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acute rheumatism. What, pray, is there which calls for adverse
comment in Deptford? The answer is, Housing. Here are some
bad cases:—
(1) Mrs. F., has 2 small upstairs rooms. Nine children. Oldest
16 years. Mother expectant.
(2) Mrs. C. 2 small rooms. Eight children. Oldest 19 years.
Mother expectant.
(3) Mrs. A. Bed and sitting room. Fourteen children. Eleven
sleep in one room with parents.
(4) Mrs. B. (a consumptive). One room. Seven in family.
Oldest is 16 years.
(5) Mrs. G. One room in basement. Five in family. Oldest
14 years.
(6) Mrs. G. Three roomed flat. Fourteen in family.
(7) Mrs. J. (a consumptive). Three married couples in this house
of six rooms. Seven adults, five children. One couple live in one
room night and day with three children. What is to be done ?
Your Council has done nobly in building where you possibly could.
The next point is Vaccination. In 1921, certificates of conscientious
objection were obtained in about one-third of the births.
The following are the figures :—
Out of 2,778 births returned to the Vaccination Officer as
registered from the 1st January to the 31st December, 1921, 1,170
infants were successfully vaccinated, 6 were insusceptible of vaccination,
and in 935 instances, certificates of conscientious objection were received.
153 infants died unvaccinated; in 8 instances vaccination was postponed
by medical certificate; 19 infants removed from the district, the
Vaccination Officers of other districts being duly informed, and in 118
instances, removals took place to addresses which could not be traced.
This leaves 369 infants born in 1921 which, on February 3rd, 1923—
the date of the Vaccination Officer's report, had not been accounted for.
I am indebted to Mr. A. E. Rossiter, the Vaccination Officer for the
Greenwich Union, for the above figures, which relate only to that part
of the Greenwich Union forming the Borough of Deptford.
I solemnly warn and charge your Council to approach the Government
to withdraw this conscience clause and to enforce vaccination in
infancy and adolescence. I wash my hands of all responsibility if any
citizen dies of Smallpox.