X
Appendix B.
THE VACCINE LYMPH DEPOT.
A depát for the distribution of animal (Bovine) lymph was established in the
Punjab, it was also arranged that during the six hot weather months this depôt should
remain at Murree, and in the six cold weather months at Amritsar. A 1st class Vaccinator
was deputed by me to take charge of the establishment, and he was granted a special
allowance of Rs. 5 per mensem. Previous to the establishment of the depôt the annual
vaccine operations were carried out partly with fresh lymph received from England and
partly with fresh human lymph collected by the Vaccinators of the Special Staff. The depôt
commenced working in January 1892 at Amritsar, Ishar Das, 1st class Vaccinator of the
Special Staff, being placed in charge. In April the depôt was re-opened at Murree, the same
Vaccinator being in charge till June 17th, 1892, when he was relieved by 1st class Vaccinator
Muhammad Sharif of the Special Staff. Strict orders were issued to him to renovate the
stock of buffalo lymph by inoculating every fourth calf with fresh human lymph. It had
also been decided that no lymph was to be obtained from England for use at the time of
the annual distribution of lymph— vide letter No. 3888, dated 9th October 1891, from the
Secretary to the Surgeon-General with the Government of India, to the Sanitary Commis-
sioner, Punjab.
On September 22nd, 1892, I proceded to Murree to superintend the annual supply of
lymph to the Civil Surgeons of the Punjab.
The first supply of lymph was sent out on the 21st and 22nd of September 1892,
the second supply was sent out on the 24th, the third supply was despatched on the 27th of
September, so that every Civil Surgeon had received nine tubes of lymph before the 1st of
October, the official date of commencing vaccine operations in the Punjab; at this time the
counterfoils giving the results of the lymph began to be received in this office, which
were found to be very unsuccessful. I had felt considerable anxiety as to whether animal
lymph could be successfully stored in tubes for transmission to the plains, so I had made
arrangements with the Vaccinators of the Special Staff to keep me supplied at this period
with tubes of fresh human lymph, and it is fortunate I did so. My mistrust of the efficacy
of stored Bovine lymph was due partly to my own experience and partly to the opinions of
the Vaccinators who regarded animal lymph as not being as trustworthy as human lymph
when stored. Immediately on the receipt of the first unsuccessful returns I made arrange-
ments to send out more supplies of lymph.
A fourth supply was sent out on the 6th October, of human lymph.
A fifth supply was sent out on the 10th October, of human lymph.
A sixth supply was sent out on the 11th October, of human lymph.
A seventh supply was sent out on the 13th, 14th and 19th October, also of human
lymph.
These latter supplies were sent out only to Civil Surgeons who had experienced
failure in the previous supplies.
Details of the results of the various supplies :— First supply of Bovine lymph des-
patched 21st and 22nd of September to thirty Civil Surgeons :—Successful 9, unsuccessful
20, broken in transit 1. Of the successful cases, in 5 cases only 1 vesicle was produced.
The best result was obtained in Gurdáspur with 9 insertions and 9 vesicles.
Second supply Bovine lymph to thirty Civil Surgeons :—Successful 13, unsuccessful 17;
4 cases showed 1 vesicle only, and in one case two modified vesicles were produced.
Gurdáspur again showed good results with 9 insertions and 9 vesicles; in this and in the
previous supply a buffalo calf was used as a vaccinifer.
Third supply Bovine to thirty Civil Surgeons :— Successful 10, unsuccessful 19, broken
1; 3 cases showed only one vesicle. Hazára reported 21 insertions and 17 vesicles, and Bannu
18 insertions and 12 vesicles. In Gurdáspur children were utilized and 18 insertions
produced 4 vesicles.
Fourth supply human lymph to twenty-four Civil Surgeons :—Successful 16, unsuc-
cessful 8.