57
most unfortunately short of lymph, which at no time was overabundant. At times,
as many as a hundred and fifty or two hundred have at once attended at the vaccinat-
ing stations, applying for the operation. These required, at the least, from 10 to 15
vaccinifers, and we could scarcely command two or three. To give, therefore, the
bare chance of an escape, we were compelled, however reluctantly, by the earnest
entreaties of the anxious parents, to use good, bad, and indifferent lymph, and we always
warned them of the extreme likelihood of the operation failing when the lymph used
was not of first-rate quality ; then the lymph received in hermetically sealed capillary
tubes from the different Superintendents of Vaccination from the Mofussil was used,
and in the majority of instances proved unsuccessful. A drowning man catches at a straw ;
and our condition, and that of the applicants for vaccination, was no better. With all
our shifts, it now and again happened that some persons had to go away unvaccinated ;
and some, arriving too late at the stations, had even to come two or three successive
days before they could be vaccinated. There can be no doubt that had the Vaccine
Department always had fresh, and good, lymph at command, many more would have
been vaccinated, and many thus saved from falling victims to that fell, but easily
preventible, disease and scourge of humanity—small-pox. But this state is now
changed by the introduction of animal vaccination, and we shall henceforth be always
in a position to have an abundant and independent supply of fresh lymph from the
cow direct, and be able to vaccinate any number that may apply—at any rate during
some days of the week-all the year round; except, indeed, the Government, the
Municipality, and the generous, philanthropic, and charitably-disposed millionaires of
this place become so indifferent to the cause of vaccination as to withdraw their sup-
port from it altogether.
Sex, Caste, and Age.
2. Of the total vaccinated, 5,192 were males and 4,030 females : 6,104 Hindoos,
1,336 Mahomedans, 805 Christians, 833 Parsees, and
144 of other castes, chiefly Jews; 3,528 were under
and 5,694 above one year of age.
Percentage of Success.
3. Of the total operations performed, 6,002, or a percentage of 84.0, were suc-
cessful; 1,141 unsuccessful, and in 2,079 the results
could either be not ascertained, or were of a doubt-
ful nature. Amongst the latter are included many of the cases of re-vaccination, for
the most part of the children to be admitted into the European schools—the rules of
these Institutions requiring that every child be vaccinated, or re-vaccinated, as the case
may be, before the pupil is admitted.
Introduction of Animal Vaccine.
4.- The most important and interesting feature of the vaccine operations during
the past year has been the successful establishment,
by Dr. Blane, Superintendent of Vaccination, West-
ern Circle, of animal vaccination in Bombay. It was on the 19th of December 1869
that Dr. Blanc inoculated the first heifer, belonging to Superintendent Tighe, of the
Bombay Police, who obligingly allowed us the use of it for the purpose, with ani-
mal vaccine lymph brought with him from England, in the presence of the Superin-
8 v s