VACCINATION REPORT.
25
24. Statement comparing the results obtained with different kinds of animal
lymph in Local fund circles for the three years ending 31st March 1893 excluding
cases the results of which are unknown :—
Years.
1890-91 ...
1891-92 ...
1892-93 ...
Nature of lymph used.
Fresh animal lymph
(calf to arm).
Successful.
138,230
242,697
466,699
Unsuccessful.
6,551
9,127
12,811
Percentage of
success.
96.5
96.4
97.3
Preserved animal lymph
(excluding lanoline
paste and glycerine
paste).
Successful.
23,932
90,172
135,756
Unsuccessful.
1,651
5,362
6,927
Percentage of
success.
93.5
94.4
95.1
Lanoline paste.
Successful.
64,060
151,880
...
Unsuccessful.
7,143
16,835
...
Percentage of
success.
90.0
90.0
...
Glycerine paste.
Successful.
...
253
103,618
Unsuccessful.
...
2
3,909
Percentage of
success.
...
99.2
96.4
The above figures fully justify the late Dr. Barclay's opinion of the preser-
vative value of glycerine.
25. During the year there was a very large number of deaths from small-pox.
The figures are shown below :—
Districts.
Gánjam ... ... ...
Vizagapatam ... ...
Gódávari ... ... ...
Kistna ... ... ...
Nellore ... ... ...
Madras ... ... ...
Chingleput ...
... ...
South Arcot ... ...
Trichinopoly ... ...
Tanjore
...
...
...
Madura
Tinnevelly ... ... ...
Deaths from
small-pox in
1892-93.
457
1,537
4,443
2,727
1,309
21
308
1,437
542
722
1,959
1,698
Districts.
Kurnool ... ... ...
Cuddapah
...
...
...
Bellary
...
...
...
Anantapur ... ... ...
North Arcot
...
...
Salem ... ... ...
Coimbatore ... ... ...
Nilgiris ... ... ...
South Canara ... ... ...
Malabar
...
Total ...
Deaths from
small-pox in
1892-93.
390
348
702
146
1,709
1,572
2,087
62
294
12,333
36,803
Allowing for the fact that many cases of chicken-pox and measles are returned
as small-pox, it is evident that small-pox was unusually prevalent and that a large
proportion of the people of this Presidency are still unprotected. Between July
1887 and May 1889 I examined 13,812 pupils in the schools of various districts;
the average age of these pupils was about nine years. Of the total examined, no
less than 3,106 bore marks of small-pox, while only 62.1 per cent. had been
vaccinated. The difficulty is to persuade the mothers to allow their infants to be
vaccinated, and before the vaccinators have a chance, probably about 20 per cent.
of the children suffer from small-pox. The fact that vaccination when performed
in this country is done, as a rule, at a riper age than in Europe makes re-vaccina-
tion somewhat less important. Though it cannot have any very great bearing on
the late prevalence of small-pox, I may mention here that inoculation with small-
pox virus is still practised in some parts of the Presidency, especially in the Kistna
and Vizagapatam districts. Two persons were prosecuted during the year for
carrying on the practice of inoculation in the Kistna district. Revenue officials
are supposed to report to the deputy inspectors of vaccination the prevalence
of small-pox in a town or village; but I sometimes find that small-pox is raging
in a place while the deputy and vaccinators are quite ignorant of the fact. The
village authorities ought promptly to report all outbreaks of small-pox.
26. Year after year the deputy inspectors recommend that vaccination should
be made compulsory in districts. I do not consider it practicable to do this yet; it