2ND SEPTEMBER 1891, NOS. 2117, 2118 L., LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL.
3
ENCLOSURES.
From Surgeon-Major W. G. KING, M.B., C.M., D.P.H., on Special Duty, to the Chief Secretary to
Government (through the Sanitary Commissioner for Madras), dated Bangalore, 4th
August 1891, No. 417.
I have the honour to point out that at page 7 of the Vaccination Report for the year 1890-91,
it is stated as follows with reference to the success rate in districts :—
" The diminution in the percentage of success from 95.9 in 1889-90 to 94.5 in 1890-91
appears to be principally due to the low percentage of success obtained with lanoline vaccine."
According to the records in my office, there were 76,145 cases performed in districts up to
March, yielding a total percentage of 90.66. If, therefore, these cases be deducted from the total
in districts reported by the Sanitary Commissioner, it is found that the rate of success would have
been 94.9, giving but a difference of .4 per cent., and if the Sanitary Commissioner's figures be
admitted .5 per cent., leaving a decrease, in the first event, of 1 per cent., and, in the second, of
.9 per cent. to be accounted for. It is, of course, not my business to do more than defend the
assertion made against the efficacy of lanoline vaccine. But, I think, under the circumstances,
I may be pardoned, if I remark that, from evidence of figures given in the report, the apparent
decrease of success rate may be safely ascribed as " principally due " not to the use of lanoline
vaccine but to the highly satisfactory increase in re-vaccination, and the highly unsatisfactory
method adopted in vaccination forms in use in the Sanitary Commissioner's office, causing results
of primary and re-vaccination cases (necessarily yielding different rates of success) to be jumbled
together in making the totals. In 1890-91, the ratio of primary vaccination to. re-vaccination was
as 1 to 20 against 1 to 74 in 1889-90—a result which, although not alluded to in this report, I have
the immodesty to consider was, as to initiatum, solely due to my personal efforts when Acting
Inspector of Vaccination.
2. In my reports on this subject, I have shown clearly that the success rate with lanoline
vaccine varies with the amount of practice in the method employed, so that where practice has been
prolonged, the results are as good as with fresh lymph. The low average shown by the Sanitary
Commissioner up to March was due simply to the fact that results from districts where there had
been but a few weeks of practice, were necessarily included.
3. I trust that, with the object of preventing misconception as to the efficacy of lanoline
vaccine by those to whom the vaccination report is forwarded, Government will do me the justice
of circulating this statement also to the officers concerned.
From Surgeon D. F. DYMOTT, M.B., Inspector of Vaccination and Deputy Sanitary Commissioner,
to the Sanitary Commissioner for Madras, dated Fort St. George, 6th August 1891,
No. 300-V.
I have the honour to forward, herewith, letter No. 417, dated 4th August 1891, from Surgeon-
Major W. G. King.
2. As the remarks to which Dr. King takes exception, were made by me, I beg to be allowed
to observe that those remarks are fully justified by the figures given in my report.
3. On page 7 of the report, the percentage of success for 1889-90 is given as 95.9 ; that for
1890-91 as 94.5. These percentages are obtained on the total number vaccinated, including
cases of which the results are unknown. The table on page 20 of the report shows a percentage of
success of 90.0 with lanoline vaccine, calculated on a total from which all unknown cases are
omitted. If all cases done with lanoline vaccine be deducted, the percentage of success for
1890-91 becomes 95.5, as shown in the following statement of work done in the Local Fund
districts:—
—
Total number of vaccinations in
1890-91.
Total number of vaccinations with
lanoline vaccine.
Total number of vaccinations, ex-
clusive of those done with lanoline
vaccine.
—
781,430
75,159
706,271
Total successful.
738,789
64,060
674,729
Percentage of
success.
94.5
85.2
95.5
As regards re-vaccinations, the percentage of success is greater than that obtained with
lanoline vaccine, being 86.1 (vide table, paragraph 5).
4. Surgeon-Major King takes great credit to himself for the increase in the number of re-
vaccinations. Re-vaccinations, however, are not more important than primary operations; in fact,
they are much less so; and there is no evidence to show that if the vaccinators had devoted all
their time to primary vaccinations only, the total number vaccinated would have been less than
it was.