NOTES AND STATISTICS ON VACCINATION IN BURMA FOR THE YEAR 1909-10.
3
is to the credit of the Native Superintendents of Vaccination. The total primary
operations verified by Native Superintendents was 179,114 which is an increase of
nearly 40,000 on the work of each of the two preceding years, of 120,000 on that
of 1906-07, and of over 80,000 on that of 1905-06.
The number of re-vaccinations verified was 35,430 of which Civil Surgeons
verified 9,254 and Native Superintendents of Vaccination 26,176. The work of
the Civil Surgeons showed a falling off of 2,057 verifications, while that of the
Native Superintendents of Vaccination showed an increase of 4,934.
Second only in importance to the great increase of work performed by
Native Superintendents of Vaccination during recent years is the outstanding
fact of the continuous decrease of verification work by Civil Surgeons. The
number of primary operations verified by this agency has fallen steadily since
1905-06 from 75,650 in that year to 38,589 in 1908-09, with a slight recovery in
the year under review. No doubt there is not the same necessity for the Civil
Surgeon to see so large a proportion of the operations as before the institution of
Native Superintendents of Vaccination. But the fall from 17.72 per cent. verifi-
cations of total primary operations in 1905-06 to 10.42 in the year under review is
too rapid to give confidence that supervision of the work of the Native Superin-
tendents of Vaccination is everywhere thorough. An average of 10 per cent.
implies that the ratio is much less in some districts, and the low rate of 0.87 in
Tharrawaddy requires explanation as also do the ratios for Shwebo (2.02), Ruby
Mines (0.20), Magwe (1.48).
Appendix B.
6. Infant Vaccination in Towns—The proportion of infants vaccinated out
of the number available for vaccination in Municipal Towns where the Vaccination
Art is in force was 19,721 out of 25,232. In previous years the number vacci-
nated has always equalled, if it has not exceeded, the survivors among children
born during the previous twelve months.
7. Lymph Supply.— 1196.4 ounces of vaccine pulp, sufficient for 614,644
operations were issued during the year, against 179.2 ounces equivalent to 529,189
operations in the preceding year. The average cost of lymph per case provided
for was 3.2 pies against 2.8 pies in the previous year. This increased cost was
mainly due to increased expenditure on apparatus and other Europe stores much
of which is non-recurring, and to loss of calves by rinderpest and foot-and-mouth
disease, and increased expenditure on feeding a large stock of calves which could
not be disposed of during the continuance of the epidemics. Only Glycerinated
lymph was issued. The quality of the lymph has been extremely good, success-
ful operations averaging 95.00 per cent. against 93.00 in the previous year, and
91.2 per cent. in 1907-08.
In Thayetmyo District the percentage of success in primary cases increased
from 88.41 in the previous year to 93.34 in the year under review; and in Mogôk
from 82.44 to 96.25.
It was found that capillary tubes sealed by heat gave 3.5 per cent. better
results than tubes sealed with wax. An experiment was initiated in the early
months of 1910 for testing the keeping powers of lymph placed in cold storage
in Rangoon. The lymph will be tested after successive intervals of three months.
The severe outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease and rinderpest which were
especial1y prevalent in March, April, and May 1909, resulted in the death of 91
calves. Much difficulty was experienced in maintaining the strain of vaccine
lymph owing to the prevalence of these epizootics and the difficulty experienced
in obtaining healthy calves for operation. Great credit is due to the successive
Superintendents for the successful efforts made to overcome these difficulties.
An improved system of water-supply to the Depôt, and a larger class-room
for the training of students are both urgently needed. Attention will be directed
to the provision of these requirements during the current year.
8. Training School.—To avoid the inconvenience caused by students for
training arriving at different dates, and the overlapping of periods of training, I
have arranged that in future there will be two courses for the instruction of
Native Superintendents of Vaccination commencing on the 1st January and the
1st July, and four courses for vaccinators commencing on the 1st of January, April,
July, and October, respectively. A considerable strain has been thrown upon the