View report page

40
SMALLPOX.
Only one case of Smallpox has been notified during the
year, and this, in all probability, was a case of ChickenPox.
The usual precautions were, however, taken, and no
further trouble resulted.
In London during the year 1899, 29 cases of Smallpox
were notified, and 3 deaths registered, giving a case
mortality (uncorrected) of 10.4% . Tables Q and R give
the vaccination statistics for the year 1898, and the first
half of 1899—these for the second half of 1899 not being
ready in time for the Report. It will be noticed that
ruring 1898, only 7.9 % (as compared with 25.3 % for 1897)
of the children born are unaccounted for as regards vaccination,
and 57.1% were successfully vaccinated ; whilst during
the first half of 1899, 8.1% are unaccounted for, and
57.9 % have been successfully vaccinated.
The ''conscientious objectors" are not proving formidable
in Lambeth—only 138 for the year 1898 and 61 for
the first half of 1899, and the Vaccination Act of 1898
may be said to be working satisfactorily—the much-dreaded
clause proving practically less harmful than was to be
anticipated. This Clause (the conscientious objector's)
is sufficient to prevent persons being compelled to
have their children vaccinated, but failing their taking
advantage of such Clause, vaccination is practically as
compulsory as ever. Undoubtedly the use of glycerinated
calf-lymph is causing the anti-vaccination movement to
totter—the confidence of the outside public in such lymph
growing, in view of the experiments of bacteriologists,
which go to prove that glycerine, as an adjunct, has the
power of purifying the lymph, and freeing it from all
extraneous micro-organisms, even the tubercle bacilli,
should such be present. Domiciliary vaccination is proving
successful, and assisting in making the operation much
more acceptable to the people.