Annual report of the National Vaccine Board to the Secretary of State for the Home Department and of the papers relative to vaccination, which have been submitted to his consideration since the 1st December 1825.

  • National Vaccine Establishment (Great Britain)
Date:
1826
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the National Vaccine Board to the Secretary of State for the Home Department and of the papers relative to vaccination, which have been submitted to his consideration since the 1st December 1825. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    VACCINE ESTABLISHMENT. iC,. r'v r‘>c< >»*<> •^V,' ► ? 7n vV COPIES OF THE ANNUAL REPORT of the National Vaccine Board to the Secretary of State for the Home Department;— and, of other Papers relative to Vaccination, vv^hich have been submitted to his consideration since the 1st of December 1825 :—viz. I.—REPORT OF THE VACCINE BOARD. II.—PAPER FROM HOSPITAL FOR CASUAL SMALL POX AND VACCINATION. III.—COMMUNICATION FROxM THE ADMIRALTY. Ordered, by The House of Commons, to be Printed, 2 March 1826. I.—REPORT OF THE NATIONAL VACCINE BOARD. To the Right Honourable Robert Peel, Secretary of State, &c. &c. SIR, According to the Bills of Mortality for 1825, the Deaths by Small Pox amount to 1,299, a much greater number than has been reported for some years past. We had reason to apprehend, from our communications with Medical Prac- titioners in various parts of the country, that this Disease had prevailed lately with more than its usual malignity; and our suspicions have been confirmed, by what has occurred in the JMetropolis. From this melancholy Statement, it is impossible to avoid the conclusion that, although during the last year 2,000 more persons have been vaccinated by our stationary Vaccinators, than during any fonner year, yet the lower orders of society continue to be prejudiced against Vaccination, and so careless of the issue, that they still allow Small Pox to take its course. And yet, what argument more powerful can be urged in favour of Vaccination, than the daily remark which the least observant must make, that in our churches, our theatres, and in every large assemblage of the people, to see a young person bearing the marks of Small Pox is now of extremely rare occurrence. To what can the freedom from the vestiges of so loathsome a disease be attri- buted, but to the protecting influence of Vaccination r for Inoculation has now been disused by all respectable Practitioners for some time past. Tliat a considerable number of persons have had Small Pox after having been vaccinated, we are ready to admit; although of cases of this kind presented to us, a large majority are found, on examination, to be without that test of the operation having been performed successfully, and effectually, which all agree to be necessary 114. A to