REPORT ON THE WORKING OF THE KING INSTITUTE, GUINDY
7
S t a t e me n t 1 s h o ws t h a t t h e s u p p l i e s t o t h e v a r i o u s b o d i e s h a v e i n c r e a s e d
with the exception of the Military Department, District Boards and Municipalities.
The District Boards have received 236,700 cases and Municipalities 3,410 cases
less than the previous year. This decrease is undoubtedly due to the cessation
of routine vaccination during the hot months sanctioned in Government Memo.
No. 8121-P.H., dated 16th May 1921, and G.O. No. 860-P.H., dated 19th
J u l y 1 9 2 1 , a n d b r o u g h t i n t o e f f e c t f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e d u r i n g t h e p r e s e n t y e a r .
In previous years the monthly returns for primary vaccinations, which may be
taken as a fair criterion of the amount of lymph issued, did not differ to any
great extent. In the present year, however, the number of primary vaccinations
recorded during May and June was almost negligible and those carried out in
July and August were considerably below the average. The number of vaccina-
tions carried out during the remaining months, although higher than those of
previous years, did not compensate fully for the diminished returns received
between May and August and a decrease in the total number of vaccinations
recorded for the whole year has been the result.
It is certain that the number of cases requiring vaccination was not less than
that of previous years and there is thus a certain increase in the unvaccinated
population. This state of affairs should be remedied by intensifying the vaccina-
tion campaign during the winter months rather than by a return to hot weather
vaccination, for it will be shown in a subsequent section that the cessation of
vaccination in the hot weather has had a beneficial effect on the success rates.
The usual tri-monthly supplies of lymph have been made to the whole Presi-
dency with the exception of the Agency vaccinators of Vizagapatam and Gōdā vari
districts and the vaccinators of Polavaram range to whom lymph was sent twice
a month.
61,562, doses of bacterial vaccine has been issued from the Microbiological
section during the year. The number of specimens examined was 6,291.
II—FINANCIAL.
An attempt has been made for the first time this year to produce a financial
statement which will show the earning capacity of the Institute as opposed to
its cost of upkeep.
In past years Government has been satisfied with a statement which gave the
running costs of the Vaccine section alone. The only reference to the cost of up-
keep of the Microbiological section was to be found in the annual budget statement
of the institute. The actual cost of production of the vaccine lymph was debited
to the local bodies concerned. The value of the bacterial vaccines issued was not
estimated and no attempt was made to balance expenditure against earning
capacity. The King Institute has thus always appeared on the debit side of the
balance sheet and has never been given credit for the value of the medical com-
modities which it supplies both to the Government and to the general public.
These supplies, however, have a very definite market value and, if they were not
obtainable from a Government Institution, would have to be purchased by
Government at considerably enhanced rates from private firms, who have, of
necessity, to make a profit from the sale of such articles. It is only right therefore
that Government should recognize the value of the King Institute as a money-making
concern which saves them from competition in the open market. The financial
statement is given in statement No. II. This statement requires little explanation.
Both the sections have been dealt with separately, the combined total for the whole
Institute being given at the foot of the table. The expenditure incurred in
running each section can only be shown approximately for it has not been found
possible to fix the exact proportional expenditure incurred by each section for
certain stores common to both. The accuracy of the combined totals, however,
remain unaffected. The value of the vaccine lymph supplied has been estimated
at one anna per case, this being the sanctioned rate at which vaccine lymph is
supplied to private bodies.