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the mortality from all causes was 72,346; so that in this year of its
extreme prevalence, the deaths from Small Pox bore the proportion to
those from all causes of 1 to 36 only, instead of 1 to 14, as was the usual
annual proportion in England before the introduction of vaccination, at a time
when the mortality from other causes was nearly double what it is now. The
average annual number of deaths from Small Pox in 12 years preceding 1863,
was only 638, which is in the proportion nearly of 1 per cent, to the gross
mortality. This improvement has taken place even with a very incomplete and
unsatisfactory observance of vaccination. What is now looked upon as an
extreme prevalence of Small Pox, would, two centuries ago, have been regarded
as a comparative freedom from the disease.
So much for a comparison of the fatality of this disease now and before the
employment of vaccination; but what is noticed in regard to its occurrence
amongst a population, part of which is vaccinated and part not? Br. Buchanan,
who was employed by the Privy Council to report on the state of vaccination in
St. Pancras has supplied me with the following figures, which afford valuable
evidence on the matter now under consideration.
The children in a number of public schools were examined as to their having
been vaccinated, the nature of their vaccine scars, and the presence or absence
of scars of Small Pox. The number of children examined was 2563; of these,
2457, or 96 per cent., presented marks of vaccination, 93 exhibited no marks of
vaccination, and 13 others presented scars of a dubious character. Of the
2457 children known to have been vaccinated, there were only 6 who hud
undoubted marks of having had Small Pox, and 3 others who exhibited dubious
signs of it. The children with marks of vaccination were classed under three
heads—those who exhibited signs of very good vaccination, those who had signs of
but moderately good vaccination, and those in whom the signs of vaccination were
unsatisfactory. Of the first class there were 1111 children, and not one of thune
was marked with Small Pox; of the second class there were 500, and of these
there was one bearing slight scars of Small Pox, and one about whom them was
doubt whether he had had Small Pox or not; of the third class there were 422,
and of these 5 were distinctly scarred by Small Pox, and 2 scarred in a way
which left the point undecided. On the other hand, amongst the 93 unvaccinated,
and the 13 whose vaccination was not proved, there were 30 eases obviously
scarred with Small Pox, and 2 doubtfully scarred. That is to say, amongst the
vaccinated those marked with Small Pox were only in the proportion of 3 to
819, or 1 to 273, whilst amongst the unvaccinated they were in the proportion
of 32 to 93, or if those whose vaccination was doubtful be included, in the
proportion of 32 to 106 or about one-third of the whole. In other words,
these statistics prove that scarring from Small Pox is 91 times more common
amongst the unvaccinated than amongst the vaccinated, reckoning as vaccinated
all who bear upon them any marks of vaccination. Amongst 1111 who bore
marks of thorough vaccination, such as it is desirable to have generally practised,
there was not one child marked with Small Pox.
It is impossible to have more satisfactory proof that vaccination is a real
protection from serious Small Pox; and it also appears evident that the amount
of protection is proportionate to the quality of the vaccination.
Between February and 20th June, 1863, there were seen, by the Parochial
Surgeons, 257 cases of Small Pox. In 155 cases a note was made in reference
to vaccination; 113 were vaccinated and 52 were not vaccinated. Now from
the examination of the schools, it appears that there are 24 times as many
vaccinated as unvaccinated persons in St. Pancras. Before making a comparison
between the tendency of the vaccinated and the unvaccinated to catch Small