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fatality of small-pox than those which obtained in London in the
first three quarters of last century. In this respect, it is probable
London was as bad, or even worse, than other large European
towns. Small-pox and other infectious Fevers were allowed to run
riot, and Bernouilli's calculation, derived from the experience of
such places at such times, to the effect that 60 per cent. of those
born took small-pox was probably not far wrong. The introduction
of even partial and indiscriminate inoculation was not likely
to, and in fact did not, increase to the extent which might otherwise
have been expected the heavy toll that small-pox already
exacted. Thus, the figures from the London Bills show that in
the first quarter of the 18th century, when inoculation had
scarcely begun to be practised in London, the deaths from smallpox
were 44,306 out of 586,270 total deaths, or 7.6 per cent.
In the following quarter, when a certain amount of inoculation
was carried on, especially towards its close, small-pox was
responsible for 49,941 deaths out of 660,800, or again 7.6 per cent.
In the third quarter, when inoculation had become an established
custom, 56,690 out of 549,891 deaths, or 10.3 per cent., were
ascribed to small-pox. In the last quarter of the 18th century,
although the total deaths had greatly fallen, under the influences
to which we have already alluded, the deaths from small-pox still
constituted 9.2 per cent. of the whole (45,428 out of 493,309).
It cannot be denied that the proportion of small-pox deaths to
deaths from all causes was greater last century in London after the
introduction of inoculation than it was before, though it is also
true that the death-rate in proportion to the estimated population
from all causes and from small-pox showed signs of improvement
during the last quarter of the 18th century, that any changes
which would have the effect of reducing the chances of infection
would diminish for the susceptible the prospects of attack and
death by small-pox; while those who had acquired natural or
artificial immunity would constitute to that extent a protected
class. In so far as vaccination substituted a non-infectious
procedure for the old inoculation, to that extent, and apart from
any question of its affording any immunity, it should by checking