The Statesman.
London, England, 1819-12-17 00:00:00

VACCINATION IN INDLL

The Board of the Nation/it Vaccine Establishment
have lately received from Seringapaiam a curious and
importaneMemoir on I.ac.:ination in that part of India,
"by the Bey. I. A. DoLois, Missionary in the Mysore,
author of a Description of the Character. Ste. of the
People of India, and long a moist ardent and 7raimis
promoter of the Vaccine. The followinitrniort abstract
of this communication cannot bat be interesting to the

public :
M. bobois states, that Vaccination was introdered
into Itindoostan in tie scar trot, and was MilllUly on-
coeraged by the British boverniiient. -
The natives, however, displayed a violent aversion to
it from .evert l WWII. .
The first proceeded from a hatred to all innovations.
Silly. A rumour arose that this was a design of the
Englith to &Mx an indelible mark on certain persons;
and- that ail tli,: males so impressed were, when they
grew up, to he forced into the iiiiiitary service, aud the
females to he concubines.
Illy. The Ilindoos had always considered the small-
pox as a dispensation front a tioddess nans.-d Mabry
Drama ; or rather that the disease was an incarnation of
this Deity into the person infected. They endeavoured
to propitiate this Goddess with offerings and sacri:iccsi
but shoal the patient die, ti!. rel.dive. dared nut will:,
lest the Goddess should overwhelm theirs with greater
calamities.
From these rinses Vaccination was at first on!) to!,-
!sifted to by Christians.
Dr. Alex. Anderson, Superintendent Surgeon of the !
Mysore country. thooglit proper, with th, approbation
of the Supreme 4 untied sit Madras, to engage the ties.
N. I:abuis to exert ii,s 'Atmore to overcome the preju- ,
dices '.l the asttve., lie aceordingly drew up several
1 tenets in the ft.:iaii !aiiviates, and he set nut upon a
Sear to di-geminate ti,e I, a.., ine. Several Indian Chris-
tians were selected and instructed to aid him in his
labours.
At first much confusion arose, and some failures oc-
curreil by other practilioner., who had mistaken a se-t
rions diesse for the tree Vaccine. 'let this opposition
gradually declined, in consequenee of the theiplete sue-
rest which attended the regular Vaccine. and the natives
',Tame persuaded that the Goddess Mabry had chostla
this wild mode of manifesting herself to tier rotaries,
and might be meritoriously ourAipped under this new
shape.
M. Iftbois solemnly declares, tl:at be and his Assist-
ants have vaccinated nearly a Ise, or one linadreci thou
mud persons; and that he has not heard of one (Tye
prcriog fatal, oar a single oeft-evthemileeted instance
among this forge number. of the &fist! Paz • occurrinr
after the regeler Vereiae.
Ile mentions, that the vesicles are apt to be broken
by the coarse blanket dress which is frequently worn,.
and the friction often produces an ulcer. Torre cars,
were re-vaccinated; hut he ohservis a singnlarity, that
this second operation rarely taker effect, if rerformcd
:merrier than two or three mouths after the nut: i
A circumstance of a very afire-able nature is also no-:
tired, that the Vaccine fr •Itiently puts a stop to the in-:
terinittent fever, which is purulent in that country. LI.I
Dubois asserts, that he knew in:dances of Is curing
quartan fevers, which had runtinuc,l four or Age years.
tie coinpliments highly the Government in India, far
the Mt:WM' adopted to extend Vaccination ; he men-
times, that Native Vaccinators arc appointed in evc..:y
district, ander the superinteiniAre of kiiglieb Mr :heal'
Gentlemen. with lan :al salaries; from as:,ich be ig.
dalges the reawineble expectation Ma., at no remote
!sided. the Sinai: ros ri.•lt La rotirrly exte.r.aii,ateil is
ihgt rouroff,-w,.,,,,., i!, 1.)1111,t times, h,d'ore .i..: ihtio-
deetiou of this wonder:ll pre.erestive. "isle districts
have I,:.en oreamonally almost depopulated by the rag
Tars of the Snedi Pox.
This ralnnionication of M. Dubois is moompaii:ed by
emirate t Ades, setting forth the see:T. it Crie.. and
Alumbei a, in midi pluvial e, oho have undergone.Varei-
. nation at his handt-, tua:iing an aggrigate of 9t4,7fe,f,
persons. .