Nos. 933, 934 L., 28TH JULY 1903.
3
the other hand, it is reported that the percentage of success in re-vaccination was
very high in the districts of Bellary (96.3), the Nilgiris (95.6) and Madura (93.2).
The average for all the districts having been only 77.1 per cent., the Government
doubts the accuracy of the statistics and is inclined to believe that many cases
of secondary vaccinations are classified in the accounts as those of re-vaccination.
The vaccinators should be made clearly to understand that by re-vaccination is
meant the vaccination of persons who have been successfully vaccinated on a
previous occasion, and that secondary vaccination means the vaccination of
persons who have undergone a previous unsuccessful operation.
3. The average cost of each successful operation continued to be As. 3-6.
Taking the districts individually, the cost exceeded As. 4 in Anantapur, Bellary,
Cuddapah, Kurnool, Nellore, the Nilgiris, North Arcot and South Canara. As
regards Municipal towns, the cost was higher than As. 8 per case in Adoni,
Cuddapah and Kodaikanal. The local bodies concerned should endeavour to
reduce the cost. This can be best effected by increasing the number of successful
operations.
4. The number of children under one year successfully vaccinated rose from
3,56,467 to 3,82,079, the increase which appears almost entirely in Local Fund
areas having occurred mainly in the districts of Chingleput, Ganjam, Godavari,
Salem and Tinnevelly. Compared with the Census population of 1901 the pro-
portion was 8.7 per mille, the ratio being high in Bellary (21.6), Tinnevelly (16.5)
and Chingleput (15.1), but very low in North Arcot (5.8), South Canara (4.8) and
Malabar (.5). From this, and from other features of the report, it is evident that
the cause of vaccination has received insufficient support in the three districts last
named and the special attention of the Presidents of the District Boards concerned
is invited to this matter. There was a retrogression in infant vaccination in
Municipalities taken as a whole, the decrease occurring chiefly in Adoni and
Trichinopoly. In Adoni and Cuddapah the proportion of successful cases was
only 7.4 and 13.3 respectively per mille of the total population against an average
of 27.5 for the Presidency. It appears further that in the two towns last named
as well as in Bellary, Calicut, Coimbatore, Kodaikanal and Tanjore less than one-half
of the number of children available for vaccination according to the registers of
births were protected from small-pox. Except where vaccination has been
interfered with by plague these poor results indicate undue laxity on the part
of the Municipal executive in enforcing the compulsory provisions of the District
Municipalities Act in regard to vaccination—a subject to which the earnest
attention of the Chairmen concerned is now invited.
5. From paragraph 13 of the report it appears that while in Municipal areas
the proportion of successful cases with lymph preserved with glycerine was 97.3
per cent., in Local Fund areas it was as low as 87.4. Some explanation on this point
should have been given by the Inspector of Vaccination. The amount of success
attained with lymph supplied by the Bangalore Institute continued to be fair,
the rates for Local and Municipal areas being respectively 93.2 and 95.7 per cent.
The Government hopes that the vaccine institute at Guindy which is likely to be
opened in the course of a few months will produce a general improvement in the
percentage of success obtained.
6. The Deputy Inspectors of Vaccination are reported to have verified 59
per cent. of the total number of operations, but seven of these officers failed to
verify 50 per cent. of the cases in their ranges for reasons which have been
accepted by the Inspector as satisfactory. In addition to this the District
Medical and Sanitary officers inspected 2.7 per cent. of the operations. The
circumstances under which the District Medical and Sanitary officer of Vizaga-
patam did not inspect a single case during his tours of inspection should be
reported to Government. The Inspector of Vaccination and Deputy Sanitary
Commissioner was prevented by his duties at the Medical College from making
any inspections during the year, but the Government hopes that he will shortly
be relieved of these duties, and will then be again able to devote his attention to