12
VACCINATION REPORT
When compared with the previous year there is a rise in the charges of
Government and cantonment establishments and a fall in those of Local Funds
and Municipalities. The average cost of each successful case rose from As. 3-9
in 1915-16 to As. 4-1 in the year under report. It varied from As. 2-6 in the
Tinnevelly district to As. 11-2 in the Nilgiris.
The Municipalities which showed a comparatively high cost per case are
Kodaikānal (As. 13-1), Erode (As. 12-8), Tirupati (As. 9-8), Madras (As. 9-2)
and Peddapur (As. 8-4). The lowest figure was reached by the Tuticorin Munici
pality where it was As. 2. The rate in Tanjore, Madura, Calicut and Cannanore
was As. 2-2, Srīvilliputtūr As. 2-6, Trichinopoly As. 2-7, and Bodinayakanur
and Vizianagram As. 2-11.
(v) Vaccination was compulsory in all the Municipalities. The total
number of operations performed in the Municipalities during the year is 174,810
against 199,389 in 1915-16, i.e., there is a decrease of 24,579 operations. The
Municipalities which show a marked increase in the number of operations over the
previous year are:—Madura (+2,574) and Cannanore (+1,508). The towns
which show a large decrease in this respect are Madras (— 25,459), Parlākimedi
(— 4,493), Tuticorin (— 3,622) and Trichinopoly (—1,437). The decrease in these
Municipalities is attributed to the absence or less prevalence of small-pox during
the year.
(vi) The following table exhibits the comparative success obtained by the
use of different kinds of lymph in primary vaccination :—
Number of cases
excluding
unknown.
1,265,195
...
95,726
19,714
Area.
Local Fund ...
Do. ...
Municipalities ...
Do. ...
Kind of lymph.
Lanoline lymph ...
Glycerine „ ...
Lanoline
„ ...
Glycerine „ ...
Whence obtained.
Supplied by the King Institute,
Guindy.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Percentage of
success.
86.2
...
92.2
96.8
The percentage of success from lanoline lymph was 86.2 in 1916-17 against
87.2 in 1915-16 in Local Fund areas and 92.2 and 92.8, respectively in munici
palities. Glycerine lymph also showed a decreased rate of success of 96.8
against 97.4 in the year previous.
(vii) A large number of deaths from small-pox was recorded during the year,
the figures being 23,417 against 21,463 in 1915-16 which means that there has
been an increase of 1,954 of preventable deaths during the year. Nevertheless
there has been a decrease of 101,244 operations during the year when compared
with the previous year and this decrease is ascribed mainly to the absence or less
prevalence of small-pox ! This shows how insidiously the disease has been pre
vailing lulling the general public and the local bodies into a false sense of security.
In this connexion, I may mention that many reports were received from the
Deputy Inspectors of Vaccination that small-pox reports from the Revenue autho
rities were received with considerable delay or not at all. It is to be hoped that
in future the local officials concerned will pay more attention in carrying out the
wise provisions contained in the Board's Standing Order No. 102 and help the
vaccination staff in carrying out re-vaccination at the very onset of the disease
in their jurisdiction.
The proportion of population protected in the districts and municipalities
during the year is shown in the annexed two diagrams.
(viii) The Deputy Inspectors of Vaccination, Bellary (49.8), Kanigiri (44.8)
and Gudur (40.2) have failed to verify 50 per cent of cases vaccinated within
their ranges. Of these the shortage in Bellary range is only (0.2) and the Deputy
Inspector has accounted for it satisfactorily. Kanigiri range was without a
Deputy Inspector for over two months under unavoidable circumstances. The
Deputy Inspector of Vaccination, Gudur range, will be dealt with suitably for his
low verification.
(ix) There were two deaths among Deputy Inspectors of Vaccination during
the year. Three were dismissed from service for submission of false returns and