2
RESOLUTION ON REPORT ON VACCINATION IN BURMA FOR 1889-90.
time elapsed before they could be posted to their respective districts and the
system brought into full working order. Considering the time these men
were at work the results are not unsatisfactory. Twenty-nine thousand seven
hundred and seven persons were vaccinated and a percentage of successful
cases of 82.68 was obtained in primary cases. In Shwebo and Minbu, however,
where vaccinators were employed throughout the year, the average number of
vaccinations performed by each man was only 69 and 80, the average for the
province being 1,143. The causes of these bad results should be more carefully
enquired into. The Civil Surgeon at Shwebo reports that the small number of
operations was due to the repeated failure of the lymph supplies. If by this it is
meant that the lymph-supply was bad, it is a serious matter. When speaking
to the people on the subject of vaccination the Chief Commissioner has been told
by them, both in Upper and Lower Burma, that they have found by experience
that vaccinated children were not protected from smallpox. The supply of
bad lymph to districts in Upper Burma will give vaccination a bad name and
render progress very difficult. It is not worth while employing vaccinators to
do this amount of work and the Chief Commissioner trusts that the short-
comings noticed may be at once reformed. The average cost of each vaccination
performed in Upper Burma was only 4¾ annas.
3. During the year under report Surgeon-Major Barclay's report on animal
vaccination was circulated to Medical Officers in the province and the Sanitary
Commissioner was requested to take measures, in accordance with the injunctions
of the Government of India, for the supply of animal lymph and the establish-
ment of depôts for its cultivation. After perusal of the reports submitted by
the Sanitary Commissioner and certain Medical Officers the Chief Commissioner
decided that the establishment of depôts for the preparation of lymph could not
be taken in hand until it was proved that the activity of the lymph could be
maintained in this province for a considerable period. Hitherto experience has
gone to show that after the lapse of a few days or even hours the lymph loses its
power unless kept in the form of crusts, a method of preservation of which Dr.
Barclay strongly disapproved. Accordingly further experiments to obtain infor-
mation with regard to the possibility of effectually preserving lymph were ordered
and are at present being made. The Chief Commissioner hopes that during the
current year some means may be found to overcome the difficulties described
above and to enable the Sanitary Commissioner to start a depôt for the culti-
vation of animal lymph from which supplies may be furnished to vaccination
officers throughout the province. The Chief Commissioner has read with interest
Dr. Sinclair's remarks on the increased willingness of the Burmans to accept
vaccination. He thinks that much of the opposition to vaccination is due to the
ignorance and fears of the people worked upon by the inoculators, whose means
of livelihood are lessened by the spread of vaccination. Much good has been done
by winning over some of these inoculators and instructing them how to vac-
cinate, and appointing them vaccinators. Care, however, should be taken to
prevent these men resorting once more to inoculation to eke out their supply
of vaccine lymph.
By order of the Chief Commissioner,
H. L. EALES,
Officiating Secretary.