9
23. Excluding Karaikudi, the rate of successful vaccinations per mille of
population ranged from 19.9 in Palakole to 71.6 in Proddatur. Although Calicut
returned a rate of 109.3 it may be ignored from consideration on account
of the unreliability of the vaccination records. The rates were below 30 per
mille in Chidambaram (29.4), Parlakimedi (28.5), Tadpatri (28.3), Tirupati (27.4),
Gudiyāttam (27.3), Erode (22.9) and Palakole (19.9); the unsatisfactory state of
vaccination in these towns is due either to defective supervision over the vacci
nation staff or bad registration of vital statistics or both. None of these places
possesses a Health Officer, and if improvement of vaccination and other branches
of public health administration is to be effected, the councils concerned should
seriously consider the question of the appointment of Health Officers.
24. The number of successful infantile vaccinations during the triennium
under report showed an increase of 11,100 over the previous three-year period.
The ratio of successful vaccinations in children under one year to registered
births ranged during 1928-29 from the minimum of 34.5 per cent. in Chingleput
Municipality to 100.0 in Nandyal. Taking into consideration the infant morta
lity rates, proportion of sick children, removals, etc., ratios below 50 per cent
of births, if the latter are enumerated correctly, indicate backwardness in
administration; judged from this basis, 18 towns come under the above category,
the worst instances being Chingleput (34.5), Vizagapatam (37.6), Chidambaram
(38.6), Mannargudi (38.7), Cannanore (41.4), Nellore (41.5) and Walajapet (43.6).
The attention of the municipal councils of these towns is drawn to the defects.
Rates above 80 per cent require to be judged with a good deal of caution ; if the
births are understated whilst the infantile vaccination figures are complete, it is
obvious that the ratio of the latter to the former will be very high—even exceeding
100 per cent. It is not at all improbable that Bodinayakkanur, Cochin and
Nandyal municipalities, the rates of which are 94 to 100 per cent come under the
above group. In none of these towns, the infant mortality rates are negligible
and judged from this single factor alone, the returns of these places are
unreliable.
25. According to the report of the Director of the King Institute, lymph for
2,118,035 cases was issued to district boards and municipalities during 1928-29 and
the number of operations for which returns have been received is 1,976,982. The
difference of 141,053 represents approximately the wastage which amounts to 6.7
per cent. The proportion of wastage from the north-eastern districts of the Presi
dency is rather high and this is to be attributed to the discarding of the lymph on
account of its deterioration in transit during the floods in the year in the above
districts. But for this, the proportion of wastage would have been lower.
26. The expenditure incurred on the vaccination establishments employed by
the several agencies and the average cost per successful case are given in the
following statement:—
Establishment.
Government ...
Local Fund ...
Municipal ...
Cantonment ...
Total ...
Total expenditure.
1926-27.
RS.
18,415
4,58,780
74,331
4,895
5,56,423
A.
13
13
15
0
11
P.
11
5
9
0
1
1927-28.
RS.
18,451
4,89,030
99,210
4,541
6,11,233
A.
9
2
3
6
5
P.
2
6
6
0
2
1928-29.
RS.
22,063
5,10,788
1,05,135
4,479
6,42,467
A.
12
12
3
15
11
P.
0
4
3
11
6
Average cost of each successful
case.
1926-27.
RS.
0
0
0
0
0
A.
10
5
7
10
6
P.
4
11
7
4
2
1927-28.
RS.
0
0
0
0
0
A
8
6
8
9
6
P.
11
1
9
4
8
1928-29.
RS.
0
0
0
0
0
A.
12
6
11
8
7
P.
10
6
5
10
1
The slight increase in the cost per case is partly due to the employment of
additional Health Inspectors.
2