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144
the percentage of children born in Hackney, and subsequently
vaccinated, is somewhere about 50. Thus, the proportion of unvaccinated
to vaccinated in the population of the Borough is steadily
increasing year by year, and this fact is of serious moment, for year
by year the population as a whole, is becoming less and less protected
against the infection of small-pox, and if the disease should be introduced
into the Borough and once "got a hold," the consequences
might be an extensive epidemic. It must be remembered that
neglect of vaccination has been growing during the past thirty
years, since the time when the Royal Commission on Vaccination
commenced its enquiries, and that for more than twenty years
abstention from vaccination has been legalised. At the present
time, therefore, there must be, especially among the younger portion
of the population, a large percentage of unvaccinated persons who
are a potential source of danger to the community. In this connection
the following figures, relating to an epidemic of small-pox
which has been continuing in Glasgow for many months past, have
been published recently, and may well be reproduced here. The
difference in fatalities among the vaccinated and unvaccinated
patients should be noted.
Glasgow Small-pox Epidemic.
A recent return gives the following particulars:—
Patients admitted to hospital 446
Children under 15 years (unvaccinated 91
Children under 15 years (vaccinated) 29
Deaths of unvaccinated children 31
Deaths of vaccinated children -
None of the cases aged 15 years and over showed any evidence
of successful vaccination since 1901. The relative mortality