London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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St George (Southwark) 1870

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southwark, The Vestry of the Parish of St. George the Martyr]

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30 Annula Report of the Medical officer of Health-1869-70
perience William Jenner, Bart., after having had under his observation 13,000 children,
during a period of 17 years, tells U3 that ho had no reason to believe,, or oven suspect,
that any constitutional taint had boon convoyed from one person to another by vaccination.
Dr. West's experience, which was still larger, to the extent of 20,000 infants and
children, speaks to the like effect. And Professor Paget of Barthelomew's, whoso means of
knowledge have equalled the above, writes, "Now vaccination may do, theugh I believe it
rarely does, disturb for a time the general health, and may give opportunity for the external
manifestation and complete evolution of some constitutional affection, which, but for it
might have remained rather longer latent. This is the worst thing," ho goes on to say,
"that with any show of reason can bo charged against vaccination." Mr. Mason, who has
performed more than 50,000 vaccinations, has never seen other diseases communicated with
the vaccine disease, nor does ho believe they are so communicated. And Simon, Medical
Officer of the Privy Council, making special reference to the conveyance of the syphilitic
poison, declares "that if it could bo diffused by the vaccine lymph of children with an heriditary
taint of that disease, this possibility must long ago have boon made evident on a
scale far too considerable for question." These men speak concerning that which they
know, with impartiality, and with freedom from vanity and prejudice, and consequently
their evidence is worthy the fullest credence. I present you with a Table given by Dr. Seaton,
comparing the annual mortality in England and Wales from small pox from 1838 to 1865.

TABLE No. G.

PERIODS COMPARED.ANNUAL DEATHS BY SMALL POX IN ENGLAND AND WALES.
1. Average of three years (1838—10) when Vaccination bud become diffused. but before any public provision had been made for its gratuitous performance11,941
2. Average of the nine yearn (1841—53) when public Vaccination was gratuitously provided, but not obligatory5,221
3. Average of the twelve years (1851—65) during which Vaccination has been to a3,967

In Ireland, by careful and universal vaccination, small-pox has been stamped out. In
the ton years ending 1841, 58,000 persons died in that country from this disease, whilst
many thousands suffered disfigurement and permanent injury to their constitutions. During
the next ten years the numbers decreased to 12,727. In 1866, 187 deaths occurred,
and in 1867 only 21 persons fell victims to this disease. In 1808 no case happened Thus
one of the most fatal and disgusting diseases that ever afflicted mankind may bo reduced
from 37 deaths in the hundred to not a single one. I might bring before you many other
countries in which the death rate from small-pox has boon remarkably diminished by vaccination,
but I will not weary you further.
Of zymotic diseases scarlet fever has boon by far the most fatal. It has prevailed not
only in every parish in London, but almost in every parish in the kingdom, and to an extent
our experience bears no parallel. Anyhow, since the registration of deaths were began
no such mortality has been recorded.