( 6 )
The above return shows that every vaccinator has been inspected in the Kumaun,
Rohilkhand divisions, and in the Allahabad circles, once during the season by either
the Superintendent or Deputy Superintendent. In the Benares circle each vaccinator
(81 in number) has been inspected by the Superintendent himself, and 71 of these
have again been inspected by the Deputy Superintendent.
In the Agra and Meerut circle only 115 out of 150 vaccinators have been inspect-
ed by the Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent. Dr. Pringle, unfortunately,
was laid up for some time with fever at Bulandshahr, which prevented his doing more.
2.— KUMAUN DIVISION.
In this division there has been an increase of 7,018 cases of vaccination and re-
vaccination, the increase of vaccinators being one. The percentage of success has risen
in primary vaccination to 96.56, being an increase of 4 05 upon the previous year.
I am indebted to my Deputy Superintendent, Babu Puma Nand, for the progress
shown. The Kumaun division is, exceptionally, fortunate in the assistance rendered by
the Civil authorities, of whom Sir H. Ramsay, K.C.S.I., Mr. Beckett, and Mr.
Macdonald are conspicuous for the interest they evince. Pandit Ganga Datt
Upretí, Sudder Amin, Garhwal, has also been zealous in the promotion of
vaccination.
The amount of vaccine virus distributed during the past season from the Kumaun
and Garhwal Hills has been—
Capillary tubes ... ... ...
Vaccine points
...
...
...
Vaccine crusts ... ... ...
8,649
2,827
4,508
An amount more than sufficiently abundant to meet all the demands from the
North-Western Provinces. The Rajputana States, Central Provinces, Burmah,
Assam, and parts of Bengal. The character of the virus has been all that could be
desired.
Dr. Pringle, the Superintendent of the Agra and Meerut Circle, in addition to
supplying all his own establishments with virus, supplied also those of the Benares
Circle. The vaccine establishment supported by the Tehri Rajah, of Garhwal, consist-
ing of four vaccinators and a Native Superintendent, under the control of Dr. Pringle,
is thus most useful in supplementing the out-turn of virus from Kumaun, in addition
to the great good being effected by the vaccination of the Rajah's subjects. In my
last report I wrote— "If lymph stored in tubes from the previous season's cases would
remain effective, we should have no difficulties as to our supply of virus; but in India,
experience has, unfortunately, proved this to be impossible." Some of the discolored
tubes of the previous season were sent to Dr. D. D. Cunningham for examination.
He writes— "In none of the discolored specimens was there any evidence of the pre-
sence of fungi, bacteria, or other foreign organisms, and the normal elements occur-
ring in vaccine lymph were well preserved. The colouring was due to a profusion of
minute brownish granules, in some cases free in the fluid, in others adhering in large
numbers to fibrinous filaments." Notwithstanding "the normal elements occurring
in vaccine lymph being well preserved," the fact remains that the lymph is destroyed
as far as its genuine action is concerned; and as many of such tubes show undoubted
evidence of containing sulphuretted hydrogen, it would in my opinion be very wrong
to run the risk of using them. Dr. Sutherland, the Sanitary Commissioner, Super-
intendent Vaccination of Oudh, informs me that he kept a stock of lymph in the ice
house, through last hot and rainy seasons, but the experiments failed entirely; as
when taken out at the commencement of the cold weather, it was found to have lost
its vitality.