12
VACCINATION REPORT.
tion, are not sufficiently active to destroy specific germs possessed of a higher grade
of vitality. Partial success followed; but, as might be anticipated, prolonged
contact with these substances, in the end, impaired activity. Ultimately, however,
I devised an exceedingly simple mode, which I think will do all that is required.
By this method, the vaccine product has been retained in an efficient condition
without the aid of any extraneous mechanism, or, after first preparation, the use
of any material, for forty days; whilst hawked about the town, for use during the
hottest part of the last season's hot weather. The same material has also stood
well the test of transport by rail and road for long distances. Certain details, as
to its application to the ordinary exigencies of district work, however, remain to
be worked out, and I shall then forward a complete report to Government. In
the meantime, I am justified in stating that experiments have secured satisfactory
results as to the main point at issue, and that a very large proportion of expen-
diture that would have been otherwise inevitable in carrying out animal vaccination
throughout the Presidency may be saved.
THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE ADULT POPULATION IS
PROTECTED BY VACCINATION.
26. On inquiry, I elicited from Medical Officers of Jails information as to the
condition of the populations under their charge as to vaccination and previous
affection by small-pox. The total average gained by observation of a population
of 4,310 prisoners, showed that 204.8 per mille were vaccinated, 205.1 were un-
protected on admission, and that 593.04 bore marks of previous attacks of small-
pox, and 2.5 had both vaccination and small-pox marks. This affords a rough idea
of the state of protection of the adult population of the lower classes.
RE-VACCINATION.
27. There is a field for much improvement throughout the Presidency as
regards re-vaccination; in no district did the rate amount to 1 per mille with the
exception of Kurnool, which showed 6.4 per mille. European statistics clearly
demonstrate that re-vaccination, after the age of ten, or at least the age of puberty,
is essential for the protection of adult life, and it is shown that this further vacci-
nation so confirms the influence of the primary vaccination that most authorities
are agreed that a subsequent re-vaccination is not required. At present, a large
proportion of the adult population are doubtless in a condition of protection from
having suffered from small-pox; but as time advances, and the influence of
vaccination upon the younger members of the population increases, the adults will,
in the absence of re-vaccination, suffer more from small-pox than the young—a
condition actually found to have occurred in England, where re-vaccination is not
as yet compulsory. I have issued a circular on this subject to the Presidents of
District Boards and to Municipal Chairmen, and trust that next year's returns will
show better results in this respect.
SUGGESTIONS BY DISTRICT MEDICAL OFFICERS.
28. Before compiling this report, I addressed a circular letter to District
Medical and Sanitary Officers, inviting them to offer suggestions as to any improve-
ment they might think desirable in the working of the department. I specially
asked them to state the arrangements existing in each district as to modes of
reporting small-pox attacks. Abstracts of their answers are given in tabular form
in statement No. XIII attached, from which it will be seen that it is desirable that
some definite mode of communicating with District Sanitary Officers and the Vacci-
nation Department be brought into force, and be rigidly adhered to. In my
opinion, a statement of first attacks in any village should be sent at once to the
District Sanitary Officer by the Tahsildar of each taluk concerned, who should
advise the Local Fund authorities of the area as to sanitary duties, whilst another
intimation should be sent to the vaccinator of the circle and the Medical Officer of
the nearest hospital. At each first outbreak these separate notices should be
despatched; subsequently, weekly statements would suffice to the District Sanitary
Officers.