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neglected the fever may become a deadly scourge; where they are
strictly carried out it seldom spreads beyond the person first attacked.
A yard of thin wide-width gutta percha placed under the
blanket under the breach of the patient, by effectually preventing
the discharges from soaking into the bed, is a great additional
safeguard.
Medical men and others are invited to report any case of
infectious disease at the office of the Board of Works, Lewisham, in
order that the Sanitary Inspector may inspect the drains, and see
to the general sanitary condition of the house in which the fever
occurs.
FACTS AND REASONS IN FAVOUR OF VACCINATION
AND THE VACCINATION LAWS.
By Dr. Lankester.
I.—Persons who have once had the small pox are not liable to take it
a second time. In the last century inoculation of small pox
was practised, because it was known that small pox thus communicated
was usually milder than when caught naturally.
II.—Cow pox is a modified form of small pox, and it has been
clearly proved that those who have had it are very much less
liable to take small pox than others, and are as effectually
protected as those who have already had small pox.
III.—Cow pox is communicated by vaccination. Jenner discovered
that persons who had caught cow pox from the cow
escaped small pox, and thus was led to advise vaccination.
IV.—Forty-five millions of the people of Europe died from
small pox during the hundred years preceding the introduction
of vaccination at the beginning of this century, whilst
not more than two millions have died from this disease
during the seventy years in which vaccination has been
practised. In London before the introduction of vaccination,
every tenth death was due to small pox ; now only one
death in every eighty-five is due to this disease. Even greater
difference has been observed in other towns and cities of