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tible of vaccination ; five had small-pox; 22 are still under medical certificates
of unfitness from ill-health ; 21 have removed to other parishes,
their addresses ascertained, and forwarded to the Vaccination Officers of
such respective districts, reducing the number to be accounted for to
4,038, of which 3,889 have been successfully vaccinated, and certificates
duly returned; the remaining 149 have left, or were unknown at the
addresses given upon registration, being a loss of about 3 per cent. on the
total number of births registered. (Vide Table X., Appendix.)
"The average of the Metropolis has hitherto been about; 8 per cent.,
thus showing Kensington vaccination to be 5 per cent. better than that
of the Metropolitan district generally. (February 6th, 1878.")
In concluding my remarks on this important subject, I may
observe that vaccination, like all other systems, must be judged by
its fruits, and that those fruits in this parish have been just
such as everybody acquainted with the subject might have anticipated.
There has not been, to my knowledge, one death
from small-pox, of a properly vaccinated infant: and in the
Brompton sub-district where for the last few months the disease
has chiefly prevailed, the number of children attacked has
been small: very young children having generally escaped. The
children who took the disease were for the most part of an age
at which the effects of primary vaccination begin to wear out,
an age approaching that at which re-vaccination begins to
be necessary, and to prove successful. All which goes to show
that no suspicion can be reasonably entertained respecting the
state of infant vaccination in Kensington, while as regards re-vaccination—
(the Guardians having on two occasions opened public
stations in the evening,) adults have had abundant opportunities
of being re-vaccinated without cost or undue trouble. Public
notice of these arrangements and suitable advice, moroever, having
been given both by your Vestry and by the Guardians, I feel that
the Sanitary and the Vaccination Authorities will be absolved
whatever may be the consequences, to individuals or to the community,
of the neglect of re-vaccination.
THE SANITARY STAFF.
Towards the close of 1877 your Vestry referred "the duties and
salaries of the subordinate officers in the department of the
Medical Officer of Health," to the Special Purposes Committee for
consideration and report. Shortly afterwards, however, Inspector
Langman having fallen ill in the interval, it was thought well to
defer the enquiry pending the result of that officer's illness.
And when in March, 1878, Mr. Langman tendered his resignation,
which was speedily followed by that of Inspector Wood, it became
apparent that the scope of the reference must needs be enlarged.
The Committee ultimately presented a report of considerable importance,
the adoption of which by your Vestry having