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It is proved that cow-pox and small-pox are identical diseases, and consequently
if a person has had cow-pox he may be said to have had small-pox.
Mr. Ceely, of Aylesbury, and Mr. Badcock, of Brighton, infected cows with
small-pox, and with the lymph taken from the animals so infected, vaccinated
several thousand persons and furnished supplies of lymph to several hundred
medical practitioners.
Animal vaccination, or the vaccination of the human subject from calves
or heifers which had been inoculated from the virus derived from pocks
upon the cows spontaneously affected with the natural disease, was several
years ago extensively practised on the Continent, but owing to the numerous
failures which attended the use of the lymph taken from the calves which
had been infected, the practice is now nearly, if not entirely, discontinued.
In 1869 De Sbyton thoroughly investigated the subject, and came to the
conclusion that the success attendant upon animal vaccination is very far
short of that which attends the ordinary practice of vaccination from arm to
arm; but as it is probable more care has since that time been taken on the
Continent in performing the operation with lymph taken from the calf—for it
is said that the failures are now reduced to 2 per cent.—further inquiries
respecting the alleged benefits might with advantage be instituted by the
Government.
Proceedings of the Board.
At a Meeting of the Board of Works held on the 8th January, 1877,
a Letter from the Local Government Board, dated 3rd January, 1877,
addressed to the Clerk of the Board, upon the subject of the prevalence of
small-pox in the Metropolis, was read ; by which the attention of the Board
was directed to the fact that there were only 13 vacant beds in the Asylum
Hospitals for the reception of patients suffering from small-pox; and that the
Local Government Board was desirous of being informed what provision the
District Board had made for the Hospital accommodation of non-pauper cases,
under Section 37 of the Sanitary Act, 1866, and pointed out that the Hospitals
provided for the reception of cases of small-pox by the Metropolitan Asylum
Board are essentially intended to meet the requirements of the destitute
class.
The Local Government Board also desire to impress upon the Board of
Works the importance of exercising the beneficial powers conferred on them
by making, as early as practicable, reasonable provision for that large class of
persons not needing relief, but whose isolation in Hospitals is necessary for
preventing the spread of the disease.
A circular Letter was also read from Mr. Jebb, the Clerk to the Metropolitan
Asylum Board, which stated that the attention of the Managers had
been drawn to the 42nd Section of the Poor Law Amendment Act,
1876; and as some misapprehension appears to have arisen in reference
to the meaning of that Section of the said Act, the Metropolitan Asylum
Board would remind the District Boards that the Hospitals of the