London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London

Tottenham 1902

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Tottenham District]

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Table: Tablk 5.—The Incidence of Mild and Severe Canes of Smalt Pox on each Hundred of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Persons attacked during-Six recent Small Pox Epidemics*

Tablk 5.—The Incidence of Mild and Severe Canes of Smalt Pox on each Hundred of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Persons attacked during-Six recent Small Pox Epidemics*

Local Epidemics.Mild.Severe.
LondonVaccinated89.011.0
Unvaccinated35.264.8
SheffieldVaccinated82.817.2
Unvaccinated18.581.5
DewsburyVaccinated82.018.0
Unvaccinated23.176.9
LeicesterVaccinated81.418.6
Unvaccinated27.272.8
WarringtonVaccinated78.221.8
Unvaccinated29.470.6
TottenhamVaccinated83.017.0
Unvaccinated19.180.9

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* Final Report of the Royal Commission on Vaccination, pp. 69.70.
There is, unfortunately, in this country, no obligation on the
part of an adult to be re-vaccinated; consequently, as might be
expected, the maximum evidence of the protective influence of Vaccination
is shown in the earlier years of life. Small Pox used to be a
disease of childhood, and is so now where there is a neglect of infantile
Vaccination, as is shown by the next table, where it will be seen
that the number of deaths in every 100 children under 10 years of age
increased in direct proportion to the neglect of infantile Vaccination.

Table: Table6.—Child Mortality from Small Pox in Relation tothe. Neglect of Vaccination in Seven Towns which have recently suffered from. Small Pox Epidemics.*

Table6.—Child Mortality from Small Pox in Relation tothe. Neglect of Vaccination in Seven Towns which have recently suffered from. Small Pox Epidemics.*

Town.Date of Epidemic.Total of Small Pox Deaths.Percentage of Total Deaths from Small Pox borne by Children under 10 Years of Age.Vaccination Default.
Warrington1892-936222.5Very slight.
Sheffield1887-8858925.6Very slight.
London1892-9318236.8In 1883-91, 10 percent.
Tottenham1901-27443.2Considerable.
Dewsbury1891-9211051.8In 1882-92, 32.3 per cent.
Gloucester1895-9644364.5In 1885-94,10.6to85.l percent.
Leicester1892-932171.4‡In 1883-92,43.8 to 80.1 per cent.

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* Final Report of the Royal Commission on Vaccination, pp. 50 and 176.
‡ Excluding the deaths of 3 patients in a scarlet fever ward in close
proximity to the Small Pox Hospital, this proportion would bereducedto66.6.