12
The percentages of successful primary vaccinations reported by Civil
Surgeons, Native Supervisors or other inspecting officers and Vaccinators are al-
most equal, except in the district of Gurgáon in which the success noted by the
Civil Surgeon was 80.00 and by Native Supervisors and other inspecting officers
and Vaccinators 91.00 and 96.09 respectively.
In cases of successful re-vaccinations, the differences in the percentages
are very great. In Ludhiána and Jhang the Civil Surgeons found 22.09 and
27.96 per cent. respectively of inspections successful, against 92.59 and 93.20
respectively by Civil Surgeons of Rohtak and Muzaffargarh. In Ludhiána
Native Supervisors or other inspecting officers found only 15.33 per cent. suc-
cessful, in Rohtak the percentage was as high as 94.40. In Ludhiána the success
reported by the Vaccinators was 25.13, in Jhelum it was reported to have been
89.54. Comment on these figures seems unnecessary. As observed by His Honor
the Lieutenant-Governor in his review on the note of vaccination for last year,
I am disposed to think that these variations are due to differences of opinion
as to what is to be considered an efficient re-vaccination.
Deputy Sanitary Com-
missioner's report on the
failure of animal lymph
supply.
33. Dr. Dyson, the Deputy Sanitary Commissioner,
in his letter No. 821, dated 25th November 1892, makes
the following remarks on the subject of the failure of the
animal lymph supply.
"I have the honor to report for your information that the animal lymph issued by
the Lymph Depôt at Murree is in my opinion of an unsatisfactory character.
"I have formed this opinion from personal observations in the Karnál district where
the vesicles are not typical vaccine vesicles. On arrival at Murree I found that only four
or five Medical Officers had returned the counterfoils showing the results of the lymph
despatched during the hot weather, I immediately had Reminder Postcards printed and
called for the results.
"I despatched the first supply of animal lymph on the 21st and 22nd and the third
supply was despatched on the 27th of September 1892 to enable all Civil Surgeons to com-
mence vaccine operations by the 1st of October 1892. I personally examined the calves and
found that the vesicles were fully developed. I also vaccinated children direct with satisfac-
tory results. Almost without exception these supplies failed completely in the plains.
"Not having had experience of animal lymph when transmitted by post to plain
stations, I, to prevent the failure of vaccine operations in the Punjab, arranged with the
Native Superintendents of the Special Staff, Punjab, to have ready a supply of fresh human
lymph in case of its being required. It is fortunate that these precautionary measures
were taken, since on the receipt of the unfavourable results I was in a position to supply
the Civil Surgeons with a supply of fresh and reliable human lymph. With the same
lymph which had failed in the plains I vaccinated successfully children in the hills and
from these children I then vaccinated calves for fresh supplies hoping by these means to
revive the lymph, though in no case, I am informed, had the lymph in the previous supplies
passed through more than four animals successively, though five is the maximum consider-
ed safe.
"During my tour in the cold weather in the Punjab I endeavoured to introduce the
practice of carrying animal lymph from one village to the next in tubes hoping to thus pre-
vent any inconvenience to the owners of buffalo calves. The results were, however, some-
what unsatisfactory and this experience made me suspicious of animal lymph when carried
in tubes and induced me to take precautionary measures to have human lymph available
in case necessity should arise during the annual distribution.
"Further,
I would beg to point out that this is the first time that English lymph has
not been received to renovate the stock. Under the circumstances I would solicit sanction
during the annual distribution to issue half animal and half human lymph sending out with
each supply instructions to the officers concerned to vaccinate separate calves with human
and animal lymph, using the former only in case of failure of the latter.
"Fearing that the source of the lymph supply of the Punjab may be faulty I have
wired to the N. W. P. and Bengal for fresh supplies of lymph to re-utilize the stock.
"To enable me to contrast the respective working values of animal and human lymph
I would beg most respectfully to suggest that half the indents received in future be
supplied by the Animal Lymph Depôt and half by me with human lymph received direct
from my Vaccinators. The results to be compared at the end of the cold weather, com-
mencing from 1st December 1892. Dr. Mulroney, Civil Surgeon of Amritsar, has also been
asked to test the lymph on children in Amritsar when sending out supplies."