The smallpox epidemic in Gloucester in 1895-6, and the water cure / by Jno. Pickering.

  • Pickering, Jno (John)
Date:
1896?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The smallpox epidemic in Gloucester in 1895-6, and the water cure / by Jno. Pickering. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    69/78 (page 47)
    was reckoned amongst the unvaccinated cities of England, a distinction to be proud of in these derehct days when the physician is blood-poisoner first and helpless healer afterwards. To elucidate my argument let us take the case of Leicester : for the last quarter there were only 15 vaccinations to 1,500 births, or 1 per cent., and if the same proportions were to continue for ten years, and doubtless this statistic will not be exceeded, and an epidemic of Small-pox were then to visit the town and 9 unvaccinated children were to die as compared to one vaccinated, what a shout of exultation there would be, •'Hurrah for Jenner! and confusion to his enemies, whereas the statistic would be fair and accurate—they would die in the same proportions to those in which they had lived. So it was in Grioucester. Three-fourths of the infantile population were unvaccinated, and they were attacked, naturally, three against one ia number as will be seen from the table below. Of the 22 who died there were 10 unvaccinated, all under 10 years of age, against 12 vaccinated, 6 under 10 years and 6 above 30 years of age. Again, the age incidence of those attacked is striking : of the 200 patients attacked — reducing the statistic to 190, deleting the 10 unknown—142 were vaccinated and 48 were unvaccinated, and their several ages are as under, viz. : VACCINATED. UNVACCINATED. 14 under 10 years 42 under 10 30 „ 20 >» 2 )) 20 51 „ 30 3 J) 30 30 „ 40 )) 1^ >) 40 9 „ 50 ») 6 „ 60 )) 1 „ 70 ) > 142 48 'Note.—The unvaccinated patient under 40 was born with Small-pox upon her, the mother suffering from Small-pox during childbirth.