Report from the Select Committee on the Vaccination Act (1867) : together with the proceedings of the Committee, minutes of evidence, appendix and index.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Vaccination Act (1867)
Date:
1871
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Credit: Report from the Select Committee on the Vaccination Act (1867) : together with the proceedings of the Committee, minutes of evidence, appendix and index. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

    71/558 (page 47)
    small-pox prevailed, than in 1840, when scarlatina was substituted for it. 724. What was the total mortality in the year 1838 ?—Thirty-seven thousand six hundred and ninety-one. 725. What was the total mortality in the year 1840?—45,708. 726. How was that mortality distributed?— Scarlatina here claims 19,816 in one year, 1840, as against 5,802 in the other, 1838. When small- pox is depressed, then scarlatina rises by the law of interchange. Turning to page 161 ot Mr. Simon’s Paper on Vaccination, we find a Report of the Faculty of Medicine at Prague, confirming, yea establishing, as regards Bohemia, the proposi- tion which I have demonstrated, namely, that the proportion of deaths to the population was about the same before the introduction of vaccination as subsequently to that date. There is no saving of life by vaccination. In the seven years from 1796 to 1802, the average number of deaths from small-pox in Prague was 7,633 per annum. In the 24 years subsequent to the introduction of vaccination, namely, from 1832 to 1855, the average number of deaths from small-pox annually was only 287 ; the proportion of deaths from small-pox out of the population therefore was in the first period 1 in 396, and in the second period only 1 in 14,741, an amazing diminution of mor- tality apparently. Hence, at first sight an im- mense saving of life was apparent, sufficient “ to appal the anti-vaccinationists, and make them for ever after hold their peace.” But if we examine further in the way which I have indicated, and take the general mortality, the following is the result: In the first period prior to vaccination the whole mortality to the population was in the pro- portion of 1 to 32, and in the second period it was 1 to 32T; so that before vaccination when small- pox killed 1 in 396, the whole mortality was no heavier than after vaccination when it only killed 1 in 14,741. Dr. Ballard, who wrote an essay on vaccination, has given a condensation of the Prague statistics similar to mine. 727. Can you state how the vaccination vras carried on in that country ?—I cannot. 728. Do you know whether it was compulsory, or whether it was carried out successfully ?—It was compulsory, and I should say it was pretty successfully carried out, judging from the Tables in Mr. Simon’s papers and the number of vacci- nations. I shall come presently to a better vac- cinated country, namely, Sweden. It is evident from these statistics that vaccination has effected no saving of life. Sweden having been frequently alluded to as “ that well vaccinated country,” it is interesting to examine the mortality of that country to ascertain whether the death rate is lower than in England and Wales, that “ badly vaccinated country.” But before discussing the general death rate, let us see what value is to be attached to the very stringent compulsory law in that country where everyone is vaccinated, where, as in Bavaria, even a couple desiring to be made a pair in wedlock cannot be legally united with- out a certificate of their having been vaccinated. That which is constantly being said of Ireland, namely, that small-pox has been stamped out by vaccination, was said a few years ago of Sweden. It was thought remarkable, and was attributed to vaccination, that in the five years from 1843 to 1847 inclusive, only 36 deaths occurred from small-pox. Great stress has been laid upon the instance of Sweden by all the advocates of 0.37. vaccination. The fact is that no small-pox epi- demic occurred within that period ; when, how- ever, an epidemic visitation did occur, what was the result? Why, that in the three years 1850, 1851, and 1852, no fewer than 5,398 died ot small- jiox, all of whom had been vaccinated. I have extracted from a Table, which I have before me, of the Swedish statistics, which show the mortality from small-pox in 32 years. 729. Dr. Brewer.] Have you taken the years from 1810 to 1850, when we have only 158 deaths from small-pox in Sweden ?—That is an error, I think. 730. Are you aware that that is the statement of the American Commission?—I would rather believe Mr. Simon’s papers, because they are sent direct by the Swedish Government. 731. Dr. Lyon Playfair.] In the table from which this extract has been made, have we not the small-pox deaths from the year 1749 to the year 1843, which have been quoted, and in all those years is there not a very large number of deaths from small-pox, although they were epi- demic and non-epidemic years, while these are only four years taken out of a very large table ? —1 do not exclude those results ; I would beg to remark that when small-pox epidemic was absent from Sweden, it was said (hen as it has been said of Ireland recently, that vaccination had stamped out small-pox, and I appealed to those figures to show that prior to and after that date, the mortality from small-pox was heavy; I have not singled out those years; I have given 32 years. 732. Chairman '] Can you give us any statis- tics with respect to Sweden, as to the mortality before vaccination was made compulsory in that country in 1803 ?—Yes; in Mr. Simon’s papers we have the mortality from small-pox and measles mixed, and not separately given in the official accounts from 1749 to 1773. 733. When were they separated ?—They wei’e separated in 1774, and from that time small-pox was given only without measles. 734. Will you give the figures for the first year when you have small-pox by itself?—In the first year, 1774, the deaths from small-pox were 2,065; in 1775, they were 1,275; in 1776, they were 1,503; in 1777, they were 1,943, and so on ; the numbers through the whole of the years down to 1855 are given, so that we find in some years a smaller mortality in the last century than even in this century with vaccination. 735. Mr. Jacob Bright.] Are you aware that in Sweden in recent years there were only nine or six deaths, and that in one year only two died of small-pox?—After that the epidemic came to Sweden asrain. O 736. In a non-epidemic period, previous to vaccination, were there ever so few deaths from small-pox as we have here?—No. 737. Chairman.] Can you state what is the system of vaccination in Sweden?—Not as to details; only that it is compulsory, and has been compulsory ever since 1803 or 1804, and that we have Mr. Simon’s testimony that it is the best vaccinated country in Europe. 738. Do you know whether it is made com- pulsory at an early age, or ivliether it is commenced at a later age ?■—It commences to be compulsory at an early age, not so early as here, but I think it is within two years ; here it is within three months, as a rule. 739. Do you know that those 5,398 deaths E 4 from Mr. C. T.Pearce, M.D. 7 Marcli 1871.