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Hindoos. He states, however, that he himself decidedly prefers Mahomedans as
Vaccinators. Dr. Pringle also refers to the great success which has attended vaccina-
tion this year in the Saharunpore District, the only part of the circle in which small-
pox has been epidemic. In paragraph 7 Dr. Pringle reports that he has this year
attempted to fill vaccine tubes with lymph collected in the plains, but that the results
have not been satisfactory. In trying such an experiment there is great danger of
exciting the prejudices of the people, and the operation itself is by no means an easy one,
requiring in the Vaccinator constant practice and considerable manual dexterity. In
concluding my notice of the Agra and Meerut Circle, I may mention that in January,
1870, I marched through the Futtehghur Zillah, on my way from Allahabad to
Rohilkhund, and saw the Vaccinators stationed along the road. Their work was
most satisfactory, especially in Futtehghur itself.
14. The Benares Circle is the only one in the North-Western Provinces in
which decided progress has been made this year. In this Circle there has been an
increase of 13,378 in the number of successful cases. This increase is no doubt to
be attributed to the great zeal and energy of the Officiating Superintendent. Dr.
Milne took charge of this circle in 18G7, and since that date there has been a steady
increase in the number of cases successfully vaccinated. A peculiarity of the
Benares District is the existence in it of a number of hereditary Inoculators. In this
respect it resembles Lower Bengal rather than the North-Western Provinces. Dr.
Milne has endeavoured to enlist these Inoculators in the cause of vaccination, and has
met with great success, an account of which is given in his Annual Report, and also
in a Special Report which he has written on the Practice of Inoculation in the Benares
Division. Both of these valuable reports I have the honour to forward, in original.
Dr. Milne has also conducted a series of experiments on animal vaccination. He
mentions the names of two Tehseeldars who have given him great assistance,—Syud
Mehndee Ally, Tehseeldar of Mirzapore, and Debee Pershad, Tehseeldar of Russrah.
15. The Allahabad and Jhansie Circle has, during the latter part of the year, been
under the superintendence of Dr. Hutchinson, who has inspected all the districts
lying south of the Jumna. The number of vaccinations in this circle has fallen off
greatly; but, as pointed out by Dr. Hutchinson, this is in no way to be attributed to
the change of Superintendents. In my last year's Report I mentioned that it was not
at all likely that the numbers for 1869-70 would equal those for 1868-69. The epi-
demic of small-pox which, in the winter of 1868, spread all over the Allahabad and
Jhansie Circle, induced thousands of persons to ask for vaccination who would other-
wise have refused it; and it also induced the Magistrates of the various districts to give
greater assistance than they are likely to do in ordinary years. Thus, in 1868, in
most of the districts, the whole of the Police Force was re-vaccinated by order of the
Magistrate ; but this year, as there was no epidemic, nothing of the kind has been done.
Dr. Hutchinson, in his report, next notices the question of the relative merits of Hindoo
and Mahomedan Vaccinators, and his opinion is very similar to that held by Dr. Pear-
son and by myself, that, as a rule, Mahomedans are more active and successful.
There is no doubt that many high- caste Hindoos object to having their children
vaccinated by a Mahomedan, and state truly enough that they would allow it to be
done by a Brahmin. It is, however, very difficult to find an educated and respectable
Brahmin who is willing to take a salary of only Rs. 10 a month. Of course, if such
a one can be found, he is far better fitted for a Vaccinator than any Mahomedan; but
all my experience leads me to think that natives decidedly prefer a Mahomedan
Vaccinator to a low-caste Hindoo.
In paragraph 7, Dr. Hutchinson strongly recommends the introduction of ani-
mal vaccination; but in this I cannot agree with him. He thinks that Hindoos would
appreciate vaccination more if they saw the lymph taken directly from the sacred ani-
mal, the cow. This is possible ; but it is also possible that in bigoted districts the very
opposite idea might be entertained, and that they might fancy that wounding the sacred
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