TRIENNIAL REPORT ON VACCINATION IN BURMA FOR THE YEARS 1917-18 TO 1919-20.
5
Lashio has of recent years always headed the list of offenders.
Calves were obtained by purchase in the district and the local bazaar.
Owing to the proximity of a huge camp of Turkish prisoners, the price of stock
rose enormously and suitable animals were difficult to obtain. Fodder also
reached famine prices. The average cost per calf was Rs. 13-8-0 and the price
realized on sale Rs. 9-0-0, so that the loss per calf was Rs. 4-8-0, to which must
be added feeding charges amounting to Rs. 3-6-0 per calf—making the total cost
of each calf Rs. 7-14-0. It ought to be possible to reduce this amount consider-
ably in the future when conditions become normal.
The output consisted entirely of glycerinated lymph. This was stored in
the refrigerator for varying periods before issue, usually one month, but the
exigencies of supply, shortage of calves, outbreaks of foot and mouth disease,
and defects in the refrigerating machinery made it impossible to store the lymph
as long as is desirable.
As is well known storage at a low temperature gradually reduces the
extraneous organisms present in all lymphs and since these are largely responsible
for the violent and painful reaction that sometimes follows vaccination, their
elimination is most desirable.
The refrigerator itself after being thoroughly overhauled in 1918 worked well,
but the two engines, gas and oil, which supplied the motive power, caused endless
trouble. Moreover, the building which shelters both the refrigerator and engines
being made of corrugated iron—the difficulty of maintaining a low temperature
during the hot months can be easily imagined.
It was also hoped that a large enough stock of lymph could be collected
during the cool months of December, January and February, when calf vaccina-
tion is at its best, to carry on through the hot weather and stop calf vaccination
altogether during April and May. This hope proved vain—but enough has been
done to show that the idea is perfectly feasible.
Plans and estimates for a new building for the refrigerator have been drawn
up and the work will soon, I hope, be put in hand.
All lymph is sent out in capillary tubes and after many experiments a good
method of closing these tubes without the aid of heat was evolved. This consists
in plugging their ends with a mixture of plaster of Paris and a very concentrated
solution of gum acacia—the end of the tube being afterwards dipped in a resinous
mixture, impervious to air or moisture.
The exclusion of air is in my opinion essential, not only to prevent risk of
contamination but also to secure maximum longevity for the lymph, and no
system that involves the use of bottles, collapsible leaden tubes, etc., each
containing 20 to 50 doses, can approach 'the capillary tubes as a medium of
distribution.
A large number of experiments were carried out with a view of finding a
better preservative than glycerine, but without success. Glycerine still holds the
field against all comers. A further series of experiments were undertaken with
a view of getting rid of extraneous organisms more rapidly than by the slow
process of freezing them out. Chloroform vapour does this, but unfortunately
it also reduces the longevity of the lymph, so the cure is worse than the disorder.
Vapour of Amyl Alcohol gave fairly good result, but hardly sufficient to justify
its use. Certain essential oils were also tried, but one and all failed.
The quality of the lymph was good throughout the past year. The only
complaint received was from the Medical Officer, Paletwa, and delay in trans-
mission to this distant station was evidently the cause of the deterioration.
The total cost of the Vaccine Depôt last year was Rs. 26,259-6-8 but
Rs. 4,704-4-9 was repaid on account of the sale of calves and lymph, and the net
cost was Rs. 21,555-1-11 as compared with Rs. 17,928-12-5 in 1917-18 and
Rs. 20,396-5-11 in 1918-19. The cost of each dose of lymph issued was 3.87
pies in 1919-20, 4.73 pies in 1918-19 and 5.32 pies in 1917-18, so that the
increased expenditure may be said to have justified itself.
In the Rangoon Municipal Vaccine Depôt, 59 calves were inoculated yielding
an average of 29.4 grammes each. The lymph was not issued until the calves
had been slaughtered and examined by a Veterinary Officer, who certified them