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Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health,—1893. 23
The returns for 1892 and 1893, compiled by Messrs. Cloake & Frith, the vaccination
officers, show on the total number of births, a margin of 13'3 and 15"3 per cent, of
infants not officially registered as vacciuated; that is to say, in 1892 less than 87 per
cent, of the total number born in your Parish remain unaccounted for by the
Guardians.
In 1893, again, less than 85 per cent, were returned as vaccinated. The following
table is extracted from the' latest available reports of the Medical Officer of the
Local Government Board.

This table shows the number of children per cent, of total births remaining
"unaccounted for," including cases postponed. It will be thus seen that of late
years less vigilance has been shown by the Guardians in the discharge of their
responsible duties under the Vaccination Acts. It appears that in no single instance
have the Guardians given instructions to their Vaccination Officers during 1852 and
J 1893 to prosecute persons for failing to have their children vaccinated. The law, as
it at present stands, says, " Every parent or person having the custody of an
j unvaccinated child, who, after certain proceedings, disobeys the order of a Justice,
directing the child to be vaccinated within a certain time, is liable to a penalty not
exceeding twenty-shillings, and upon proof of continued disobedience, after such
order is made, the said parent or person may be fined again and again, and even sent
to prison in default of payment of the penalty." The members of the Royal
Commission appointed to inquire into the question of compulsory vaccination, who
have been sitting for some years past, reported in 1892, that, in their opinion, " the
imposition of repeated penalties in respect of the non-vaccination of the same child
should no longer be possible, and should cease to be inflicted altogether." They also
stated that they had arrived at this conclusion "quite independently of the question
whether vaccination should continue to be compulsorily enforced." This interim
recommendation of the Commission may or may not be carried out, but it in no way
absolves Boards of Guardians from discharging the duties devolving on them with
respect to the Vaccination Acts. With the experiences of the small-pox epidemic of
1893, gentlemen, fresh in your memories, the grave nature of the responsibility
incurred by the failure of the Guardians to extend to this poor and densely crowded
parish the protection afforded by the great discovery of Jenner need not be further
insisted upon.
A copy of the placard issued under the title "Small-pox and its Prevention,"
distributed generally throughout your parish, and particularly to the occupiers of
infected houses, the keepers of the common lodging-houses, the Salvation Shelter,
and the Guardians of the Casuals and Relief Stations, will be found under
Appendix A. It will be noticed that I emphasise the urgent need of (1) Revaccination
; (2) The immediate removal of every case of small-pox to an isolation
hospital.
On July 20th, 1893, I prosecuted on behalf of the Vestry, W. M., under Section
€8, Sub-section I. (a) of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, for having wilfully
exposed himself in a public thoroughfare while suffering from small-pox.
Mr. Fenwick, the magistrate, doubted at first my ability to prosecute, and I told
him I did so very reluctantly, having advised the Sanitary Authority of St. Georgethe-Martyr
more than once to engage a lawyer in all such cases.