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the bounds of the municipality, until I was satisfied that vaccination had been placed
within the reach of all willing to accept of it, and that there was a danger, from the
want of subjects to operate upon, of the supply of fresh lymph failing. I have now
before me a return showing the amount of work done inside and outside each town by
Municipal vaccinators. In this way only can anything like a correct estimate be formed
of the support or opposition which vaccination meets with from the members of the
municipal committees and other influential residents of the large towns. For instance,
looking at the returns, the natural conclusion would be that the inhabitants of Hattrass
entertained very enlightened views with regard to vaccination. They employ two vac-
cinators, and there have been no fewer than 2,005 persons operated upon. But when it
is known that of this number only 305 belong to the town, the matter wears a some-
what different aspect. On the occasion of my visit to Hattrass it was with the greatest
difficulty that the parents of the children who had been vaccinated could be got even to
show them to me. The vaccinators are men of several years standing, and one of them,
who has been known to them for the last seven years, is a special favourite with the people.
I do not give this as an exceptional case. The seven vaccinators employed by the five
municipalities of the Allygurh District vaccinated 6,474 persons; but of these only
1,872 belonged to municipal towns. In a very few places in which vaccination is really
appreciated, such as Saharunpore and Etawah, the vaccinator has no difficulty.
In
the case of the latter all the vaccinated were residents of the town, and in the former
all except 88. In both each man operated upon nearly 300 persons every month
during the season.
The acceptance of vaccination being voluntary, and municipal committees, it being
presumed, representing the wishes of the majority of the residents of the towns, it is
curious that funds should be voted for the payment of a vaccinator whose services so
very few are willing to accept. In spite of such a practical proof that the people are
anxious for the introduction of vaccination as the voting of the funds for its support,
it is found much easier to get the villagers in the vicinity, who have given expression
to no such anxiety, to bring their children to be vaccinated. The smaller amount of
success attained by Municipal vaccinators is owing to want of attention or zeal on the
part of the Vaccine Department; in fact, more is done to secure the co-operation of
those in a position to be able to influence popular opinion in the towns than is possi-
ble in the case of the villages. I have personally visited 25 of the municipal towns,
and in the case of the larger cities, such as Agra and Meerut, have spent the greater
part of several days endeavouring to forward vaccination. I confess it was from a
sense of duty and not from choice, that I devoted so much of my time to these towns.
In the villages it is rare to meet with anything but the utmost civility and even kind-
ness : in the towns, insolence and studied disrespect are the rule. Of the ultimate effect
which education may exercise upon the views of the people with regard to the necessity
for having their children protected against small-pox there can be little doubt; but as
yet it is a fact that, up to a certain standard, the higher the education the greater the
difficulty experienced in getting them to accept of vaccination. So much is this the
case, that during my tour I met in two places with the chief opposition from the
village schoolmasters. At Booranah, in the Moozuffernuggur district, the Hindoo
schoolmaster had taken much trouble to caution the inhabitants against having their
children vaccinated, and when I went to see him at his house, he shut the door in my
face and declined to come out. In the village of Katah, near Baghput, the Mussul-
man teacher industriously circulated his belief that those vaccinated would die. He
informed me that he knew of several cases in which death had immediately followed the
operation.
8. The number of local vaccinators has more than doubled during the past year,
and the average monthly number of persons operated upon by each has risen from
58 to 186. With the exception of one man appointed by the Agra cantonment com-
mittee, all are employed in the Saharunpore and Moozuffernuggur districts.
The
appointment of a vaccinator for the cantonments of Meerut and Muttra was also recom¬