4
proportions and the Commissioner, Nagpur, speaks in favour of school
inspections being extended, but the difficulties of men and money are very great.
Preparation and supply
of lymph.
II. During the year 2,837 calves, or 613 less than in 1910-11, were vaccinat-
ed, of which 262 were rejected for suppuration, etc., and
2,575 used as vaccinifers. The number used is still too
nigh in many places and it should be remembered that 500, or more vaccinations
should be possible from the lymph of one calf. (In Bilaspur, 346 calyes were
used for 43,924 operations while in Raipur only 210 for 55,734 operations. In
Drug, 245 were used for 29,357 operations and in Amraoti 229 for 32,654,while in
Nagpur, Chanda, Bhandara, Yeotmal and Akola, half or less than half the
number were used for the same number of operations.) Information has been
collected with a view to forming a Central Vaccine Depôt. As different processes
are found to suit different localities and it is not at all certain which will suit these
Provinces best, it will be advisable to begin on a small scale for one district and,
as experience indicates, extend it so as to embrace the whole Province.
Until this can be achieved every district should prepare its own lymph at
head-quarters, the responsibility of procuring calves in places where any
difficulty is experienced, resting with the District Council which now hold control
of the Vaccination Staff. Very good lymph can be, and has been, for years,
obtained in this way, the admixture with glycerine preserving it and protecting
it from extraneous organisms.
I think there can be little doubt as to the expediency of having a Central
Depôt producing lymph of uniform potency and guaranteed efficiency.
A scheme is in process of preparation and will shortly be submitted to the Local
Administration for sanction.
Kind of lumph used and the
success obtained therefrom.
The total expenditure incurred in the preparation and supply of lymph during
the year was Rs. 1,643-3-11 against Rs. 1,878-2-2 in the year preceding.
12. Only glycerinated calf lymph was used and the
success obtained was 96.56 per cent against 96.01 in the
previous year.
Vaccination in Municipal
towns.
Appendix A.
13. In Municipal towns there were in all 39,156 births and 10,734 deaths under
one year of age. The infants under one year successfully
vaccinated numbered 24,210, which shows that about 15
per cent of children still remain unprotected. Plague,
no doubt, accounts in part for this high percentage, but
there is another factor which always conduces to the incomplete work done in
Municipal towns, and that is the rules are not rigidly enforced. This I pointed
out in several of my inspection notes. It is in these towns that vaccination is back-
ward and opposition is generally met with and the Deputy Commissioner, Jubbul¬
pore, rightly remarks. "I cannot say much for the attitude of the Honorary
Magistrates towards vaccination ; at least it is apathetic, procedure is ponderous
and there is too much readiness to accept the flimsiest of excuses and the most
unreliable of medical certificates with a view to exemption. The amount of fines
imposed is ridiculously light." The provisions of the Act should be extended to
all Municipal towns and the rules framed thereunder properly and rigidly enforced,
as, without effort in this direction, it will not be possible to improve the existing
state of affairs.
Death from small-pox, and
the proportion of persons suc-
cessfully vaccinated per 1,000
of population.
Appendices B and C.
14. Deaths from small-pox rose from 2,419 in 1910-11 to 2,767 in 1911-12.
Nagpur suffered severely where nearly half the number
of deaths (1,367) were recorded. Here the outbreak
commenced in November 1910 and continued till
November 1911, when it showed signs of abatement,
but, unfortunately the lymph having failed on account of
slackness of supervision, the disease took a serious turn, the number of deaths
amounting to 57 in December, 258 in January 1912, and 445 in the month
following. In March it began to subside—300 deaths were recorded in that
month Every endeavour was made to push vaccination and re-vaccination in
the district. In the town of Nagpur, where the outbreak was severe, Sub-
Assistant Surgeons were detailed, private practitioners and other Medical Officers
also volunteering for the duty. It is hoped the outbreak has now been checked.
In the other districts the mortality was not high, but in most of them plague
retarded vaccination work and thus fostered small-pox.