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removed to other districts; in some they had died; in many instances vaccination
had been performed by private medical men, who had failed to send the vaccination
certificate to the Registrars; in some few the operation had been postponed,
on account of the ill health of the child; and in a certain proportion of
cases, about 10 per cent. of the whole, the vaccination had been neglected. In
this last set of cases notices were served on the parents, requiring them to get
the operation at once performed. These notices have been in nearly every case
successful.
The number of houses thus visited was about 4000.
Another thing was done, which was probably of more use than all the others.
All the Public Schools in the Parish were visited by myself, accompanied in
most cases by one or other of the Public Vaccinators. All the children in
attendance at these Schools were carefully examined to discover how many of
them were well vaccinated, or had previously had Small Pox, how many had
not been vaccinated at all, and how many had but imperfect marks of vaccination.
This examination was, as may be supposed, attended with no small
amount of labour, but it was productive of great benefit in directing the attention
of the managers of Schools, as well as parents and guardians, to the subject of
vaccination, and in getting a very large number of children, who were either
quite unprotected, or but imperfectly protected from the risk of taking Small
Pox, well vaccinated. The results of the examination are given in detail in the
annexed Table. It there appears that between nine and ten thousand children
were examined, and between 5 and 6 per cent. of these exhibited no marks of
vaccination, whilst between 14 and 15 per cent. more, exhibited but indistinct
and unsatisfactory scars from the operation. In nearly all the former cases the
children were vaccinated, and in a great many of the latter set of cases they
were re-vaccinated.
The number of children marked with Small Pox was not very great, except
in one or two Schools in neighbourhoods where the diseaso had been recently
epidemic; this was especially the case in one or two Eagged Schools near
Ferdinand Street, Pancras Yale, and near Cromer Street, Gray's Inn Road.
The neglect of vaccination varied much in different Schools, but in not one
School was it found that all the children were already vaccinated. It was
generally observed, that of the children who had been vaccinated in the
country a larger proportion was not well vaccinated than of those vaccinated
in London.
In order to induce the managers of Public Schools to direct their attention to
the vaccination of their Scholars, the following circular has recently been printed
by the Sanitary Committee on my recommendation, and sent to each of the
Public Schools in the Parish. Sufficient time has not yet elapsed to allow of
replies to the circular being received.
"Saint Pancras, Middlesex.
Sanitary Department, Office, 10, Edward Street,
Hampstead Road, N.W.
May 26th, 1860.
To the Committee of Schools.
Gentlemen,
You are aware that some weeks since, I paid a visit to the
Schools of this Parish, with the view of ascertaining how far the children
attending them were protected by vaccination, or a previous attack of Small Po.x,
from the risk of taking that disease.
I did not find, out of 80 Schools which I visited, one in which all the children