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death in every 10,000 of its population; the twice vaccinated
section lost 1 person by death in every 10,000 of its population
; the once vaccinated section lost 10 persons by death
in every 10,000 of its population; and the unvaccinated
section lost 510 persons by death in every 10,000 of its
population.
During the course of the epidemic, in the eight registration
districts of Sheffield a census of the population
inhabiting the houses invaded by Small Pox was taken. Both
the vaccinated and the unvaccinated were included in the
returns. A population of 4756 children below the age of ten
years was discovered in these houses. When drawing a
comparison between the vaccinated and unvaccinated, in
order to arrive at a just appreciation of the value of vaccination,
no other period of life supplies so fair a test as the
first decade. We are able to obtain information in regard
to vaccination from the parents of children, and from the
inspecting officers, which at a later period of life would be
unattainable. Nor, in this age period, has sufficient time
elapsed for the influence of vaccination to wear away. It
must be remembered that this child population was living in
the houses invaded by Small Pox, and therefore in close
relationship with people who were actually suffering from
the disease, and consequently at some time or other a large
proportion of them were exposed to infection.
In North Sheffield sub-district 992 children had been
vaccinated, 71 took Small Pox, and after an illness of 110
great severity recovered. Inhabiting the same houses, living
under the same conditions, and exposed to the same
influences, 65 children were scheduled upon the returns,
grouped together for no other reason than that they differed
from the others in never having been vaccinated. Among