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Native Superintendents. I am disposed to think that such as have risen from the ranks
will not be found to have the independence, influence, and position necessary to the ends
in view. In order to command implicit obedience of subordinates, and to gain the co-
operation of natives of rank, good birth, good caste, and good manners are essential.
It is to natives of this stamp that we must look for pushing on vaccination and making
it really acceptable to the people. They can exercise an influence over, and gain an
access to, the feelings of the people, which it is hopeless for a European to expect for
himself; and I trust to be able to introduce into the department, as time goes on, a
greater amount of native agency of this character, for upon it the future of vaccination,
in my opinion, very greatly depends. The cost of supervision forms a disagreeably
large percentage of the total expenditure, but it cannot be avoided as long as native
human nature continues what it is. There are now 401 vaccinators, 35 apprentices,
and 5 tube-fillers on the establishment. The sense of moral obligation entertained
by these 441 persons is not of such a nature that they can be trusted out of sight for
any length of time ; unless therefore vaccination is to be a sham, we must be prepared
to pay heavily to ensure the reality.
3. Twenty-two of the 35 districts of the North-Western Provinces have now two
vaccinators attached to each tahsil. The remaining thirteen districts will be doubled
gradually within the next two or three years. When this is accomplished, the North¬
Western Provinces will have a body of vaccinators which will admit of each village
and town being visited every second or third year. This will not even then be much
to boast of: yet when one looks back over the last twenty years, and compares the
present with the past, it must be admitted that the Government has, amongst all its
many other claims, not been insensible to those of the Vaccine Department, Sixteen
vaccinatorships—supported by what were called voluntary subscriptions from zemindars,
collected by the tahsildar—were abolished during the past season ; His Honor the
Lieutenant-Governor having prohibited a continuance of such a system, it being in
fact, when called by its right name, nothing more or less than an illegal cess.
B.—Total number vaccinated.
4. In 1873-74 there were 386 vaccinators, and they performed 464,233 vaccinations.
In 1874-75 the number of vaccinators was 401, and the number vaccinated was 494,928.
Taking the vaccine season at five months, the average number of vaccinations per-
formed by each vaccinator in 1873-74 was 1,202 : in 1874-75 it was 1,234. If the
people generally were really desirous of vaccination the numbers might be vastly
increased. Half the time of the vaccinator is now occupied in hunting up his subjects.
Of the above total of 494,928, primary cases were 445,901, and 49,027 were cases of
re-vaccination.
C.—Sex of primary cases.
In 1873-74, 218,316 males, 212,249 females.
In 1874-75, 222,086
„
223,815
„
The proportion between males and females varies but little from year to year. Taking
an average of years, the males slightly preponderate.
D.—Caste of primary cases.
Christians,
Muhammadans, ... ... ...
High caste Hindus,
Low caste Hindus,
...
Total,
,..
1,316
66,296
86,838
291,451
445,901