Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St James's, Westminster]
This page requires JavaScript
48
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 arc 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 in 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 that occurred 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 Europe, as in
Trieste where the deaths from Small Pox have been seventyfive
times less since than before Vaccination; in Moravia
twenty-one times less; in Silesia twenty-nine times less, in
Westphalia twenty-five times less; and in Berlin nineteen
times less. Where Vaccination has been stringently enforced,
death from Small Pox has been still more diminished. In
Ireland where this disease was once a scourge it has now become
almost unknown, and the same good result has been obtained in
many districts in India. "When Small Pox has been rife among
the inhabitants of a city or district, it has been repeatedly
observed that the unvaccinated have perished, and the vaccinated
survived or altogether escaped. Very carefully kept
records in hundreds of places in Europe and elsewhere have
proved this. Out of thirty vaccinated nurses constantly
employed at the Small Pox Hospital, not one ever contracted
the Small Pox ; of the patients admitted to this hospital, from