Government
of Madras
LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENT
G.O. No. 1374 L., 21st September 1917
Vaccination
Report on the working of the — department in the Madras Presidency during the year
1916-17, reviewed.
READ—the following paper :—
Letter—from Major W. A. JUSTICE, M.B., C.M., D.P.H., I.M.S., Sanitary Com
missioner for Madras.
To—the Secretary to Government, Local and Municipal Department.
Dated— the 31st July 1917.
No.—548-V.
ABSTRACT.—-Submitting report on the working of the Vaccination department in the
Madras Presidency for 1916-17.
Order—No. 1374 L., dated 21st September 1917.
The report on vaccination which was due with the Government on the 1st
July was received on the 1st August. The Deputy Sanitary Commissioner complains
that the returns from the Municipal Chairman, Chingleput, the Deputy Inspector
of Vaccination, Dindigul Range, and the District Medical and Sanitary Officers of
South Arcot and Chingleput were received on dates ranging up to the 14th June,
instead of by the 1st May. The Government trust that such delays will not recur.
2. The total number of vaccine operations performed during the year fell from
1,801,170 to 1,699,926, or by 5.6 per cent. Large increases in vaccinations
occurred in the districts of Chingleput, South Arcot and Koraput, while in Malabar,
Gōdāvari, Vizagapatam, Madura, Kistna and Nellore there were marked decreases,
not following in all cases variations in the prevalence of small-pox. The fall in
Malabar is attributed to the paucity of cases, which is presumably a reference to
the large number of vaccinations performed in 1915 ; but that number was not
so large as to make the explanation altogether acceptable. In Madura it is
said that difficulties were experienced in recruiting vaccinators for temporary
vacancies and the fall in the other districts is described as a reaction from the
large number of operations performed in the previous year owing to the impetus
given by the prevalence of small-pox. All district boards should consider the
desirability of further extending the compulsory provisions of the Madras Local
Boards Act, 1884, relating to vaccination.
3. The municipalities as a whole showed a decrease of 24,579 cases, or 12.3
per cent, as compared with the previous year. Madura and Cannanore showed
marked increases, while large decreases in Madras, Parlākimedi, Tuticorin and
Trichinopoly are attributed to the absence or diminished prevalence of small-pox
in those towns.
4. Re-vaccinations alone showed a decrease of 50,396, or 18.7 per cent, distri
buted, with local variations, over local fund areas, municipalities and cantonments.
In the city of Madras alone the figures were lower by 25,762, and the decline was
marked in the districts of Gōdāvari and Vizagapatam and the municipalities of
Parlākimedi and Tuticorin.
5. In the report for 1915-16 mention was made of the experiment of storing
vaccine pulp in the raw condition and mixing it with lanoline when required for
use, as a contributory cause of the poor results of that year. This system was
discontinued during the year and yet the reported percentage of success fell from
87.7 to 86.7 in the case of primary and secondary vaccination and from 75.7 to 73.4
in the case of re-vaccination. The results were again specially bad in the districts
of Gōdāvari and Coimbatore and in the municipality of Cocanada. The Sanitary
Commissioner has issued revised instructions defining clearly the period within
which vaccine despatched from the Institute should be used and the special atten
tion of district boards is drawn to these instructions. The total number of