13
The highest percentage of success in
primary cases 100.0 per cent. was observ-
ed by the District Health Officer of
Jessore and the Civil Surgeon of Darjee-
ling; in re-vaccinations the maximum
97.5 per cent. was noted by the District
Health Officer, Rangpur. On the other
hand only 23.8 per cent. of the primary
and 14.8 per cent. of the re-vaccination
cases inspected were found to be success-
ful by the District Health Officers of
Bakarganj and Mymensingh respectively.
(b) So far as the municipal inspecting
staff was concerned, the highest percen-
tage of primary cases (80.0) was inspect-
ed in the municipalities of Dinajpur dis-
trict, and of re-vaccinations (63;2) in
those of Hooghly, the lowest 4.6 for
primary and 4.9 for re-vaccinations be-
ing noted by the Howrah municipal staff.
A success of 100.0 per cent. in
primary cases was recorded by the
Jessore and Jalpaiguri municipal staff,
and of 75.5 per cent. in re-vaccination by
that of Nadia. The minimum percen-
tage of success in primary cases (81.9)
and in re-vaccinations (13.02) was regis-
tered in the municipalities of Bankura.
(c) The rural inspecting staff inspected
the highest percentage of primary cases
(83.8) in Darjeeling district and that of
re-vaccinations (66.3) in the Chittagong
Hill Tracts while at the other end only
1.8 per cent. of the primary cases and
1.4 per cent. of re-vaccinations were
inspected by the rural staff of Malda and
Mymensingh districts. The inspection
percentage of Birbhum, Bankura, Pabna
and Malda staff in primary cases and of
Birbhum, Bankura, Midnapur, Nadia,
Jessore, Khulna, Rajshahi, Jalpaiguri,
Pabna, Malda, Mymensingh, Chittagong
and Tippera staff in re-vaccinations is
extremely low, being below 10 per cent.
This state of affairs is to be highly depre-
cated, since it is certain to lead to a dete-
rioration of vaccination work both in
quantity and quality which is extremely
undesirable especially at the present stage
when the whole province has already been
in the throes of. an epidemic of small-pox
since 1924 and a still worse pandemic is
apprehended to start about 1930-33.
The Malda staff noted the highest per-
centage of success (98.4) in primary
cases and Midnapur 96;8 in re-vaccina-
tions. The minimum 86.8 per cent. in
primary cases and 28.4 per cent. in re-
vaccinations was registered by Mymen-
singh and Burdwan staff respectively. I
am inclined to doubt the accuracy of
these percentages especially in re-vaccina-
tion cases. In my experience even a 50
per cent. success in revaccination cases is
hardly attained and 96.8 per cent. success
as observed by the Midnapur staff is
absurd. A scratch mark on the skin is
not to be taken as an index of success
unless there is foveation; of course I ex-
clude cases of accelerated reaction which
are never noticed by the inspecting staff.
15. Bengal Vaccine Depot.—During
the year under review, 2,958 calves were
vaccinated against 2,883 in the previous
year, but pulp could be collected from
2,664 calves only. The average yield of
pulp per calf was 250.76 grains against
201.09 in 1926-27, the increased average
being due to the matting system of vacci-
nation introduced during the
year.
3,340,098 grains of lymph were manu-
factured in 1927-28 and this along with
the previous year's balance of 235,877
grains and 168,960 grains purchased
from the United Provinces Government
constituted a total stock of 3,744,935
grains, of which 3,574,274 grains were
issued during the year, leaving a balance
of 1,706,661 grains in hand on the 1st
of April 1928. The supply of lymph
has increased by more than 100 per cent.
in the course of the last 6 years, from
1,507,487 grains in 1921-22 to 3,574,274
grains in 1927-28. Only glycerinated
lymph was issued to the local bodies. All
lymph manufactured is stored up in a
large
Frigidaire
cabinet
at
the
Vaccine Depot at a temperature
below the freezing point. In view
of the intensive campaigns of vac-
cination already started by practically
every local body to meet the apprehended
pandemic of 1930-33, a huge reserve
supply is required to be maintained
which it is impossible for the Vaccine
Depot to manufacture due to the paucity
of calves available in the market. It is,
therefore, absolutely essential to supple-
ment the local production by purchase of
an extra quantity of lymph either from
other provinces or import it from
abroad.
16. General
Remarks.—It
has
already been stated that the quinquennial
outbreak of small-pox which started in
1924 is still continuing and that a
4