REPORT ON VACCINATION.
9
Department.
Vaccine Districts and Vaccine Depôt ...
Military Cantonments ... ... ...
Private Vaccinators ... ... ...
Medical Subordinates
...
...
...
Municipalities ... ... ... ...
Zemindaris ... ... ... ... ...
Civil Dispensaries ... ... ... ...
Railway Apothecaries ... ... ...
Total ...
Total of
Operations.
685,890
6,790
471
28,584
59,288
6,113
584
10
787,730
Increase.
278,401
1,550
...
12,831
18,116
2,266
497
...
313,661
Decrease.
...
...
2,577
...
...
...
...
47
2,624
Net Increase.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
311,037
The total work shows a large increase of 304,538 operations when compared
with that of the previous year, with an average of 83.20 per cent. of success.
Of the total of operations the largest number has been performed in the
collectorate of Madras, 116,335, next comes Coimbatore with 69,043, North Arcot
with 60,508, Madura with 59,114, and Salem 52,487. The smallest number was
operated on in the Hill Tracts of Jeypore, viz., 3,654 cases.
Dr. Shortt visited during the year the districts of North Arcot, Cuddapah,
Madhanapalle, Salem, Coimbatore, Chingleput, and Malabar, and, owing to the
great prevalence of small-pox followed by famine, his presence was absolutely
necessary in Madras for arranging a systematic plan of work in the town of
Madras and the several relief-camps and poor-houses, &c., to arrest the spread of
small-pox, which had become virulent. Dr. Shortt states that the department
responded nobly to the sudden and emergent calls made on it for the services of
Vaccinators as well as for large supplies of vaccine lymph, and ultimately succeeded
in controlling the disease and in arresting its virulency and progress in Madras.
The Vaccinators of the Madras Collectorate are to be placed under the direct
control of the President, Municipal Commission, Madras, from the commencement
of the official year 1878-79.
Small-pox was prevalent chiefly in Madras, Chingleput, North Arcot, South
Arcot, Trichinopoly, Cuddapah, Kurnool, Salem, Coimbatore, Nellore, Bellary,
Malabar, South Canara, Kistna, and Godavari Districts, and Temporary Vaccinators
had to be employed in the following: Chingleput, Trichinopoly, Vellore Circle,
Oosoor Circle, Malabar, South Canara, Nellore, and Ongole Circles.
The total number of children successfully vaccinated under one year of age
has been 68,110 during the year. The largest number of operations of this class
was performed in the town of Madras, viz., 7,274, and the smallest in the Malabar
District, being 48.
The average percentage of success of the primary and re-vaccinations, includ-
ing the unknown results, has been 83.20 on the whole, showing a falling off of
11.13 when compared with that of the preceding year. The decrease in the
percentage of success is attributed to the large number of coolies operated on
among the famine relief-camps, works, poor-houses, &c., in the several districts
and in the Presidency town; their results were not fully ascertained after
vaccination, as the inmates of the camps, &c., were moved out from place to
place frequently.
The proportion of successful cases varies as usual in the different districts,
ranging from 98.23 in the Vizgapatam Range to 81.76 in the Cuddapah Circle ;
but in the following the proportion of success was over 95 per cent.: Tanjore,
Dindigul, Salem, South Caimbatore Circle, Vizianagram Range, and Hill Tracts of
Ganjam.
The cost of each successful operation for the whole Presidency was 3 Annas
and 9 Pies, showing a decrease of 1 Anna and 2 Pies below that of the previous
year. In the Hill Tracts of Ganjam the cost was highest, viz., Rupees 1-0-1, in
Jeypore Hill Tracts Rupees 0-12-7, and the lowest was in South Coimbatore Circle,
1 Anna and 6 Pies.
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