19

                         DISPENSARY VACCINATION.

The number of operations performed by Hospital Assistants is 1,330 less
than that of the previous season. This is, the Civil Surgeon thinks, partly due to
the areas of the Murwara and Sehora Hospital Assistants' work having been
reduced and partly to the Hospital Assistants not considering vaccination so
distinctly a part of their work. The Medical Officer of the city branch took
leave and those of the Main and Sehora dispensaries were changed. The falling
off may be partly due to this.

                                   SMALL-POX.

Only 3 deaths were reported as having occurred from this disease, and the
Assistant Surgeon could not in any of the villages hear of a vaccinated child
having died of the disease.

55. Narsinghpur.—The lymph became inert at the end of June, but work
was recommenced at the end of September from lymph stored in tubes: and from
this aided by 10 tubes of English lymph, which all proved good, the vaccina-
tors were supplied and commenced work on the 1st November: 1 Municipal
Vaccinator was employed for the towns of Narsinghpur, Gadarwara and Chhind-
wara, the Hospital Assistants being relieved of this duty.

There was a falling off of 657 in the District vaccination and of 48 in the
Town vaccination, the decrease being due, the Civil Surgeon thinks, partly to the
hindrance the work sustained by the heavy rain in December and partly to
sickness among the staff.

The Vaccinators report the ratio of success as 99.64 including unknown
cases while the Civil Surgeon states it at 94.16 and the Native Superintendent
at 93.89. The Civil Surgeon was 57 days on tour, he saw each of the circles
and inspected 4,245 children.

The Native Superintendent visited each circle 2 or 3 times besides taking
the work of a sick vaccinator ; he is well reported of.

The Civil Surgeon reports that the large majority of the people are indif-
ferent in respect to vaccination, that the better educated appreciate it and com-
pare the immunity from small-pox now enjoyed with what was the case in
former years, but that the Brahmins are still strongly opposed to it, especially
at Birman. The Civil Surgeon thinks that there should be a " reserve" vaccin-
ator to take the place of any one falling sick.

                                   SMALL-POX.

144 cases of and 70 deaths from small-pox were reported during the year.

56. Hoshangabad.—The supply of lymph was kept up during the non-
working season at Head-quarters.

During the non-working season vaccinators were also employed on cholera
duty, and two in assisting the Civil Surgeon to test the accuracy of the vital
statistics of the town of Hoshangabad. The Vaccination circles were re-cast
during the non-working season, as it appeared that the distribution of work had
been unequal.