( x )

to the civil surgeon of Zanzibar. Supplies were repeatedly sent to officers
in the Central Provinces and in short it was given to all applicants.

Animal vaccination.

15. The practice of animal vaccination has been carried on in Bom-
bay nearly the whole year and for a portion
of the year in Poona and Bhooj and it will
shortly be begun at Barsee. Dr. Williams does not say in his report
whether it was continued at Sukkur or not. In Bombay cow-lymph is
much esteemed and has overcome one great obstacle to vaccination and
that was the unwillingness of parents to allow lymph to be taken from
children's visicles.

Population.

16. In 1871 I estimated the population of this Presidency with its
subordinate native states at 21,000,000 : but the
census which was taken in 1871 shows that my
estimate was considerably under the real number. I am indebted to Dr.
Lumsdaine for a " proof copy " of populations and areas which enables me
now to form a correct judgment as to the progress of vaccination in
every district; previously, I never could do more than hazard an opinion.
Statement No. I. shows a population of 24,362,409 to which must be added
about 123,220 for the military stations : this makes a total of 24,485,629,
and if we add the civil population of the military stations of Mhow,
Nímach and Nasirábád, from which we receive vaccination returns, the
population in which we carry on vaccination, must be in round numbers about
24,500,000.

Birth-rate taken at 30 per
mille.

17. In the British territory of this Presidency there are now birth
and death registers kept by village officers, but, it
is perfectly certain that the registrars do not
register anything like all the births. Hitherto
I have usually reckoned the birth-rate at 30 per mille but I feel very
great doubt about this being high enough. There is only one country
in Europe, France, which has a lower birth-rate than 30 per mille. The
most recent information which I can obtain shows that—

As far as the above figures can afford any indication of what the birth-
rate may be in India, France should be excluded from consideration, for
there is a very general belief among statists and physiologists that the birth-
rate in France is kept down intentionally. In a conversation which I
had with the distinguished Professor Virchow in Berlin he stated that he
had no doubt of this. Well, in taking an average of the remainder in
the above group of nations the birth-rate is 38.5. Russia stands by far the
highest; and in respect to the practice of early marriages is more like India
than any of the other countries. I think it is very probable that the birth-
rate in Bombay Presidency is really about or over 33.3per mille— but taking