6
Dr. Cullen notes that he saw at his inspections numbers of needless cases
of re-vaccination, and he found it necessary to restrain the zeal of vaccinators
in this respect. No doubt this would affect the result of the year's work.
Dr. Cullen's explanation is borne out by the fact that a larger number of infants
than are shown by the vital statistics of the district to have been available for
vaccination were protected during the season.
18. In the Jubbulpore and Mandla Districts the decrease in primary
operations was above 2,000. At Jubbulpore the strength of the vaccine estab-
lishment was increased by one vaccinator in 1889-90, and the average work of
each vaccinator fell from 1,989 in 1888-89 to 1,739 in the past season.
The Civil Surgeon's explanation of this decrease is that there were fewer
unprotected persons at the beginning of the last season, and the vital statistics
show that of the 16,168 children available, 15,481 were protected by vaccination.
The illness of the vaccinators has also injuriously affected the results of
the past season's work.
In Mandla the average of the work of each vaccinator was 1,496 as com-
pared with 1,777 in the previous season. This was due, the Civil Surgeon
reports, to the protracted illness of 2 vaccinators. But this is not a wholly
satisfactory explanation, because the work of a sick man can to a certain extent
be provided for, and this does not appear to have been done.
The personal inspections of the Civil Surgeon were unavoidably limited.
19. At Chanda, Saugor and Nimar the decrease was above 1,000 in
primary operations, and at Betul and Hoshangabad it was above 500.
Inoculation.
20. Inoculators have doubtless been at work in some parts of the Province,
but there have been no cases brought to notice of prosecution for inoculation
during the past season ; and the Civil Surgeon of Raipur, in whose district
inoculators are reported to have been working in past seasons, reports that he
had not met with any evidence of their presence in the past season.
Calculation shows that the ratio of population vaccinated in the past season
varies considerably in different districts. It was 64.15 in Sambalpur and 26.21
at Nagpur, the provincial mean being 34.67.
21. As remarked by my predecessor, the good effects of vaccination are
seen in the fact that of the 5 districts in which infant vaccination was most
thoroughly carried out, small-pox was least fatal; while in the remaining 13 in
which the vital statistics show a large number of children remaining unpro-
tected at the end of the season, the disease was more prevalent and fatal.
The mean death-rate per 1,000 of population of the 5 districts from small-pox
was 0.33, and in the remaining 13, 1.46.
22. In the precis of the District Reports will be found notes of the
extent to which animal lymph has been cultivated. Buffalo calves have been
found to yield good results in some districts, and cow calves in others.
The exclusive use of animal lymph over a given area was tried at
Jubbulpore, and a special report of the result of the experiment was submitted
with this office letter No. 1329—575 of the 9th June 1890.
23. The usual Inspection statement is here given. It shows the number
of days spent on tour by Civil Surgeons and Native Superintendents of
Vaccination.
The general oversight in each district has been fairly good, and in some
districts specially so. The Civil Surgeon of Mandla could not go into camp
on account of his close attendance on a wounded officer for many weeks in the
busiest part of the working season.