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During epidemics people easily sub-
mit to vaccination.

81. Epidemics of small-pox have been shown to recur in this country
periodically, about every fourth or fifth year.
At these times people will submit to vaccina-
tion readily, but when the disease has passed
away, they become careless and either neglect or refuse to have their, children
vaccinated, so that the intervals between epidemics are not employed
as they ought to be in protecting the greatest possible numbers. I would
therefore suggest that Deputy Commissioners should have the power of
insisting on vaccination within their respective districts, and that it should
be compulsory on all Government servants to have their children vaccinated.

Immunity from small-pox of persons
successfully vaccinated.

82. During my tour over the greater part of the province, I did not
meet with a single child pitted with small-pox
in whom the vaccine cecatrices were well
marked. I saw children with small-pox pits
and bad vaccine marks, but these were cases which had been vaccinated
after they had suffered from small-pox—cases. of re-vaccination—and conse-
quently the vaccination had been a failure.

In the schools I have visited, I found that most of the boys who did
not bear the marks of vaccination were pitted with small-pox.

Epidemics of small-pox.

83. It may, I think,be safely asserted that if every one were vaccinated
there, would be no more epidemics of small-
pox. That it diminishes the mortality from the
disease cannot be doubted, and which the subjoined table goes to prove:—

TABLE No. VI.—Showing the ratios of mortality from small-pox and the number success-
                                    fully vaccinated for the last
12 years:—

Years.

Death rate
per mille of
population.

Number success-
fully vaccinated.

1867-68 ...

1.8 ...

1,575

1868-69 ...

3.6 ...

8,123

1869-70 ...

.6...

6,760

1870-71 ...

.2...

17,476

1871-72 ...

3.8 ...

29,802

1872-73 ...

3.8 ...

35,478

1873-74 ...

.5 ...

31,797

1874-75 ...

.4 ...

45,998

1875-76 ...

.2 ...

52,468

1876-77 ...

2.9 ...

68.929

1977-78 ...

2.7...

83,019

1878-79 ...

.03 ...

48,764

In comparing these figures it will be necessary to follow the course of
the different epidemics of small-pox, contrasting the dates of the parallel
years in each epidemic.

Decline in the mortality in 1877-78-
79, compared with 1872-73-74, due to
benefits derived from vaccination.

84. In 1869 an epidemic was at its height,
which subsided in 1871. In 1872, another
out-break occurred which declined in 1876,
and a third in 1877, which died out in 1879.

The decline in the, mortality in 1877-78 and 1879, compared with
1872-73-74, must be attributed to the benefits derived from vaccination.

Assistance rendered by District
Officers.

85. I have to express my thanks to the Deputy Commissioners of
Districts for the assistance rendered me during
the year. I would venture to remark, however,.
that Tahsildars might do more in the interests
of vaccination than they now do, for without the cordial assistance of these
officers and also of the village authorities, we cannot expect to press the
work home amongst the people.

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