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expect a quite different result, were it not for the admittedly
superior average quality of vaccination as performed by
public vaccinators.
Here, then, we have a record of the "saving of 12,000
lives, by vaccination, to children under ten years of age" in
the one year, 1881, when the total mortality from small-pox
did not amount to one-third of the mortality in the epidemic
of 1871. This saving of life is, I believe, justly attributed
to the operation of the Vaccination Acts of 1867 and 1871.
It only needs further to be mentioned that in the "two
periods of ten years immediately preceding 1871, 59 and 54
per cent., or more than half, of the total small-pox mortality
was borne by children under five years old," whilst "now,
only 28 per cent., little more than a quarter of the total
small-pox mortality, falls upon such children," a clear indication
of the greater success with which the law of compulsory
vaccination is now carried out.
Animal Vaccination—Calf Lymph.—A common objection
to "arm to arm" vaccination is based on the fact that
as the lymph is passed through the human system, it may
transmit disease: the dangers attending the use of humanised
lymph, however, are very trifling, and practically, almost
inappreciable. Nevertheless, and it being desirable to remove,
as far as possible, every obstacle to vaccination, it is satisfactory
to know that the Local Government Board have made
arrangements to give people the option of having their
children vaccinated with calf-lymph at the public vaccination
stations. The Government, moreover, supplies medical practioners
with "stock" lymph to enable them to start a series
of vaccinations, leaving them to keep up their supplies afterwards—if
they can. The use of calf lymph is common on
the Continent, and the system of animal vaccination has
been carried to great perfection at Brussels under the direction
of M. Warlomont, who forwards regular supplies of
lymph to this country, tubes and charged ivory points being