View report page

24
72, 71; in 1873-78, 23; and in 1879-80, 13 per 100,000
population in London. As the population of London is
enormously larger now than in the 17th and 18th centuries,
and pro rata to population, infectious diseases are usually
more fatal amongst large than small communities, we
should have expected the death-rate from small pox to
have increased up to the present time, as it did between
1629-35 and 1771-80, instead of showing the great decrease
just mentioned; and I therefore attribute this change
chiefly to vaccination.
If from simple death-rates we pass on to consider the
relative mortality amongst vaccinated and unvaccinated
persons, and the proportion which the unvaccinated cases
bear to the vaccinated, we shall obtain the strongest
evidence in favour of vaccination. During the 8 years
1871-78, there were admitted into the Small Pox Hospital at
Homerton, 6,553 cases; of these, 1,626 bore one or more
good marks, 2,657 had only imperfect marks, and in 793
persons, there was no evidence of vaccination, although the
patients stated that they had been vaccinated. There were
also 1,477 unvaccinated persons admitted. Now as before
stated, there are probably only about 5 per cent. of the population
who have not had small pox or who are unvaccinated,
whilst the proportion of unvaccinated persons admitted was
above 22 per cent. of the whole, it is therefore quite clear,
when the number from whom the unvaccinated were drawn is
taken into consideration, that the unvaccinated are far more
susceptible to small pox than the vaccinated. The death
rates of those admitted are less liable to dispute, as (or)
amongst those having good marks, the death rate was only
3.32 per cent.; (b) of those having indifferent marks, the
death rate was 11.10 per cent.; (c) whilst of those who
stated that they had been vaccinated, but on whom no
marks could be found, the death rate was as high as 27.23
per cent.; and lastly, amongst the unvaccinated, the death
rate reached the enormous figure of 45.76 per cent. The