17
REPORT ON THE WORKING OF THE KING INSTITUTE, GUINDY
3. Seed vaccine lymph was supplied to Ceylon and Coorg during the year and
the French Settlements in Southern India received their supply of vaccine lymph
from the Institute.
4. Various sera and perishable medical supplies were as usual stored in the
cold room on behalf of the Veterinary Department. The institute also undertook
the packing and issue of these stores as required.
5. At the instance of the Public Health Board, of which the Director is a
member, a Committee consisting of the Director of Public Health and the Director,
King Institute, Guindy, was requested to report on the value of stabilised bleach
solution for the sterilization of water-supplies. The tests for this report were
carried out in the Public Health section of the Institute. As the results are very
striking the report which was forwarded with my letter R.C. No. 5017-12/B.,
dated the 22nd May 1923, is given as Appendix IX.
The main conclusions drawn from the experiments were:
—
( 1 ) T h a t s t a b i l i s e d b l e a c h r e t a i n e d i t s p e r c e n t a g e o f a v a i l a b l e c h l o r i n e
over long periods of time, and
( 2 ) W h e n s t o r e d i n g l a s s c o n t a i n e r s t h e r e s u l t s w e r e b e t t e r t h a n w h e n t h e
bleach was put up in zinc tins.
6. Health propaganda.— The Director is the nominated representative of the
Surgeon-General on the Health Propaganda Board. During the absence of the
Chairman, Mr. Swamikannu Pillai in England, the Director, acted as Chairman of
the Board for three months. During this period, with the aid of the Institute
staff and the services of a Photographer employed by the Board who worked at
the Institute, the lantern slides and charts in possession of the Board were
thoroughly inspected, re-catalogued and renovated. About 600 new lantern slides
were made in this way for the Board. A memorandum on the future policy of
the Board which gave a complete scheme for the formation of a central agency for
the organization of health propaganda throughout the Presidency was drawn up
by the Director of the Institute, approved by the Board and duly forwarded to
Government who passed orders on it (G.O. No. 234-P.H., dated 8th February 1923)
at the same time as they reviewed a memorandum on the same subject drawn up
by the Director of Public Health.
Members of the Institute staff have also undertaken the preparation of
propaganda material on behalf of the Madras Health Council, the newly formed
Central organization for Health Propaganda inaugurated by Her Excellency Lady
Willingdon, of which the Director is the Honorary Treasurer.
7. Travelling Railway Laboratory.—A comprehensive scheme with plans and
estimates for a travelling railway laboratory to be used for the examination of
the water-supplies on the various railway systems throughout the Presidency was
drawn up at the suggestion of the Director, King Institute, Guindy, and supplied
to the Railway Committee appointed by Government in their G.O. No. 1665-P.H.,
dated 1st December 1922. If the scheme is accepted this laboratory will be
based on the King Institute and organized in a manner similar to the Institute
investigation units with the added advantage that in this case the travelling
laboratory will be permanently fitted in a special railway carriage.
8. At the request of the Surgeon-General, the Senior Bacteriological Assist
- a n t t o o k t h e I n s t i t u t e m a l a r i a e x h i b i t s t o B a n g a l o r e a n d a r r a n g e d a d e m o n s t r a t i o n
at which the Surgeon-General delivered a lecture to the United Planters' Associa
- t i o n o f S o u t h e r n I n d i a .
VI.—EDUCATIONAL.
1. The usual vaccinators' class was held twice during the year under report.
A special class for Sanitary Inspectors already in service was also held so as to
enable these men to qualify themselves for the new Health Inspectors- posts.
The first-class vaccinators' class commenced on 16th January 1923 and termina
-ted on 27th January 1923. The second-class began on 5th February 1923 and
ended on 17th February 1923. Thirty-three students attended the first-class and
30 the second. Sixty-two received qualifying marks at the end of the course.
5