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The Miasmatic Diseases (the class which is specially under the influence of
sanitary measures) were the causes of an unusually large number of deaths,
namely, 1253. In 1862 the number from this class of diseases was 984, and the
average in five years was only 979.
Small Pox was fatal to a larger number than during any year that I have had
to report on the statistics of this Parish. There were 80 deaths registered in
St. Pancras, besides 27 deaths in the Small Pox Hospital. Of the 80 deaths,
14 were of persons said to have been previously vaccinated; in 12 cases no
mention is made of vaccination, and in the remaining 54 cases vaccination had
not been performed.
When it is remembered that by far the largest proportion of the population have
been vaccinated, the amount of protection afforded by this operation will appear
more considerable than it does on first hearing the figures. There is reason to
believe that in St. Pancras there are 24 persons who have either been vaccinated,
or have previously had Small Pox, to every one not so protected ; nevertheless,
of those who died from Small Pox, nearly seven-tenths were from amongst the
relatively small unprotected class, and less than two-tenths were from the
larger class protected by vaccination, successful or unsuccessful; whilst
concerning three-twentieths of the whole deaths, no information is given. In
other words, the deaths amongst the unprotected were nearly four times as
many as those amongst the protected, although the latter class was 24 times as
numerous as the former; from this it would appear that the fatal cases of Small
Pox were, relatively to the members liable to suffer, 96 times as numerous
amongst the unvaccinated, as amongst the vaccinated.
There is no doubt that, during last year, there prevailed in the whole of
London a very strong epidemic tendency to Small Pox; this was shown not
only by the number of vaccinated persons who took Small Pox, but by the
large number of persons who had Small Pox for a second time, as well as the
large number of deaths from the disease. It was also observed that there was
greater susceptibility to re-vaccination than is usual at seasons when Small Pox