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the results of the house-to-house visitation:—Three hundred and
fifty-eight streets were canvassed, containing 8,500 inhabited
houses, and 28,989 children in 11,136 families. Of 573 unvaccinated
children discovered, 304 were found to have been born in
other parishes, but by migration had escaped the Vaccination
Officers of those parishes; of 269 cases of children bom in
Kensington the majority would have been dealt with in ordinary
course; in 27 cases, however, the births had not been registered,
and in a few instances births had been falsely registered. In
every instance discovered of a child, between the ages of 14 years
and three months, unprotected by vaccination, notice was at once
served upon the parent or person having the custody of the child,
requiring compliance with the law within 14 days. In many
instances attempts were made to evade by removal, but on the
case being followed the law was complied with. The 573 unvacnated
cases were thus accounted for—564 were successfully vaccinated,
one was found "unfit;" four were lost sight of, and four
were at the date of the report under proceedings to secure compliance
with the Act.
"The law making no provision for house-to-house visitation,
parents' statements had to be accepted," and that these statements
were not always to be relied on is proved by the fact that " in
numerous instances, after stating that all the children had been
vaccinated, the mother attended at the station to have one or two
children vaccinated, fearing the consequences of her untruthful
statements being found out." The good effects of the energetic
proceedings of the Guardians and their officer were seen in the
fact that in 18 weeks 3,283 vaccinations and re-vaccinations were
done, as against an average of 720. Thousands of circulars
addressed to "heads of families" in the richer parts of the parish,
led to the re-vaccination of large numbers of domestic servants.
It is said, however, that " mechanics and the labouring classes
are apparently careless" about re-vaccination, "even when smallpox
has broken out in the house." To facilitate re-vaccination
the Guardians opened a temporary night station at Cathcart Road,
in the south district, and made provision for late attendance at the
public station in the north district.