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As 437 patients were treated at the Down Lane Hospital and 88
at South Minims, the above figures show that the average cost at your
own Hospital was less than £7, and at South Minims more than £ll
per patient, and considering that so large a pioportion of the cases
treated in your own district were of the malignant type, while the cases
sent to South Mimms were as far as possible, those not likely to be
injured by transport for 14 miles in an ambulance, that is to say milder
cases, the balance on the score of economy certainly lies with the Local
Hospital; moreover, at the latter institution full salary was invariably
paid to members of the staff during illness, and quarantine allowed on
the termination of their engagements The average duration of
patients' detention in Hospital was 33.2 days, the number of cases
isolated was 13, and of those whom it was found necessary, owing to
false diagnosis, to return to their homes (after due disinfection) on the
day of admission was 7.
* * * * * *
I can well believe that with all the conflicting and inaccurate
statements which are made about Vaccination, you must find it difficult
to arrive at any sound conclusion on the subject. I take this opportunity
of putting before you some of the evidence, which has been sufficient at
any rate to convince myself, that of all the weapons which have been
devised for fighting Small Pox, Vaccination is not only the most
efficient and the least harmful, but there is absolutely no known
substitute.
It has been maintained that other means, such as Sanitation and
Quarantine, are more effectual safeguards against the disease than
Vaccination, and that to them is due the diminution of the death rate
from Small Pox which has taken place during the last century.
As I shall showyou, the diminution in the fatality from Small Pox
is, in this country, mainly in the early years of life. It it were due to
Sanitation, the same beneficient results ought to be shown in the death
rate from other diseases which are righty considered as infantile disorders.
But this is not the case; on the contrary, although the share
of Small Pox mortality borne by children under 5 years of age diminished
greatly between 1851 and 1880 (during which years vaccination was
made compulsory), there is no corresponding diminution in the share
of the death rate in children of the same age from other infantile disorders,
such as Measles, Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria, etc. The actual
figures are given in the following table, quoting from McVail, which
shows how the contributions—made by children under 5 years of age
to the total mortality from each disease—have altered -