ix
APPENDIX A.
The Annual Vaccination Report of the Special Staff, Punjab, for the year 1894-95, by
H. J. DYSON, F.R.C.S., Surgeon-Captain, Deputy Sanitary Commissioner, Punjab.
Number of operations
performed by the Special
Staff.
I returned from leave in May 1894, and took over the post of Deputy Sanitary
Commissioner, Punjab, from Surgeon-Captain. James, I. M. S., on the 25th of that month.
During the year 1894-95 the Special Staff performed 58,578 primary operations and
24,657 re-vaccinations, yielding a total of 83,235, against 58,963
primary and 35,446 re-vaccinations, giving a total of 94,409 in the
year 1893-94. There is a decrease, therefore, of 11,174 during the
current season. The decrease is most marked in the number of re-vaccinations. This
decrease in re-vaccinations is due in all probability to the stringent orders recently issued
against the custom, which was formerly in vogue, of re-vaccinating chamárs and low-caste
children yearly to swell the numbers. The number of primary operations is almost identical
in both the two seasons. I had anticipated a considerable increase in primary operations
during the past season, but the Vaccinators were employed for five months in the Hill State
of Keonthal, and during that period were able to vaccinate only 5,053 persons. They met
with constant passive obstruction in this State. The proximity of the State of Keonthal
to Simla, owing to the large majority of its inhabitants being unprotected, is a grave and
standing menace to the health of that station. An attempt will again be made during
the present season to induce the Rája of Keonthal to insist on his people being properly
vaccinated.
Animal lymph.
2. 79,796 operations were performed with animal lymph during the year 1894-95,
against 76,704 in the preceding season, showing an increase of
3,092. Out of the total of 79,796, 1,206 operations were performed
with donkey lymph and 3 with goat lymph.
Donkey lymph.
3. Donkey lymph has now been used for the last five years by the Special Staff and
yields very satisfactory results. It is only employed where it is
found that the high caste Hindús refuse to use buffalo lymph.
It is most readily accepted in the towns and villages to the west of Delhi. As Hindustán
proper is approached it is found that the Hindús consider the donkey to be an unclean
animal and refuse to be vaccinated from it.
Goat lymph.
4. I have been unable to carry out any series of experiments with goat lymph owing
to my constantly moving about. It is not easy to raise a stock
of goat lymph, and in the Punjab, where buffalo lymph is being so
readily accepted, there appears to be no great necessity for its employment.
Inspections
by
the
Deputy Sanitary Commis-
sioner.
5. 1 inspected 1,068 primary operations and 134 re-vaccinations, total 1,202. The
number inspected is not great, but during the whole of the cold
weather vaccinating season I was busily engaged in examining the
health of towns and villages by means of the spleen test. This
report has been sent to the Sanitary Commissioner. The detail of the people inspected
is as follows :
With 6 cicatrices
...
...
...
=
„ 5 „ ... ... ... =
„ 4 „ ... ... ... =
„ 3 „ ... ... ... =
„ 2 „ ... ... ... =
„ 1 „ ... ... ... =
„ 0 „ ... ... ... =
Re-vaccinations successful
...
...
=
„ unsuccessful
...
...=
735
128
84
51
33
19
18
130
4
Primary vaccinations.
The quality of the work is good, for out of the total of 1,068 primary vaccinations
947 show 4 or more cicatrices, and 4 well-marked cicatrices are considered to yield great
protection.
Percentage of success.
6. The percentage of primary vaccinations found successful
is 98.31 and of re-vaccinations 97.01.
Cost.
7. The average cost per head of a successful operation during the year 1894-95 was
4 annas 7 pies, against 2 annas 7 pies in the preceding year.
This increase is due to the fact that in 1893-94 Surgeon-Captain
James officiated for the Deputy Sanitary Commissioner on a lower scale of pay; also in
that year for three months there was no Deputy Sanitary Commissioner. In the year
1892-93 the average cost per head was 4 annas 8 pies.