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55
average of 38 years, 50.7. The mean reading of the barometer was
29.751 inches. The rain-fall was 29.2 inches, the average in 39 years
being 24.3 inches. Rain fell on 166 days.
VACCINATION.
It gives me pleasure to present in the Appendix (Table X) the
"Returns respecting the Vaccination of Children whose Births were
registered in 1878," for which I am indebted to Mr. Shattock, the
Vaccination Officer, whose energy and success in the performance of
the duties of an important office it has always afforded me satisfaction
to recognize in my annual reports. The Local Government Board do
not call for a final report on the vaccination in any given year until
twelve months after the completion of that year, as a certain proportion
of the cases cannot be fully accounted for in a less time,
The present return therefore having been furnished to the end of June
only, is not final as to the vaccination in 1878, but even were it so it
would be considered satisfactory and probably up to the average of the
Metropolis generally. The final reports on vaccination in Kensington
have for some years held almost, if not quite, the first position for
"results," i.e., as showing the smallest number of "cases not accounted
for."
No alteration has been made in the arrangements for free public
vaccination since the publication of my last annual report, in which I
referred to the then recent abolition of the "Station" at Brompton;
I am informed, however, that there has been no falling off in the
number of primary vaccinations in that part of the parish.
During the year 1,845 infants were vaccinated at the public stations,
viz., 1,324 at Notting Hill and 521 at Hornton Street, the "Town"
station. There has been little done in the way of re-vaccination even
in Brompton—notwithstanding the intermittent prevalence of small-pox;
not even in the houses where the disease has existed. Altogether there
were 169 re-vaccinations, viz., 29 in the North district, when small-pox
was almost entirely absent in 1878, and 140 in the combined Southern
district.
It would seem desirable that some arrangement should be made to
facilitate re-vaccination in the houses where the disease appears, as,
e.g., by the provision at the public expense of fresh "lymph" in tubes
for the use of the district medical officer, who is authorised to vaccinate