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19
incidence of the deaths from Small Pox at different ages from 1848
to 1894 inclusive. It does not indicate the actual number of cases of
Small Pox, but only the proportion out of every 1,000 cases which
would fall on each age period. It will be seen at a glance that in
proportion as vaccination was efficiently carried out, so did the maximum
stress of Small Pox cease to fall on the early years of life, and was being
transferred to the later years, when the protection afforded by infant vaccination
would, in most instances hare been lost. Diagram 6 does not give the
gross mortality from Small Pox, which is shown for the years indicated
in the chart.
The facts on which the seventh diagram is founded have never been
disputed; they have, indeed, been used in the attempt to prove that
"vaccination is a delusion." If the whole of the facts, or even the
essential facts, are represented in the diagram, it would at first sight
appear that there is ground for the contention, since in the years of the
great pandemic (1870-1), the total deaths from Small Pox rose to a
higher point than at any period during the last half of the 19th
century, notwithstanding that vaccination was in 1853 made compulsory—without,
however, the provision of any sufficient machinery for
enforcing it—and that in 1867 the Guardians were authorised—not
compelled—to appoint vaccination officers. It required the severe
lesson of 1870-1 to force on the Executive the necessity for making
the appointment of vaccination officers compulsory. Thus, at first
sight it would seem as though vaccination had done nothing to check
the epidemic. Now as to the facts :—
(1) The mortality in 1870-71, which was higher than at any period
during the last 50 years, was exceeded in no fewer than 9-3 years during
the 18th century (McVail); so that for some reason or other there lias been
a greed diminution in the gross mortality frem Small Pox.
(2) The diagram does not give any indication as to the incidence
of the disease; it does not show whether the mortality was greatest
amongst infants or adults, amongst the vaccinated or unvaccinated.
(3) It has been shown that during the 18th century and at the
present day amongst the unvaccinated, Small Pox is a disease falling
with special severity on children (see diagrams 4, 5, and 6, and tables
7, 8, and 9).
(4) Unless for some reason or other the age incidence of Small
Pox has altered, it should be found that, as was the case previous to
the introduction of vaccination, the proportion of deaths amongst
children in 1870-1, exceeded that amongst adults.
(5) A glance at the sixth diagram shows that this is not
the case; on the contrary, there is a steady diminution in the ratio