[Report 1892] / Medical Officer of Health, County Palatine of Lancaster / Lancashire County Council.

  • Lancashire (England). County Council.
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [Report 1892] / Medical Officer of Health, County Palatine of Lancaster / Lancashire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    23/256 (page 17)
    ages a 16-fold security against death from small-pox.” He also illustrates the percentage fatality at different age periods in the following Table:— Ages. All Classes. Vaccinated. Unvaccinated. Fatality per cent. Fatality per cent. Fatality per cent. 0 to 5 . 60- ... 70-5 5 „ 10 . 5-4 12-5 10 ,, 20 . 2-5 0-6 21-4 20 „ 30 . 6-2 3-9 55-5 30 and upwards. 16-8 14*3 50-0 There is reason to believe that the immunity from small-pox during the past few years, has caused many people to pay little respect to the value of vaccination and re-vaccination. The result of special inspections of school children in several districts showed that from 5 to 7 per cent, were unvaccinated, and at least 10 per cent, imperfectly vaccinated. Constant additions are being made to the number of the unvaccinated owing to evasions of the law or carelessness, and further material susceptible to small-pox is being manufactured by certain Medical Practitioners, who insert lymph in only two places in order to conciliate the misguided parents who are not in sympathy with vaccination in any form. It is admitted that the protective power of vaccination is largely dependent on its efficiency, and therefore the Local Government Board requires the Public Vaccinators to insert lymph in four separate places, so as to produce scars of an aggregate foveate area of half a square inch. Why should not the same requirements be applicable to vaccination carried out by Medical men in private practice ? On more than one occasion I have reported to you concerning the part played by tramps in the distribution of small-pox. All over the County this influence has been felt, and in some districts it has been guarded against by frequent inspections of common lodging-houses, tramp wards, &c*