8

During the year the Act was extended to two towns, Gondia in Bhandara
and Malkapur in Buldana. During the triennium, in order to facilitate the working
of the Act, several Municipalities have obtained permission to appoint the
Medical Officer in charge of the Headquarter Dispensary, as additional Super-
intendent of Vaccination.

The Civil Surgeon of Amraoti (Colonel Buchanan) complains that Munici-
palities are not allowed to employ Vaccinators on higher salaries than those laid
down in Gazette Notification No. 1310, dated the 23rd December 1910, but
there is a slight misunderstanding as there is nothing in these rules to prevent a
Municipality paying what they like for a Vaccinator.

Mortality from small-pox
and persons successfully vacci-
nated during the year.

22. Deaths from small-pox numbered 2,419 or 0.22 per 1,000 of population
against 0.29 in 1909-10 and 0.69 in 1908-09 and the
proportion of population protected by vaccination was
44 57 per mille in 1910-11, as compared with 42.08 and
43.40 in the two preceding years. Inspection of school children in several
districts has shown that frequently a large proportion are unprotected, as the
Department is now in the hands of the District Councils, who also control most
of the schools, by representation at the Council meetings there should be no
difficulty in remedying this state of affairs.

A point I would lay stress upon is the vaccination of the children of gangs
of wandering tribes, professional musicians and such like; these people are
especially prone to skin diseases and small-pox,and as they wander from district
to district they tend to spread the latter disease. A few years ago a severe
epidemic of small-pox in Raipur was proved to originate in this manner.

General Remarks

23. In the last triennial report it was stated that it was then too early to form
an opinion as to the improvement or otherwise resulting
from the transfer of the administrative control of the
vaccinating staff to the District Local Boards. I think that there can be no
doubt now that the change was a wise one, although the executive control is
still, as there is no alternative, in the hands of the Civil Surgeon, and its
efficiency entirely dependent upon the degree of supervision exercised ; there are
many indications that the District Councils are beginning to realise their respon-
sibilities towards vaccination and to take an interest in its progress. In order to
secure more uniformity in procedure and results it would be advisable to have
an up-to-date Manual of Vaccination for the Province.

            W. H. KENRICK, MAJOR, I. M. S.,