4
office with only three Deputy Sanitary Commissioners to carry on the work,
and it is only possible to attain a moderate degree of efficiency by strict
enforcement of the departmental rules and regulations and standing orders.
11. Supply of Vaccine.—The Vaccine Depôt at Namkum supplied the
Province with vaccine throughout the year. A large supply of vaccine is held
in reserve and the necessary stores and supplies for manufacture are in ample
stock. 1,869,908 doeses of vaccine were manufactured during the year as
compared with 3,504,589 d deathsoses last year. The number of doses issued was
2,628,548 against 2,599,744 in 1919-20. The number of doses in stock at the
end of the year was 1,493,759. The number of calves used during the year
was 362 as compared with 602 in the previous year, and the average yield of
crude vaccine was over 55 grammes per calf as compared with 48.6 grammes
in the previous year. The number of calves required has been considerably
reduced by improvement in the technique of operating and by the better
feeding of calves, and the working costs are therefore low and compare most
favourably with the costs of production in other provinces. The working
costs of the depôt for the year amounted to Rs. 24,923 as compared with
Rs. 25,048 in the previous year. The average cost of the vaccine per dose
works out at 2.5 pies on the gross expenditure and to .5 pie on the net
expenditure when the receipts are taken into account.
12. Vaccine Depot and Cold Storage.—The Vaccine Depôt was closed for
manufacture twice during the working season in November and January on
account of outbreaks of rinderpest. There were 65 attacks and 12 deaths
during the two epidemics. The work of manufacture was seriously inter¬
fered with during the working season and considerable loss was incurred on
account of the interruption of work, the deaths of calves, and the loss of
vaccine.
During the year under report cholera vaccine and influenza vaccine were
stored in the depôt and issued throughout the Province as required.
A class for the training of candidates for the vaccination inspecting cadre
was held in February and March and seven candidates were trained and
qualified.
The cold storage plant, which is essential for the preservation of the
vaccine, gave trouble throughout the year and was with difficulty kept going
until the end of the working season. The plant has now been dismantled and
is under repair, and the reserve stock of vaccine is in cold storage in
Calcutta.
13. Experimental work.—Further experimental work was carried out
at the depôt during the year with some interesting results. With a view to
producing a cleaner and purer vaccine, disinfectants were experimented with
and it was found that the addition of 2 per cent. boric acid improved the
quality of the vaccine by diminishing the number of other organisms present
without decreasing its potency. After being kept in cold storage for six
months the boric vaccine gave cleaner and better vaccination marks than the
ordinary vaccine.
Experiments were also made with a view to producing a less fluid vaccine
as there is a considerable wastage at present owing to the careless handling
of the tubes by the vaccinators. It was found that a mixture of 5 per
cent. starch and 2 per cent. boric acid with 93 per cent. water after boiling
can be used to dilute and thicken the crude glycerinated vaccine with good
results and without impairing its potency.
Further experiments are being made with this mixture before it is
adopted for general issue, and if the results are satisfactory, a thicker and
purer vaccine will be issued next season.
14. 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 1,56,912 or Rs. 41,180 more than the previous year. The increase
in cost was due to the increased rate of pay sanctioned by Government to
the inspecting staff.