6 THIRD SPECIAL REPORT ON THE
As examples of stations in which success was obtained early in
the season, I may instance Mozufferpore and Midnapore, the dates of
the respective reports being 22nd and 30th October.
As shewing that it has been possible to send lymph in an active
state for long distances, in spite of very hot weather at the end of the
vaccinating season, I may state that lymph, despatched from Calcutta
on the 15th and 22nd February, and the 4th and 21st March, was success-
fully used at Jhansi to re-vaccinate the 93rd Highlanders.
I append a table shewing the results which have been reported
from the use of lymph from different sources, which, though very
defective and not quite reliable, is nevertheless of interest.
Table shewing the results of English, Hill, and Calcutta Lymph
despatched from this office in each month, commencing from
October 1867 to April 1868.
|
English Lymph |
Hill Lymph. |
Calcutta Lymph. |
||||||||||||
|
Year and Month. |
Number of |
Successful |
Failed. |
Not |
Number of |
Successful. |
Failed |
Not |
Number of |
Successful. |
Failed. |
Doubtful |
Not |
Not |
|
1867 |
||||||||||||||
|
October ... |
... |
... |
... |
... |
... |
... |
... |
... |
74 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
... |
67 |
|
November ... |
21 |
... |
... |
... |
18 |
1 |
1 |
... |
131 |
12 |
15 |
1 |
... |
103 |
|
December ... |
... |
2 |
2 |
... |
3 |
4 |
... |
... |
127 |
16 |
5 |
... |
1 |
105 |
|
1868 |
||||||||||||||
|
January ... |
... |
1 |
2 |
... |
... |
1 |
1 |
... |
80 |
11 |
1 |
... |
... |
68 |
|
February ... |
... |
... |
... |
... |
4 |
... |
1 |
... |
65 |
13 |
3 |
... |
... |
49 |
|
March ... |
... |
... |
... |
... |
3 |
... |
... |
... |
43 |
6 |
1 |
... |
... |
35 |
|
April ... |
... |
... |
... |
... |
10 |
... |
... |
... |
9 |
3 |
... |
... |
... |
6 |
|
14 |
29 |
|||||||||||||
|
Grand Total ... |
21 |
3 |
4 |
14 |
38 |
6 |
3 |
29 |
528 |
63 |
29 |
2 |
1 |
433 |
Causes of
failure.
10 In exceptional cases, want of skill in vaccinating, leaving the
virus unused for some time after its arrival, and the attempt to vacci-
nate too many subjects with a small amount of virus doubtless lead
to some of the want of success. That I am possibly insisting too
lightly on such causes, may be suspected, when I mention that two
medical officers reported that with three tubes they had respectively
attempted to vaccinate 30 and 40 subjects, but met with failure.
Primary differences in the infecting power of the lymph, and in the
receptive power of individuals in unfavourable climates, as well as
the prejudicial effect of a merely high temperature on the virus, may
also be surmised to be accountable for some of the failures. The
great cause of want of success, is to be found in the fact, that the
virus becomes rapidly inactive after being shut up in the tubes.
In arm to arm vaccination success is all but absolutely certain; but at