5
Special, Cantonment and
Dispensary Staffs.
9. I give a similar statement showing the working
of the Special Staff, the Cantonment Vaccination Staff
and the Dispensary Staff: —
Special Staff ... ...
Cantonment Staff ... ...
Dispensary Staff ... ...
PRIMARY VACCI¬
------.
1896-97.
67,780
4,875
3,737
1897-98.
72,031
5,185
1,241
1898-99.
62,196
4,419
888
SECONDARY VACCI¬
------.
1896-97.
34,113
4,218
2,227
1897-98.
31,104
1,482
567
1898-99.
14,742
1,373
335
PERCENTAGE OF
PRIMARY SUCCESSFUL
CASES.
1896-97.
86.93
91.92
89,11
1897-98.
88.73
95.08
80.50
1898-99.
88.68
93.51
85.59
PERCENTAGE OF
SECONDARY SUCCESS-
--- CASES.
1896-97.
61.84
66.00
64.53
1897-98.
69.07
80.70
52.91
1898-99.
56.83
73.93
62.99
Deputy Sanitary Com-
missioner's Report.
10. Captain E. Wilkinson, I.M.S., Deputy Sanitary Commissioner, has
submitted a very full and interesting report on the work
performed by the Special Staff, which is directly under his
supervision. His report is given as Appendix E.
Cause of decrease in
1897-98.
11. The decrease in the number of operations performed by the District
Staff in 1897-98 and consequently in the number of success-
ful operations is attributed by Civil Surgeons to several
causes. They are—
(1) failure of the vaseline vaccine supply; (2) difficulty of procuring
buffalo calves for vaccination purposes; (3) introduction of the system of
working in a body instead of in pairs; (4) prevalence of small-pox; (5)
excessive sickness from fever; (6) carelessness on the part of Vaccinators;
(7) greater efficiency in supervision by the Divisional Inspectors; and (8)
antagonism on the part of the people to vaccination.
A separate report on this subject has already been submitted to Govern¬
ment in which I made the following observations on each cause of decrease in the
order above noted.
(1) Failure of vaseline lymph.—This is a matter in which we must
expect a deal of antagonism, but having worked with it so successfully myself
when I was Civil Surgeon in Ráwalpindi, I can only say that when proper
arrangements are made and our depôts properly fitted with the necessary
appliances and under good supervision, this all disappears.
(2) The second cause is the difficulty of procuring buffalo calves.—This is
quite true; it is no exaggeration to say that in some districts, for instance,
Lahore, Gurdáspur and Gurgáon, vaccination work has been at a standstill,
and could not get on until the support of the Deputy Commissioner was sought.
The villagers should have no objection to giving or selling their buffalo heifers,
but they have for some unknown reason or another: this difficulty will also
no doubt be overcome in time.
(3) The third cause, viz., introduction of the system of working in a body
instead of in pairs.—Lieutenant-Colonel Roe, I.M.S., has very fully explained
to Government (see this Circular No. 2, dated 28th February 1898) his reasons
for introducing the system. It was introduced in 1896, and has only been two
years in force. This may account to some extent for the falling off in primary
vaccinations, but I would not alter the system at least for another year or so
until I am thoroughly satisfied that this is one of the causes.
(4 and 5) Reasons 4 and 5. The prevalence of small-pox is assigned by
the Civil Surgeons of Dera Ismail Khan and Dera Gházi Khan as a cause of
the decrease in primary vaccinations. I should have thought that people
would have come more willingly to be vaccinated when small-pox is prevalent
than when it is not. I cannot consider this a good reason for the decrease..
With regard to excessive sickness from fevers as causing a decrease, there is
good reason for believing such to be the case, as fevers prostrate the people,
particularly the children, and so weaken the constitution as to render them
unfit for the operation.