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111
In London there had been a considerable falling off in the
amount of vaccination for some years prior to 1892. In 1883 the
per centage of births left unaccounted for (including, as before, the
postponed cases) was 6.5. It was not materially different in the
following year. In 1885 it had increased to 7 per cent.; in 1886
to 7.8; in 1887 to 9 per cent.; in 1888 to 10.3 per cent.; in 1889
to 11.6 per cent.; in 1890 to 13.9 per cent,; and in 1891 to 16.4
per cent. Taking these years together, the per centage left
unaccounted for is 9.9. The per centages we have given are
derived, of course, from a very large number of births, so that the
increase in the number appearing thus to be left unvaccinated is
very considerable. Thus in the year 1883 the number unaccounted
for was 7,816, whilst in 1891 it was 19,806. There seems to be
no doubt, therefore, that, so far as regards the class under 10 years
old, London compared unfavourably as regards the amount of
vaccination both with Warrington and Sheffield.
It has been suggested that Small-Pox is specially amenable
to improved sanitary conditions, and that this appears from the
influence which they have in diminishing the proportion in which
those under five years of age die of Small-Pox in healthy districts
as compared with towns, where the sanitary conditions are
inferior. In proof of this reliance is placed on a comparison of
two tables of mortality, showing of what diseases and at what
ages a million live-born children might be expected to die, which
appeared in a supplement to the 35th annual report of the
Registrar-General, the one derived from a Liverpool life-table
and the other from a life-table for certain selected "healthy
districts" in different parts of England and Wales. The tables
were, in the main, based on the experience of the years 1861-1870,
and, of course, assume that the conditions which then obtained
would remain unchanged. It is quite true that it appears from
these tables that whilst in Liverpool the per centage of deaths
from Small-Pox expected under five years of age was 63.5, in
"healthy districts" it was only 25.5. But in order to judge
whether this difference (so far as it really represents a different