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8
The vaccination returns, as set forth in the preceding Table, show that
for the Quarter ended Sept., 1878, the cases vaccinated by Mr. Blackman,
the public vaccinator, have exceeded in number those vaccinated by him in
any of the previous Quarters, with the exception of that for the Quarter
ended March, 1871, when the number of primary vaccinations performed
by him were 727. In the same Quarter the resident medical officer of the
Workhouse performed ten primary vaccinations; thus making a total of
737. In that Quarter the births were 747. We therefore find that the
proportion of successful vaccinations by the public vaccinator to the total
number of births registered is 98.6 per cent.
In the Quarter now under consideration, it appears that Mr. Blackman
has performed primary vaccination successfully on 480, and Mr. Ilott on 30,
thus making a total of 510 persons. The births having been 644, the per
centage of successful vaccination, in relation to the number of births, has
been 79.1. This is a most favorable result, and is doubtless largely attributable
to the course recently adopted by the Guardians in carrying out a
house-to-house visitation. Four visitors were employed during several
weeks; 8,826 dwellings were visited and 929 persons reported to be unvaccinated.
But of the latter number, about one-half are stated to have been
under the age of four months, and presumably already under the cognizance
of the vaccination staff, and a still further number of cases of lawful
postponement. If the Guardians should deem it expedient to continue
their exertions in the same direction, whereby so large a number of children
have been brought under the influence of vaccination, a very small number
of unprotected children will be left for victims for the next epidemic of
small-pox.