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In 1855 the number of orders issued for medical relief was 10,729, so that
in ten years, the number of persons in receipt of out-door medical relief, had
increased 59 per cent.
There were sent, during the year 1865, to the Fever Hospital, from Saint
Pancras, at the expense of the Directors of the Poor, 193 cases, of whom 28
died; and to the Small Pox Hospital, 106 cases, of whom 9 died. In 1864 the
number sent to the two Hospitals were 179 and 45 respectively.
VACCINATION.
During the year which ended 29th September, 1865, there were successfully
vaccinated, by the Parochial District Vaccinators, 2,934 persons, of whom 2,580
were under twelve months of age. In the same period there were registered
7,349 births. Besides the number vaccinated, at the expense of the parish,
there are many children vaccinated at the two national vaccine stations in
Saint Pancras, and many by private medical praotitioners; moreover, of the
children born, a number die before they reach the age at which vaccination should
be performed. But even when all these points are considered, there is reason
to fear that a considerable number of children are not vaccinated. In the
present state of the law, there is no practicable method of ascertaining to what
extent vaccination is neglected, and the law for enforcing its performance is
nearly a dead letter.
There is a Bill now before Parliament, which, if it pass into law, will be
a slight improvement, though it will be far from ensuring anything like universal
vaccination.
It attempts to provide for the registration of vaccination, when this operation
is performed by the Public Vaccinator, in the district where the birth was
registered, by imposing a penalty on him if he fails to transmit the certificate of
successful vaccination to the Registrar; and where vaccination is performed by
other medical practioners, the duty of transmitting the certificate of vaccination
is thrown upon the parent or guardian.
It imposes a penalty upon the parent who neglects to have a child vaccinated,
or to take the child to the Yaccinator for inspection after vaccination.
It empowers any Registrar, or any officer appointed by the Guardians, to
take proceedings under the Act, against any person who has a child under
thirteen years of age, who, there is reason to believe, is not vaccinated, and the
parent or guardian with the child, may be summoned before a Justice, and fined
20s., unless he can show that the child has been vaccinated, or is unfit for or
insusceptible of vaccination. The onus of proof is thrown upon the defendant,
and not, as before, on the prosecutor.
In England, compulsion, in the strict sense of the term, will never be
enforced, in respect to vaccination; but the infliction of a penalty upon those
who neglect it from mere indifference, and not from conviction, is perfectly
justifiable. It would be well if evidence of vaccination were made an essential
for admission to all public schools, to employment in the public service, and
were required by all employers of labour.
Many of the prejudices against vaccination arise from imperfections in the
operation itself. The Government, whilst requiring every person to be vaccinated,
should make provision for the efficiency of vaccination throughout the kingdom.
The attention of the Privy Council has been directed to this subject, but there is
still need for furtherimprovement in this direction.