( 11A )
The percentage of success and of unknown cases coincide to a small fraction with those
of previous year, the figures for the present year being 94.12 per cent success among
known results—377 unknown.
Thirteen thousand, four hundred and ninety-seven re-vaccinations were performed,
70.15 per cent. being successful. Most of the cases of re-vaccination inspected were
fair subjects for the operation though, in a few cases, I had to check vaccinators
for operating on children primarily vaccinated only a few years previously. The
quality of the work was, as a rule, excellent—many hundreds of children of all
stages were examined by me and though some few operations were wanting in
neatness showing a tendency to make very irregularly shaped ulcerations, the majority
were neat and systematic in their method of procedure, and with fair average success.
I annex a list of the districts and the number of cases inspected, showing
percentage in each :—
District..
Garhwál
...
...
...
...
Cawnpore
...
...
Fatehpur
...
Bandá
...
...
...
...
Hamirpur
...
...
Allahabad
Jaunpur
...
...
...
...
Azamgarh
...
...
...
Benares
...
...
...
Mirzapur
...
Total ...
Cases inspected.
438
479
413
924
1,471
491
544
765
136
230
5,891
Successful.
437
461
375
860
1,410
471
517
735
130
225
5,639
Percentage.
99.77
96.24
91.04
95.24
95.85
95.93
95.04
95.81
95.59
97.82
95.72
The total number inspected is 5,891 with a ratio of success of 95.72; results
which seem to be satisfactory.
There is, of course, a large area over which operations are carried on, where such
a thorough check has as yet been impracticable, but I think it represents fairly the
work carried on through the ten districts of the circle, during the present season.
The District Superintendents and Assistant Superintendents have inspected 32,217
and 109,836 cases respectively; but it is difficult to judge of inspections by quantity.
The punishment list of the salaried vaccinators submitted by the District Superinten-
dents of Vaccination is not very large.
With regard to the attitude of the people towards vaccination, I think, it is a
mistake to say that opposition has vanished, or only lingers in agricultural districts. My
opinion is that there is still a vast amount of prejudice, and misapprehension on the sub-
ject, which must be removed before the people willingly accept vaccination.
In the Allahabad district there are families and whole villages, who openly refuse
vaccination in spite of every encouragement from the district authorities and the vacci-
nation staff. In such places the work of a vaccinator is a very trying one. The most
persistent opposition often comes from the higher classes, especially in the Jaunpur,
Cawnpore, Benares and other districts where caste prejudices are strong. Although,
in conversation they fully admit the benefits of vaccination, they have peculiar pre-
judices of their own, which must be removed before any real progress can be looked
for. But vaccination in spite of this is making progress steadily if not rapidly in certain
districts, and that the steps that have been taken to enforce the Vaccination Act, in
nearly all the municipalities in this circle, will result, I have no doubt, in further
extension of its benefits amongst that class which has hitherto shown the greatest
opposition.
The total number inspected is, of course, unusually small, but the time at my dis-
posal for vaccine inspection was, through exceptional circumstances extremely limited,
and was in fact for practical purposes hardly greater than the 60 days which a Civil
Surgeon is supposed to devote to his single district, as the vesicle is never sufficiently
established for the work to get into full swing before the last week in October, no
practical good can be done by inspecting during that month, and November and De-