10
In the Amritsar, Gurdáspur and Lahore Districts the majority of the
operations were done with animal lymph. That system was also extensively used
in the Siálkot, Gurgáon, Gujrát and Grujránwála Districts, and a considerable
number of persons were vaccinated with animal lymph in the districts of Rohtak,
Delhi, Hoshiárpur, Ludhiána, Montgomery and Hazára.
The reasons assigned
by the Civil Surgeons of
certain districts for not
using animal lymph for
vaccination purposes.
20. The Civil Surgeon of Umballa reports that, owing to the difficulty of
procuring calves or buffalo calves, animal vaccination was
found impracticable in that district. Had as much tact
and perseverance been shown by the Umballa Vaccination
Staff as were shown by the staff in the neighbouring
districts of Ludhiána and Hoshiárpur, a different result might have been obtained.
The Civil Surgeon of Kángra says that no attempt was made to introduce
animal vaccination into that district, as the system in force has worked
satisfactorily for the last two years, and he ' considers that it would be difficult
to say what the result of introducing any innovations among the people of
the Kángra Valley might be. The people in Kángra are for the most part
bigoted Hindús, and therefore the method of buffalo lymph vaccination
should be introduced very cautiously, but, on the other hand, there are strong
reasons why animal lymph should be used instead of human lymph in the
Kángra District.
The Civil Surgeon of Ferozepore states that animal lymph vaccination
was not introduced into that district because the population consists chiefly
of Hindu Sikhs, who are averse to this mode of vaccination. He seems to
forget that in the year 1888-89, in the district of Amritsar, which is the strong-
hold of Sikhism, 50,388 out of a total of 54,286 vaccinations were performed
with animal lymph. The inhabitants of the frontier districts are for the
most part ignorant and prejudiced; in these districts the good effect of vaccina-
tion is only just beginning to be appreciated, and animal lymph will have to
be introduced very cautiously. There were 150 persons vaccinated with
animal lymph in Kohát District during the past season, and the Deputy
Commissioner and Civil Surgeon are of opinion that the number of operations
will be greatly increased next year.
More than 26 per cent of
the total vaccinations were
performed
with animal
lymph.
21. In the Province, as a whole, there were 246,105
animal lymph vaccinations performed during the year, more
than 26 per cent. of the total number vaccinated. Of
these vaccinations, 241,014 were done with buffalo and
5,091 with calf lymph.
The people not opposed
to the use of animal
lymph.
22. In almost every district into which animal lymph has been
introduced to any considerable extent, Civil Surgeons
report that the people generally prefer it to human lymph,
as it obviates the necessity of making use of children as
vaccinifers. Some Civil Surgeons report that they cannot distinguish between
the results of human and animal lymph vaccinations ; others state that, when
animal lymph is used, the fever is rather more pronounced and the inflammatory
areola is larger. From what I have seen I am inclined to believe that the
areola is slightly larger than it is when human lymph is used.
Statement showing the
number of vaccinations in-
spected by Civil and Assist¬
ant Surgeons and Native
Supervisors.
23. The following statement gives the number of vaccinations inspected
by Civil Surgeons and Assistant Surgeons during the year,
as well as the numbers inspected by Native Supervisors.
It also contains the number of vaccinations found to be
successful in each district and the percentages of successful
cases:—