4
11. Vaccine Depôt and Cold Storage. —The Vaccine Depôt was again
closed for manufacture twice during the working season on account of out-
breaks of foot-and-mouth disease but in spite of these interruptions a record
quantity of vaccine was produced and a large reserve stock was again accumu-
lated. As these epidemics amongst the calves occur every year the Director,
Civil Veterinary Department, was again consulted and advised fencing the
premises, the erection of isolation sheds and comprehensive disinfection of the
operating room, calf sheds, and environment. Plans are being prepared accord-
ingly for administrative approval.
The cold storage, which is essential for the preservation and ripening of
the large stocks of vaccine, had been working badly for some time and was
accordingly closed for repairs in April. The vaccine was taken to Calcutta in
ice and kept in cold storage there. until the entire cold storage plant had been
taken down, and re-erected after necessary repairs to the machinery and rene-
wal of the insulation in the cold chamber. It is now working satisfactorily
once more.
Throughout the year, cholera vaccine and influenza vaccine were stocked
in the Depôt and issued throughout the Province as required.
12. Experimental Work—Further
experimental work was carried out at
the Depôt during the year with some interesting results. It was established
that the more viscid and aseptic vaccine manufactured with the addition of
5 per cent. starch and 2 per cent. boric acid in 93 per cent. water (after
boiling to form a jelly) was potent for a shorter time and did not store so well
as plain glycerine vaccine. No change can therefore be made in the product
issued for use until a better mixture can be made.
It was also found that crude pulp when stored as such in the cold storage
did not preserve its potency as well as pulp mixed with glycerine.
Variations in the technique of operation were carried out with a view
to increasing the output per calf and the production of crude pulp per calf
has now been raised from 12.38 grammes in 1914 to 58.36 grammes. This
is probably as near the maximum as we can go with advantage and may be
taken as an approximately final figure on which to base our estimates of
manufacture.
Further work was also done to improve the seed vaccine and a better
quality of seed was produced by vaccinating a calf direct from the vesicles of
a calf vaccinated from a child. The quantity was less but the quality
was better.
13. Cost of the Department.—The total cost of the Vaccine Department
(excluding the Vaccine Depôt) during the year, as detailed in Statement II,
was Rs. 1,56,873 or Rs. 39 less than the previous year.
The cost per successful operation was 2 annas 8 pies against 2 annas
5 pies in the previous year.
14. General.—As I have already indicated in paragraph 2 above, the
work of vaccination was considerably interfered with during the year— in some
districts more especially—by political agitation and the passive and in soms
cases active hostility of the people, and by discontent amongst the vaccinators
caused by the difficulty in realising their fees.
The result of the year's working is not therefore very satisfactory and the
state of vaccination especially in the rural areas is likely to go from bad to
worse. It has become a matter for serious consideration as to how long the
present arrangements can continue to work at all. The vaccinators are
underpaid and discontented and find great difficulty in realising their fees in
many cases. Some have left their work and many more are likely to do so
and a good many of them are adversely influenced by political propaganda to
the detriment and neglect of their proper work. It is therefore no matter for
wonder that the amount of vaccination work done has decreased considerably
in the year under report.