438 Major P. S. Leiean [April 23, 



The following tabular comparison may be made between the 

 enteric figures for the year in which inoculation was reintroduced, 

 1905, and the latest figures available, 1913, when 90 per cent, were 

 inoculated. 



Admissions Deaths 



1905 . . . 1146 ... 213 



1913 ... 85 ... 16 



The data for the Indian troops for these years may be contrasted. 



1905 

 1912 



If it be urged that improving conservancy is alone responsible for 

 the reduction in enteric among British troops, then the better 

 sanitation of the cantonments of Indian troops should produce a 

 corresponding decline in their incidence rates. Owing to native 

 prejudices, prophylactic inoculation was not urged upon Indian regi- 

 ments until 1911 and the numbers inoculated were inconsiderable. 



What are the practical results of this reduction in enteric in the 

 eight years since prophylactic inoculation was reintroduced ? Two 

 hundred lives saved annually ; 250 less beds in hospitals ; 103,000 

 less days of sickness in the year— or the equivalent of the whole 

 British Army in India being out of action for a day and a half. In 

 deaths and medical expenses /ilone this probably represents an annual 

 economy of £50,000 a year, or a loan of over £1,500,000 at 3 per 

 cent, interest. 



I think that these results are sufficiently brilHant to justify the 

 officers of the R.A.M.C. in looking back with satisfaction on the 

 results of their collective efforts of the last ten years. 



4. Striking as these figures are, we get figures more striking still 

 if we turn to the statistics of the army of the United States, which has 

 given us a lead in making anti-enteric inoculation compulsory, and 

 has thus afforded an indication of the results which would follow 

 adoi^tion of a similar course for our army. 



We may first take the contrast afforded hj two divisions of similar 

 strength (about 20,000 men) living in camp on United States terri- 

 tory in 1898 — when no men were inoculated — and in 1911 — when 

 100 per cent, of the strength was compulsorily inoculated. 



The former division was camped at Chicamauga for ten months, 

 and the latter on the Mexican frontier for four months. 



1898 (ten months) 

 1911 (four months) 



That the freedom from enteric in the latter instance was not due 

 to absence of sources of infection is shown by the fact that among 



