Compulsory vaccination briefly considered, in its scientific, religious, and political aspects : being a letter addressed to ... Sir B. Hall ... / by John Gibbs ... and returned to the House of Commons, on the motion of Mr. Brotherton.

  • Gibbs, John.
Date:
1856
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Compulsory vaccination briefly considered, in its scientific, religious, and political aspects : being a letter addressed to ... Sir B. Hall ... / by John Gibbs ... and returned to the House of Commons, on the motion of Mr. Brotherton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    have possession together. Which of them killed the patient? The Number for the week ending March 25, 1854, furnishes another instance of the failure of vaccination to protect. “On the 17th of March, the son of an ostler died, aged six years, small-pox (five days), vaccinated.” The Weekly Return, No. 14, vol. xv., for the week ending Saturday, April 8, 1854, furnishes similar evidence:— “Six deaths occurred from small-pox: three of these, of which the following are the particulars, in the Small-pox Hospital:— “ On 31st of March, a boy, aged ten years, from Holborn Union, ‘ small-pox confluent (twelve days), unprotected.’ “ On 1st April, a boy from Somers Town, aged five years, small- pox confluent, modified (nine days). He had been vaccinated at the age of four months; one cicatrix.” “On 7th April, the wife of a labourer, from Lambeth, aged twenty-two years, ‘ small-pox confluent, unmodified (eight days).’ Vaccinated in infancy in Suffolk; two good cicatrices.” In the Quarterly Return, No. 20, 1853, at page 42, we find:— “ Chorlton Hulme.—The mortality of last quarter has been heavy: twenty-two deaths have occurred from scarlatina, sixteen from hoop- ing-cough, and seven from small-pox; Jive members of one family suffered from the last disease most severely, the father and four children. They had all been previously vaccinated, and, as reported, with success. Two died, and a boy, who had not only been vacci- nated, but previously had the small-pox (and was very much dis- figured), was one of the victims. This manifests a very strong pre- disposition in some families for certain diseases.” In No. 17, under the head of Taunton, the following appears:— “ There has been one death from small-pox, that of a male, twenty years of age, vaccinated in childhood.” In No. 19, it is stated under the same head:— “ Taunton.—Autumnal diarrhoea has been prevalent, but not of a severe character. In other 'respects the district has been free from disease.” Taunton is not specially mentioned in the two re- maining numbers. In connection with the apparent small mortality from small-pox, and the generally very healthy state of the place, the following extract from