London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1894
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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19
The deaths attributed to "cowpox and vaccination" in 1894 numbered nine, being slightly
below the corrected annual average of the preceding ten years.
The report of the Statistical Committee of the Metropolitan Asylums Board for 1894 supplies
the following figures, showing the state as to vaccination of the patients suffering from smallpox
admitted into the institutions of the Board during the year.
Smallpox and vaccination.
| Age period. | Vaccinated. | No evidence as to* vaccination. | Vaccination cicatrices absent. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admissions. | Deathp. | Admissions. | Deaths. | Admissions. | Deaths. | |
| 0— | — | — | — | — | 17 | 7 |
| 1— | — | — | — | — | 17 | 6 |
| 2— | 2 | — | 1 | — | 11 | 3 |
| 3— | — | — | — | — | 11 | 3 |
| 4— | 3 | — | 1 | — | 23 | 10 |
| 5— | 1 | — | 1 | — | 20 | 4 |
| 6— | 7 | — | — | — | 12 | 1 |
| 7— | 5 | — | 2 | — | 17 | — |
| 8— | 8 | — | 1 | — | 13 | 2 |
| 9— | 8 | — | 1 | — | 9 | — |
| 10— | 14 | — | 2 | — | 8 | 1 |
| 11— | 11 | — | 4 | — | 12 | — |
| 12— | 25 | — | 3 | — | 8 | 2 |
| 13— | 20 | — | 1 | — | 6 | — |
| 14— | 32 | — | 3 | 1 | 8 | — |
| 15— | 144 | 2 | 9 | — | 24 | 2 |
| 20— | 162 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 14 | 5 |
| 25— | 108 | 7† | 5 | — | 8 | 4½ |
| 30— | 91 | 8 | 5 | — | 5 | 1 |
| 35— | 55 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 40— | 75 | 5 | 6 | — | 4 | 2 |
| 50 and upwards | 26 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| All ages | 797 | 38 | 68 | 8 | 252 | 56 |
It will be observed that 797 vaccinated persons and 252 persons without vaccination cicatrices
were admitted into the hospitals of the managers, and in considering these numbers, relative proportions
of the vaccinated and unvaccinated populations of London have to be borne in mind. It will scarcely
be claimed that the lamentable neglect of vaccination in recent years has yet raised the unvaccinated
population to 22 per cent. of the total population, a result which would be necessary if we are to
assume that the unvaccinated population has not contributed more proportionately to these hospital
admissions than the vaccinated populations. Again it will be observed that the cases admitted at
the earlier ages consist much more largely of patients without cicatrices than of vaccinated patients,
and that the case mortality of the former has been considerably greater than that of the vaccinated.
Reference to diagram V. will enable the mortality of patients above and below 15 years of age
to be considered in relation to their state as to vaccination.
Since 1880 the Registrar-general has classified the deaths from smallpox under three heads, viz.,
"vaccinated." "unvaccinated," and " no statement." The totals of the 14 vears, 1881-94, are as follows—
Smallpox deaths, London—1881-94.
| Age-period. | All ages. | 0-1 | 1-5 | 5-20 | 20-40 | 40-60 | 60-80 | 80 and upwards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaccinated | 1,261 | 22 | 32 | 227 | 721 | 221 | 35 | 3 |
| Unvaccinated | 1,998 | 323 | 478 | 662 | 411 | 105 | 18 | 1 |
| No statement | 1,880 | 240 | 224 | 453 | 656 | 244 | 60 | 3 |
The following table, in which the number of deaths at each age-period is expressed as a percentage
of the total deaths from smallpox at " all ages," more clearly indicates the relative ageincidence
of this disease in the three classes under consideration—
"All ages" taken as 100.
| Age period. | All ages. | 0-1 | 1-5 | 5-20 | 20-40 | 40-60 | 60-80 | 80 and upwards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaccinated | 100 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 18.0 | 57.2 | 17.5 | 2.8 | 0.2 |
| Unvaccinated | 100 | 16.2 | 23.9 | 33.1 | 20.6 | 5.3 | 0.9 | 0.1 |
| No statement | 100 | 12.8 | 11.9 | 24.1 | 34.9 | 13.0 | 3.2 | 0.2 |
" Vaccinated" and " No statement" combined.
| "Vaccinated" and "No statement" | 100 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 21.7 | 43.8 | 14.8 | 3.1 | 0.2 |
| Unvaccinated | 100 | 16.2 | 23.9 | 33.1 | 20.6 | 5.3 | 0.9 | 0.1 |
* These cases include cases stated to have been vaccinated, but bearing no visible evidence of the operation, and also those in
which no statement was made, but the nature of the eruption or other cause prevented any observation of the marks, if any existed,
†Two deaths occurred among patients admitted during 1893.