REPORT ON VACCINATION IN BURMA FOR THE YEAR 1889-90.
5
duction of the Act, were that possible, would greatly benefit the people in every-
way. There would be little resistance to its enforcement and vaccination would
speedily become popular by the conclusive exhibition of the protection against
smallpox which it bestows.
In the towns where the Vaccination Act is in force the Civil Surgeons
speak in grateful terms of the good effects produced and state that for the
carrying out of its provisions legal proceedings are very seldom required. In
Rangoon, it is true, the people are very lax in their attendance with their children
to have the results of the operation verified, but this laxity is most noticeable
among the Eurasians and Natives of India.
BOVINE VACCINATION.
28. Rangoon.—Animal vaccination was successfully carried on during the
three past years. The depôt has been in charge of Dr. Pedley, who has been
indefatigable in his efforts to further the cause of vaccination in the province.
In the three years no fewer than 456 calves were inoculated, nearly all of them
having been operated upon by Dr. Pedley himself. The supply of lymph has
been abundant, and in 1890 there were sent for the use of medical practitioners
and vaccinators outside the Municipal limits 1,073 tubes. Vaccination was
effected at the vaccine stations. Sometimes calves were taken through the
streets in a covered cart and often calves were sent to the rice-mills, where the
coolies employed were vaccinated. When used within 24 hours Dr. Pedley
found the lymph to be invariably active; it showed no signs either of deterio-
ration or of undue action.
29. Moulmein.—Calf vaccination was used during the whole year 1889-90.
Arm-to-arm vaccination was discontinued as animal lymph was plentiful.
There was no difficulty in maintaining the supply. Dried bovine scabs
were carefully preserved, and when fresh lymph was required a calf was inocu-
lated with a preparation made by mixing the scab with equal parts of glycerine
and distilled water.
Surgeon-Major Thomas suggests that an inoculated calf should be sent
once a month to the principal towns in the district.
30. Bassein.—Nine calves were inoculated with lymph obtained from
Rangoon; only four cases were successful. The difficulty in obtaining calves
renders the maintenance of a continuous supply of calf lymph next to impos-
sible.
31. Akyab.—Animal vaccination was carried out in the town up to the
end of 1888, when the Civil Surgeon discontinued it, considering that its advan-
tages were more than counterbalanced by its excessive cost, 13 annas in 1887-88
and Re. 1 for each case in 1889-90. Moreover, the results were extremely
uncertain. The lymph, if not used within 48 hours, very frequently failed to
take, especially in the hot weather and rains; while at times, for some reason,
the vesicles became so inflamed as to result in ulcers and secondary abscesses.
Owing, however, to the prevalence of syphilis in the town since the abo-
lition of the Contagious Diseases Act, Dr. Evans, fearing vaccine syphilis, has
lately reintroduced bovine vaccination, and at present it is practised to the
exclusion of all other.
32. Mandalay.—The practice of calf vaccination was begun in April 1888
and has been kept up ever since.
33. It is the almost universal opinion that it is desirable to use only calf
lymph in India for compulsory vaccination. The chief drawback is that this
lymph loses readily its specific powers, especially in the hot weather, and its
distribution to remote districts is in consequence impracticable.
Experiments on the lines suggested by Dr. Barclay in his pamphlet on
animal vaccination have been made by the Health Officer, Rangoon Munici-
pality, and the Superintendent, Cental Jail, Rangoon. The material used was
supplied from time to time by Dr. Pedley of Rangoon and consisted of scraped
sixth-day vesicles from the calf mixed with glycerine.
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