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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; a
saving of life, justly, I believe, 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.—An objection to "arm
to arm" vaccination is based on the fact that as the lymph is
passed through the human system, it may become the means of
transmitting enthetic disease. This danger, however, though byno
means to be disregarded, appears to be slight, in practice
almost inappreciable, seeing that Dr. Buchanan states that he
"cannot learn of communication of syphilis in vaccination being
actually effected once in a million of vaccinations." Nevertheless,
and it being desirable to remove every impediment to the
full acceptance of vaccination, it is satisfactory to know that the
Local Government Board have made arrangements for affording to
parents the option of having their children vaccinated with calflymph
at the public vaccination stations. The Government,
moreover, supplies medical practitioners with "stock" lymph
from the calf to enable them to start a series of vaccinations.
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, his tubes and
charged ivory points being procurable at a moderate price.
Stations, moreover, public and private, have been established at
which persons can be vaccinated direct from the calf. This direct
vaccination is highly successful at the Government Stations, an