hold of, and is now learning vaccination with a brother
convert, a Government Vaccinator. Unfortunately, however, not a tithe of the Inocula-
tors who have promised to practise vaccination have kept their word,—in fact, only
those who have been, or expect to be, appointed Vaccinators, and who could not earn
much more at their own work.
14. Last year an attempt was made to get all the Inoculators in the district to
practise vaccination. Many of them consented and were taught, but after a few weeks
they all gave it up and returned to their own work, taking with them the vaccine
instruments with which they were supplied ; these they shewed to the villagers and said
that Government had authorized them to inoculate and had given them instruments
for that purpose. The reason the Inoculators gave for renouncing vaccination was that
the people would give them no fee for vaccination, which they said they could get from
the Government Vaccinator for nothing. Under these circumstances it became evident
that, until inoculation were made penal, the people would continue to cultivate it.
15. There are three measures, any one of which Government may adopt, with
reference to this subject. The first (a) is to trust to the advance of education and vac-
cination among the people. Vacoination will doubtless in the end prevail, but its pro-
--ess must needs be slow among a people having strong religious prejudices in favour