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So far as this return may be trusted, it would appear that the
Vaccinations bear year by year a smaller proportion to the births. We
have no means of ascertaining to what extent private Vaccinations make
up for the deficiency. But there can be no reasonable doubt that there
is a large residum of un-vaccinated or unprotected persons, forming an
ever-ready material for infection by Small-Pox. It appears to be a
feature of this disease, to revisit a community at epochs, leaving it comparatively
free during the intervening periods. If the recurring visitation
happen to find the population largely unprotected, then will the
scourge fall heavily; a considerable proportion of the unvaccinated which
had been accumulating during the period of remission, will be carried
off, and then, its natural fuel being consumed, the epidemic will again
remit, to resume its destructive violence at a later period, when fresh
material shall have gathered.
To present what I believe is the nearest and most reliable view of
the extent of what we may most properly call the "dangerous class,'—of
that class, which negligent of its own safety, exposes the entire community
to attack,—I refer to the result of an iuspection of two schools
recorded in last year's report. I submitted 264 children to the double
test of examination as to the evidence of actual protection, and of Vaccination.
It was thus found that scarcely more than 6 children out of
10 were fully protected, that 2 more out of every 10 had been Vaccinated
sufficiently to leave imperfect scars, and that 2 out of 10 shewed no
mark of having been Vaccinated at all. Tested by Vaccination, it
proved that fully 30 per cent were liable to take the Small-Pox.
It has long been felt that more effective powers to extend Vaccination
are needed. A Bill is now before Parliament, having for its object
to throw upon certain official persons the duty (heretofore specially
devolving upon no one) of proceeding before the Magistrate for the
penalties enacted by law against those parents or guardians who shall
neglect to have the children under their charge Vaccinated. The Vestry
some time back sent a Petition to Parliament praying for more effective
legislation on this subject.
Sanitary Legislation.—Since last year, two important Acts have
passed.: the Gas Act, and the Act for preventing the adulteration of
articles of Food and Drink. Under the powers of the first Act, the Vestry