9
SIND DIVISION.
Superintendent.—Assistant
Surgeon T. E. P. MARTIN.
Establishment.—Fifteen
Vaccinators.
Years.
1859 . . . .
1860 . . . .
Total
Vaccinated.
49,525
59,568
Compared with the
preceding Year.
Increase.
2,395
10,043
Decrease.
....
....
Success-
fully
Vaccinated.
48,843
58,939
Percentage
of Success.
98.6
98.9
THE above table shows an increase of 10,043 in the number of operations during the year,
as compared with 1859. The number vaccinated by each Vaccinator varies, as they must ever
do. In addition to the difference in the general aptitude of individuals, another circumstance
may be stated as influencing the quantity of their work, viz : that the districts are now many
of them become fairly under the influence of Vaccination, consequently fewer subjects will
present themselves for the operation than formerly, when there were large areas in the Pro-
vince where a Vaccinator had never been seen or heard of, and the whole population under
ten years of age were ready to receive the benefit of Vaccination. This rough work, so to
speak, has now very generally been accomplished. The work of the Vaccinators has been
satisfactory, and they are, for the most part, unanimous in their testimony that the people
are willing, and generally desirous to have the benefit of Vaccination. They complain of but
one general difficulty, which arises from the dislike of the people to have their children taken
out of their own village to one near it, to keep up the supply of lymph. Fresh lymph from
vesicles is the only safe vehicle for successful and extensive Vaccination, and the large per-
centage of success in the operations is solely attributable to its use. Not a little diplomacy
is occasionally required to secure a supply of what in Vaccination may be called the " Vital
fluid."
There were vaccinated during the year under report 34,242 males, and 25,326 females,
showing an excess of 8,916 in the former class. A steady disproportion in the sexes is a
noticeable and regular feature in the Vaccination Returns. On children one year of age there
were 15,937 operations, above that age 43,631. The number of successful cases, 58,939,
compared with the total number vaccinated, 59,568, gives 98.9 as the percentage of success
in the operations of the year.
The vaccine lymph continues in good condition. Its character does not appear to have
deteriorated, as far as can be judged from the appearance of the vesicle. Its prophylactic
powers also, there is good reason to consider, are unimpaired. No more decisive proof of this
valuable property can be adduced than, that up to this time after four years' experience, not
one case of death from Small-pox has come under observation, in which the cicatrices after
Vaccination could be found. This, though a general fact only, still as it stands embodying the
observations of the establishment for so long a period, Small-pox never having been wholly
absent from the Province during either of these years, and coupled with the growing knowledge
of the people as to the amount of protection which Vaccination is affirmed to secure, and the
sure objections which would have been urged by them had the result fallen visibly or notably
short of what they had been encouraged to anticipate, it would seem fair to regard this gene-
B