2

protecting juvenile life in the most direct way; and yet such is the want of
information and intelligence on the part of the mass of the people on this
subject, that were it not for the influence of Government Officers, some of
whom, I observe with pleasure, are reported to take much interest in vacci-
nation, it is doubtful whether vaccination would not be dwarfed into incon-
siderable dimensions, or even die out altogether.

6. It is a hopeful sign that the number of Vaccinators in Native States
is increasing (paragraph 7); and, in reference to the suggestion in paragraph
8, I think that the whole Government Estalishment might be withdrawn
from Kattiawar, vaccination being kept up entirely from Local Funds, with
the exception of the expense of supervision, which should always be an
Imperial charge.

7.    In reference to paragraph 9, vaccination is only one of the duties
of the Sub-Assistant Surgeon or Medical Subordinate in charge of a Dis-
pensary, and I regret to have to state that in most cases it is discharged
with little interest. When the Dispensaries are placed under closer
supervision, it is believed that all medical duties will be performed with
much greater efficiency than at present.

8.    Paragraph 10, at its close, states that Superintendents " control and
direct, but they cannot exercise a close supervision." This is true, and very
much to be lamented. But I conceive that something more may yet be
done in the increased activity of Superintendents, and still more by the
appointment of Native Assistant Superintendents, as advocated in paragraph
11. But I think, speaking generally, that the whole Department would
lose something of the confidence at present extended to it, if the element of
European supervision were to be withdrawn. I would beg to state that
past experience proved that the withdrawal, or rather diminution, of Euro-
pean superintendence led to very unsatisfactory results, so much so as to
necessitate a re-organization of the Department so as to replace the Euro-
pean Officers as far as possible. The plan of employing graduates of the
Grant Medical College as Deputy Superintendents was also tried, but
proved useless, and had consequently to be abandoned.

9. On this point, it is important to draw the attention of Government
to the anomalous character of the two appointments pointed out in paragraph
11 by the Superintendent General of Vaccination.