3
REPORT ON THE WORKING OF THE KING INSTITUTE, GUINDY
conditions under which vaccinations are carried out in the Presidency. Another
point, however, requires serious consideration. An increased demand for lymph
can only be considered satisfactory when accompanied by a similar rise in the
returns for vaccinations performed, for it is only under these conditions that the
increase can be taken as an indication of an improvement in the vaccinal state of
the population in the Presidency. Unfortunately no proportional rise of this
nature has been recorded.
Last year it was pointed out that the fate of 40.7 per cent of the lymph issued
was unknown. This figure was calculated on returns for primary vaccinations
alone as the number of secondary and re-vaccinations had not been estimated.
In the year under report, however, a more detailed system of recording has been
-introduced and it has been possible to make a complete calculation of the returns
-for the various types of vaccination. The results are given in the following
table :—
Year.
Amount of
lymph issued.
Returns for
Percentage
of primary
vaccinations
recorded
to total
lymph
supplied.
Percentage
of all total.
Primary
vaccinations.
Secondary
vaccinations.
R e - vaccinations.
1921-22
...
...
1,830,000
1,084,352
Not calculated.
Not calculated. 59.2 per cent
•••
1922-23
...
...
2,079,915
953,708
118,940
198,262
45.8 per cent. 61.1 per cent.
Returns for only 61.1 per cent of the cases of lymph sent out have been
received this year. This figure is very little greater than that of last year (59.2
per cent) although the returns from all sources have been included for the present
year. The returns for this year's primary vaccinations are over 100,000 cases
less than last year. In fact if the estimate for the present year had been calcu-
lated in the same way as it was last year (i.e., from primary vaccination returns
alone) the percentage of cases accounted for would be only 45.8 per cent of the
total amount of lymph supplied. As the number of primary vaccinations is almost
exactly three times that of the secondary and re-vaccinations, it is most probable
that the biggest leakage is in the returns for primary vaccinations. It is almost
certain therefore that the amount of lymph unaccounted for during the year
under report is considerably greater than that recorded for the previous year.
Such a big discrepancy between the amount of lymph issued and the returns
received can only be due to—
(1) Wastage-of lymph,
(2) Inaccurate recording of results, or
(3) a combination of both these causes.
Wastage of lymph means an avoidable waste of public money. Inaccurate
returns spell the same thing, for want of accuracy renders them useless for
statistical purposes and the money, time and labour expended in collecting them is
therefore wasted. Either cause is thus sufficiently serious to justify more detailed
investigation.
During the year under report Government was provided with a statement
showing the amount of lymph supplied year by year to the various municipalities
for the years 1919-20, 1920-21 and 1921-22 and the number of operations
performed. In G.O. No. 827-P.H., dated the 22nd May 1923, Government reviewed
these figures and calculated the percentage of difference between the operations
performed and the amount of lymph supplied. No less than 27 municipalities
in 1921-22 had returned a larger number of operations than they could have
performed with the amount of lymph supplied to them, while the remainder
showed a shortage of returns which varied between 0.1 per cent and 81.4 per cent.
A similar calculation has been made as far as the districts are concerned for the
year under report. (Vide statement No. 2.) No less than 20 out of the 24