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APPENDIX D.
Annual Vaccination Report of Deputy Sanitary Commissioner, Punjab, for 1897-98.
The office of Deputy
Sanitary Commissioner.
1. The office of Deputy Sanitary Commissioner was held by Surgeon-Captain G. Y
C. Hunter, with the exception of two days, from April 1st to June
6th. He officiated while Surgeon Captain James was on leave and
on special plague duty at Bombay. The latter took over charge on
April 3rd, and gave over charge on April 6th to proceed to Bombay. He again took over
charge on June 7th, and remained in office for the rest of the year.
Since October 21st he
has been on special plague duty in the Jullundur district.
Vaccinations performed
by the special staff.
2. The Special Staff Vaccinators show, by their returns, that they have performed
103,135 vaccinations during the year, of which 72,031 were primary
and 31,104 re-vaccinations. This is an increase on previous years,
the increase being wholly in primary operations. There has been a
decrease of 3,009 in re-vaccinations. The total results, if reliable, are satisfactory. But this
year, owing to the Deputy Sanitary Commissioner being unavoidably so largely engaged on
plague duty, there has not been the same supervision of the work as in previous years, and
during the winter months, when most of the work is done, no inspections were made and con-
sequently there has been little check on the returns sent in. There are reasons for believing
that in many cases exaggerated returns have been submitted. For instance up till January
the Vaccinators were using vaseline lymph as well as fresh calf lymph. In February the
supply for reasons, which will be given later, entirely ceased. This, instead of causing a,
diminution in the number of vaccinations performed, had the effect of producing an increase.
That is to say, the Vaccinators were able to do more work with one source of lymph than
with two sources. Again the largest number of vaccinations have been performed in out-of-
the-way places which are difficult to inspect. The 23,617 operations in Chamba State
by two
raised suspicions. But on enquiry from the State Medical Officer, we
were assured that the number was correct as vaccination had been made compulsory in
the State, and State officials accompanied the Vaccinators in their work from village to
village. However, we have not the same assurance from places like Bashahir and Sirmoor
States, where the population is small, but a large number of operations were performed.
The quality of the work seems to have improved. In primary operations 88.75 were
successful as against 86.93 last year, and in re-vaccinations 69.07 as against 61.84 in the
previous year. " Unknown" cases have, as usual, been reckoned with the "unsuccessful"
ones.
Kinds of lymph.
3. Three kinds of lymph have been used in the Province—
fresh buffalo calf lymph, human fresh lymph, and stored vaseline
vaccine.
The following table gives the results obtained from each of these vaccines. '' Un-
known " results are excluded in the columns of percentages : —
NATURE OF LYMPH.
Fresh buffalo
lymph.
Fresh human
lymph.
Stored
vaseline
vaccine.
Total ...
PRIMARY.
Successful.
32,258
6,154
25,499
63,911
Unsuccessful.
480
175
1,337
1,992
Unknown.
2,644
456
3,028
6,128
Total.
35,382
6,785
29,864
72,031
RE-VACCINATION.
Successful.
1,293
10,779
9,412
21,484
Unsuccessful.
690
2,025
3,117
5,832
Unknown.
633
935
2,220
3,788
Total.
2,616
13,739
14,749
31,104
PERCENTAGES OF
SUCCESSES, EXCLUD¬
ING UNKNOWN
CASES.
Primary.
98.58
97.23
95.02
96.97
Re-vaccination.
65.20
84.18
75.12
78.65
Human lymph was used almost exclusively in Chamba State, where the people preferred it to
other forms of vaccine and buffalo calves were difficult to procure.