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10 Parish of St. George the Martyr, Southwark.
sioned 25,071 deaths; giving a weekly average of sixteen. The highest mortality that
occurred in one week was 102, and that was the last week of 1840. In the eighteenth
week of this year, the mortality reached 288. The epidemic has been present during the
whole of 1870, and the two last months of 1869. According to the Medical Report of the
Small-pox Hospital it commenced in November of that year. In the year 1870, there were
admitted 1285 cases of small-pox : of these 963 had been vaccinated, and 322 had not been
vaccinated. Out of the 963 vaccinated cases 76 died, giving a mortality of about 8 in 100.
Out of the 322 unvaccinated cases 124 died, giving a mortality of near 39 in 100.
The Reporters say that, "not a single fact has occurred within our experience at the
Hospital during the past year to shake our confidence in vaccination when properly performed,
or to detract in any degree from that high estimate of its value which many
years' experience in the wards of the Hospital, and a close study of small-pox have
led us to form."
At the Hampstead Hospital, from December 1st, 1870, to February 18th, 1871, 800
cases came under the notice of the Medical Attendants: of these 591 had been vaccinated,
the remaining 209 had not. Indeed, many of those vaccinated had been imperfectly done.
Of the vaccinated nearly 9 per cent. died; of the 209 not vaccinated 45 per cent. The
mortality in both the vaccinated and unvaccinated was more severe during the later
months.
Vaccination is a great preventive of small-pox; and in those cases where the disease
does come, it is rendered much more mild and manageable. Utterly to stamp out this
disease, vaccination should be universally practised; it should be performed during the
early months of life, and with the greatest care, both as regards the material and
the operation.
To show what small-pox is, where vaccination has never been practised, I quote from
Advices sent from Fort Garry, dated October, 1870, which tells us that it was committing
fearful ravages; that the Indians were dying by thousands, and that the plains were
covered with painted corpses, the stench from which was dreadful. The Government contemplated
sending out Vaccinators (British Medical Journal ).
A serious outbreak of this disease happened in one of our large Hospitals. It was
propagated through the medium of the Laundry. Disinfection of the linen and revaccinution
immediately stayed the disease. All fear of contagion by such means might at once
be allayed, by having the articles placed for awhile in a drying stove.
I present you with a Table which represents the deaths that have happened from
small-pox in London and in this District during the last fourteen years.