10
VACCINATION REPORT.
including pay of staff, as required in para. 6 of G.O., No. 827, dated 19th
October 1889, Public; but in certain districts the Deputy Inspectors only vacci-
nate, and it would consequently give no result of value to compare their work on
Rs. 60 a month, carried on in addition to their ordinary duties, with that of vacci-
nators on Rs. 10 and Rs. 15 per month, whose work is confined solely to vaccination.
In such instances, the Deputy Inspector's pay has not been taken into account; but
an equivalent has been found from the number of days' residence in the vaccinator's
division in which the duty has been performed, as doubtless the operation in the
majority of cases is carried out in reality by the vaccinator, under the Deputy In-
spector's supervision. With one or two exceptions, it will be seen that the cost of
each successful case by this method is very considerably below that by humanized
lymph; thus a further reason is afforded, if any were required in addition to
already recognized advantages, why animal vaccination should be adopted without
delay throughout the Presidency. In arriving at the minimum probable cost of
vaccination by animal lymph per case, some proportion of contingencies due to
upkeep of the ordinary establishment ought in fairness to be debited, whereas in
the returns received only expenditure on contingencies specially required for animal
vaccination, are shown against it. The returns having been received exceedingly
late, as formerly reported, it has been impossible to ask further information before
proceeding to compile. In future, special forms and records will be arranged, by
means of which it is hoped the desired information will be gained. With the staff
organized, as in Kurnool, under better pay than elsewhere and performing animal
vaccination only, the probable cost per case is—provided, as calculated, each man
turns out 500 cases per month Rs.0-2-7. As some difficulty occurred in getting
suitable men on the pay offered at first, it is probable that the cost per case in this
district may, in actual practice, be in excess. This figure is, however, I think,
nearer the truth than those evolved from statistics gathered in districts where
mixed systems are employed.
22. SUBSTITUTES FOR CALVES AS VACCINIFERS.—The direction of Government
contained in G.O., No.602, dated 12th July 1889, that speedy abolition of the use
of humanized lymph was desired, gave, during the year, a great impetus to the
more general use of animal vaccination. The circulation of a pamphlet by Surgeon-
Major Barclay, detailing the modes practised in Europe, also aided in eliciting
interest on this subject, in the case of Medical officers who had not had the
opportunity of personally witnessing them. Apparently, as a result of the interest
thus awakened, certain suggestions have been received from Medical officers.
Thus, Surgeon-Major Wilkins drew attention to the mode of procuring lymph
advised by a Dr. Briggs of London. It was supposed that by placing a drop of
glycerine upon a vaccine vesicle, exosmosis of the lymph would occur, especially
if this were aided by friction over the vesicle by a hard smooth substance, such
as a glass rod. I subjected this mode to practical experiment. I found that the
supposed increased size of the drop of glycerine was really due to a loss of viscidity
and, perhaps, some absorption of moisture from the atmosphere, which glycerine
readily takes up. It was found that without rupture of the vesicle of the vaccini¬
fer, no active lymph could be obtained. Indeed, as it has long been known that
the vaccine virus exists in the form of micro-organisms, and that by filtration the
liquid portion of the vaccine could be proved to be innocuous, it would seem an
almost necessary deduction that the process of osmosis, even did it occur under the
circumstances named, would not be favorable to the passage of the virus through
the tegument of the vesicle.
23. A recommendation was made by Surgeon-Major O'Hara as to the employ-
ment of donkeys as vaccinifers. This animal is treated with scant courtesy by
more than one race of mankind, and it seemed unlikely that natives would receive
the suggested mode with favor. Brigade-Surgeon Fox of Trichinopoly, however,
at the request of the Municipality, put the matter to the test of practice, and found,
as he had supposed would be the case, that the vaccinifer was more likely to
excite ridicule than to prove a factor in the advance of vaccination. It is, however,
desirable that Local Bodies should remember that to use donkeys when calves can be
obtained readily is to go beyond the suggestion offered to them, and cannot be
advised; Surgeon-Major O'Hara's original communication was circulated with G.O.,
No. 282 L, dated 11th February 1890, and this notified merely a sphere of usefulness