( 2 )
The immunity conferred by Vaccination becomes less and less after
the lapse of 9 or 10 years; hence in all Civilised countries it is the practice
to re-vaccinate all children under 12 years. In Germany this is compulsory
(1873-1874), and was a factor in the comparative freedom of the German
army from Small-pox in the Franco-Prussian War of the seventies.
Vaccination as distinguished from inoculation, was first introduced
into India in 1799.
Etiology.
The causative organism is unknown, but that has not prevented
various protozoal bodies being described as such;
the most important of these being the Cytoryctes
Variolæ or the Guarnieri bodies (1892). These are described as small
spherical homogeneous bodies found in the cells of the skin
Councilman, Magrath, Calkins (1903) and later De Korté (1905)
"confirmed" these findings and went so far as to weave a life history of
the parasite which is generally considered to be the outcome of a keen
imagination and a sense of farther sight; one might almost say in this case,
"Perception" was Father to the parasite."
Dissemination.
The method of the spread of the disease is indefinite; various
agencies, the breath, clothes, and especially the
air, have been cited. We can only say with
certainty that the virus, whatever its nature is diffusible by air for distances
of 3/4 to 1 mile, and probably enters the body by means of the respiratory
passages.
Administration.
3. The charge of the Vaccination Department was held by late
Major H. Crossle, from the commencement of the
year till the forenoon of 29th September 1919
when Lieutenant-Colonel J. H. Hugo, relieved him.
Statement No. I—Establishment.
4. The establishment employed during the year was 2 Divisional
Inspectors, 6 Superintendents and 38 Vaccinators
(including one Military Sub-Assistant Surgeon
attached to the Cantonment General Hospital, Nowshera). These numbers
are the same as those of the previous year.
Statement No. I Number of
Vaccinations performed by all
establishments.
5. The total number of operations performed during the year was
Primary 108,662,and Secondary 25,870 representing
an increase of 9,911 in the former and of 7,818 in
the latter as compared with the figures of the
preceding year. It is very satisfactory to note that this increase is mainly
effected in the Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat and Bannu districts of the
Province.
Average number Vaccinated by
each Vaccinator.
6. The average number of persons vaccinated by each Vaccinator
was 3521.76. The Hazara district heads the list
with an average of 6,322.57 per Vaccinator, the
Dera Ismail Khan district coming next with an average of 5389.75.
Vaccination according to ages.
7. Of the successful primary Vaccinations 56,275 were performed
on infants under one year of age and 36,576 on
children over one and under six years of age,
which represents an increase of 864 in the former and of 5,111 in the latter
as compared with the figures of the last year.
Re-vaccinations.
8. The re-vaccination figures have increased by 7,818 as Small-pox
was epidemic during the year in almost through¬
out the whole province, that both infants and
adults fell victims to the disease.
Appendix to Statement No. I
Vaccination in Political Agencies.
9. In the Political Agencies the total number of operations perfor-
med was primary 8754 and Secondary 663 which
represents a decrease of 1,5
1, 842 in the latter.
The decrease is due to the unsettled state of the Political Agencies
owing to the late Afghan War and the combined disturbances amongst the