ANNUAL REPORT OF VACCINATION
FOR
1877-78.
I HAVE the honor, in submitting the Annual Report of Vaccination of the Madras
Presidency for the year 1877-78, to state that during the year under review
one Second-class Deputy Inspector was added to the establishment for employ
in the South Arcot District and posted to the Virudachalam Circle, as the district
was divided into two circles. The advisability of employing a separate Deputy
Inspector in the Tellicherry Circle of the Malabar District was suggested to the
President, Local Fund Board, during Dr. Shortt's tour of inspection in November
last in that district, as the district is large and divided into two circles, and the
greater part sickly.
2. There was one resignation among the staff of Deputy Inspectors, viz., that
of the Deputy Inspector of Chittur Circle.
3. In the beginning of 1877 the appointments of Deputy Inspectors to the
Tinnevelly District were resuscitated by the appointment of two Second-class Deputy
Inspectors. In the middle of the year, at the request of the President, Local Fund
Board, a First-class Deputy Inspector was substituted to the Tinnevelly Circle in
lieu of a Second-class Deputy Inspector, in accordance with the new Vaccination
Rules. In the Dindigul Circle of the Madura District, at the request of the Presi-
dent, a Second-class Deputy Inspector was substituted in lieu of the First-class
Deputy Inspector. The Second-class Deputy Inspectors of the South Canara
District, Chicacole Circle of the Ganjam District, and the Southern Circle of the
Coimbatore District were promoted to the first-class grade during the year at the
request of the Local Fund Boards of these districts, and the appointments of First-
class Deputy Inspector to Jeypore Hill Tracts was also resuscitated by this office.
The temporary Vaccinators in connection with the recently created Health Depart-
ment in the town of Madras continued at work till the end of August 1877, and the
work was then carried out by the town vaccine staff. The Vaccinators had to
undergo much difficulties in hunting for and procuring lymph subjects to furnish
arm vaccine lymph to meet the numerous demands that had arisen in connection
with the work, and a large number of operations were carried out in the several
relief-camps and poor-houses in the suburbs of the town owing to the large
number of the suffering poor who congregated at these centres from the great
distress caused by the famine. But at the Perambore Relief Camp the relief
officers showed little or no interest in vaccination nor in urging the camp inmates
to undergo the operation ; consequently very little was done in this particular camp.
The total of operations performed in the town of Madras is 116,335, showing
a vast increase of 64,840 cases when compared with that of the previous year, and
the town work stands first in the Presidency, but this is owing to the accidental
circumstance caused by the famine. A First-class Vaccinator was specially employed
in the Red Hills Famine Relief Camp from April to 1st November 1877, when his
services were dispensed with as they were no longer required. He shows a total
of 4,827 operations having been performed in the camp from April to October
1877. This Vaccinator was paid out of the famine funds the whole time he was so
employed.
4. The establishment during the year under notice consisted of 38 Deputy
Inspectors (of whom 31 are of the first and 7 only of the second-class), 162 First-
class Vaccinators, 281 Second-class Vaccinators, and 92 Probationers. The increase