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186
1908]
a number of medical students, together with a friend engaged in mercantile
pursuits, and naturally the subject of vaccination was discussed. One of
those present had recently obtained his medical qualifications, and he offered
there and then to vaccinate the party. All accepted the offer, with the exception
of the gentleman named, who stated that he had never been vaccinated,
because his father did not believe it was a preventative, and that it would
annoy him very much if he were vaccinated then. Some 9 or 10 days later all
the party went to the theatre together, and sitting next to the writer, and
three persons removed from the gentleman mentioned, was a woman who
without doubt had recently come from a bed of Small Pox, for her face gave
positive evidence that she had had a very bad attack. In seven or eight days
the unvaccinated member of the party began to sicken, and within three
weeks he was dead from malignant Small Pox. At his funeral there followed
a grief-stricken father, who within nine months was also laid beside his only
son, his heart broken by the knowledge of the fact, which he freely confessed,
that his boy, who was a splendid type of muscular Christianity, would have
then been living were it not for his folly.
It is much to be regretted that facts respecting vaccination are not distributed
broadcast throughout the country just as the pamphlets of the antivaccinators
are. Perhaps one reason for this is that the administration of the
Vaccination Acts is in the hands of the Boards of Guardians, who have really
no direct interest in the prevention of Small Pox, and also perhaps because
there is hardly a Board on which there are not anti-vaccinators. Vaccination
it a national question, and facts respecting its power to prevent Small Pox
should be made known in pamphlet form to every person to whom a child has
been born. They could easily be given to parents or guardians at the registration
of a child's birth. In this way anti-vaccinators would be met on their
own ground and the public at large be given some opportunity of judging as to
the truth of their statements.
Years.
Vaccinations per 100
births, less infants who
died unvaccinated.
Years.
Vaccinations per 100
births, less infants who
died unvaccinated.
1880 89.8 1894 84.0
1881 90.8 1895 70.9
1882 91.1 1896 73.9
1883 90.4 1897 73.3
1884 90.5 1898 64.9
1885 90.6 1899 66.4
1886 90.8 1900 67.9
1887 90.4 1901 75.8
1888 88.4 1902 80.0
1889 89.0 1903 8l.2
1890 89.3 1904 82.3
1891 87.4 1905 80.5
1892 85.5 1906 79.9
1893 85.0 1907 76.9