5
Umballa, Simla, Kángra and Lahore, the Civil Surgeons found little or
no time to inspect a sufficient number of cases. On the whole, the inspection
work of the Department was satisfactory.
Vaccination in Native
States.
27. Complete returns for the triennial period have been received from
the Native States of Patiála, Kapurthala, and Farídkot.
In Patiála and Kapurthala there has been a considerable
decrease in vaccinations during the last two years in consequence of the pre-
valence of plague.
Vaccination Act.
28. During the year 1901-02, there was no addition to the number of
municipal towns that have adopted the Compulsory Vac-
cination Act, It will be seen on reference to Appendix A
to this report that in some of these towns, as for instance in Delhi, there was a
large number of children remaining unvaccinated at the end of the year 1901-02.
This shows that though these towns have adopted the provisions of the Act,
they are not enforced as they should be, but these towns, as a whole, have a
smaller proportion of children unvaccinated than those in which the Act is not
in force.
With reference to the remarks made in Government of India letter No.
1926, dated the 18th October 1901, and in Punjab Government letter No. 1343,
dated the 11th November 1901, on the subject of improvement of vaccinations
in towns, I have in my tours of inspection urged on Civil and Medical Officers
and Municipal Committees the necessity of persuasion being brought to bear
both in respect to the introduction of the Vaccination Act and the vaccination
of children where the Act is not in force.
Success of the vaseline
vaccine paste and animal
lymph.
29. An estimate of the amount of success attained by vaccination
done with either vaseline vaccine paste or animal lymph
can be made by taking the figures of the vaccination
operations done in the Miánwáli District with both
varieties. Of the 8,848 primary vaccinations performed by the District Staff with
animal lymph, 8,747 or 99.7 per cent. were successful. Of the 7,131 primary
operations performed mostly by the Special Staff with vaseline vaccine paste,
5,824 or 91.9 per cent. were successful, the reason for the vaseline vaccine
being less successful than the fresh animal lymph is that the vaseline vaccine
was used in the warmer months when the percentage of success is always less
with all kinds of vaccine lymph. Another reason is that the vaccine used is
prepared at the Animal Lymph Depôt without the direct supervision of a Deputy
Sanitary Commissioner. Taking all this into consideration the percentage
of success is very fairly good.
Glycerine lymph.
30. The instructions of the Government of India for a trial on a large
scale of glycerinated lymph could not be carried out for
want of a whole time Deputy Sanitary Commissioner.
The apparatus for the manufacture of glycerine lymph referred to in paragraph
13 of the notes on vaccination for 1900-01 was received from England
in May 1901, but Captain Wilkinson had no time to spare from his
plague work for the preparation of this lymph. His continued employ-
ment on plague duty also prevented his carrying on the experi-
ments with regard to the protection afforded by vaseline vaccine paste.
These facts as well as the falling off in the work of the Special Staff all point
to the absolute necessity for a Deputy Sanitary Commissioner who can devote
the whole of his time to the duties of vaccination. Expensive apparatus has been
obtained from England for the preparation of vaccine, but it must remain idle
while there is no officer to use it. In my report for the year 1898-99 I
pointed out the necessity for the careful preparation of vaccine in a Central
Depôt for the whole province, this matter which is of the very greatest import-
ance cannot be proceeded with until an officer is provided who can carry out
the experiments ordered by the Government of India in their letter No. 63,
dated 8th January 1900. As pointed out last year, I could not carry out these