REPORT ON VACCINATION IN THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY
FOR THE YEAR 1899-1900.
From Captain W. C. VICKERS, M.B., I.M.S., Acting Inspector of Vaccination and
Deputy Sanitary Commissioner for Madras, to the Sanitary Commissioner for
Madras, dated 27th June 1900, No. 610-V.
I have the honour to submit the annual report on vaccination in the Madras
Presidency for 1899-1900.
2. The post of Inspector of Vaccination and Deputy Sanitary Commissioner has
been held during this period by myself.
3. The following statement shows the strength of establishment employed
during the last two years with the pay of each post: —
Years.
1898-99
...
...
...
...
1899-00
...
...
...
...
First-class
Deputy
Inspectors.
Rs. 70—60.
33
33
Second-class
Deputy
Inspectors.
Rs. 40.
* 28
* 28
First-class
Vaccinators.
Rs. 20-15.
268
272
Second-class
Vaccinators.
Rs. 12—10.
416
415
Proba-
tioners.
Rs. 7—5.
144
137
Total number
of vaccinators.
828
824
* Includes four Assistant Deputy Inspectors employed by the Madras Municipality.
There has been no change in the number of Deputy Inspectors. The decrease
in the number of vaccinators employed is slight and due to minor causes.
4. The events worth note which have occurred during the past year are as
follows :—
(a) The number of districts using lanoline paste exclusively from the Mysore
Institute has been five. Three districts—Malabar, South Canara and Coimbatore—
use lanoline paste also, but manufacture it themselves. Six districts use glycerine
paste, five use fresh or preserved animal lymph, while two use fresh animal lymph
exclusively and one preserved animal lymph and glycerine paste.
As regards municipalities there have been several changes. Erode, Guntúr,
Karúr, Kurnool, Mangalore, Parlákimedi, Srívilliputtúr and Tirupati now use
lanoline paste exclusively, while Tanjore, Tinnevelly, Trichinopoly, Tiruppattúr and
Vizianagram now use glycerine paste or fresh animal lymph only. In Tinnevelly
the change was apparently due to a supposed prejudice against the use of paste
since found to be unfounded, and in Trichinopoly also the change is said to have
been made, as the people seemed to be disposed to believe that plague inoculation
was being performed under the guise of vaccination. In the remaining three towns
the use of lanoline paste seems to have been very limited in extent last year.
(b) The Mysore Government Vaccine Institute having resolved to discon-
tinue supplying districts and municipalities in the presidency with lanoline paste,
and Government having accordingly sanctioned the opening of Central Vaccine
Institute, estimates, etc., have been prepared and submitted.
(c) Special instructions have been issued to Deputy Inspectors of Vaccination
to give more practical help to the Revenue authorities in reporting the progress or
otherwise of vaccination by ascertaining with as much accuracy as possible the
number of unprotected children in each village they visit. This enables lists of
unusually backward villages to be regularly made out, and the special attention of
Tahsildars can therefore be drawn to them. With the view of helping each
Tahsildar to exert his personal influence during his visit, the further step of putting
a probationary vaccinator entirely at his disposal has also been recommended.
This arrangement would also have the advantage that outbreaks of small-pox could
receive special attention without disturbing the work of Circle vaccinators, whose
travelling would thus be made more systematic and brought more under control.