28
attacked the returns record 1,420 of them as having been previously vaccinated,
of whom 787 are said to have died. Of the remaining 7,600 persons attacked and
who were not previously vaccinated 781 are said to have died. Thus, according
to these returns, of the people who seek protection from small-pox by vaccination,
and who subsequently are attacked by it, 55, or rather more, percentum will die,
while those who have sought no such protection and who are attacked by the
disease succumb to it at the rate of 13 percentum. I think this per se is quite
sufficient to show, without any further remark, the utter worthlessness of the in-
formation we are forced to depend on with regard to the prevalence, fatality &c.
of small-pox. The mere statement, that the mortality from small-pox amongst
the previously vaccinated is some 55 percent, at once places without the range of
reliance the whole body of death returns. The fact indeed chimes in very much in
accordance with the received views regarding vaccination amongst a great mass
of the native community, and that is, that it only serves to draw down on their
devoted heads the anger of a goddess who would be otherwise passively quiet;
probably this fact may have not been far from the minds of the village officers
when filling up these mortuary returns and that it may have, in some unaccount-
able manner, influenced them. However this may be, the fact exists, and I think
in the face of it I may be excused from putting any trust whatever in the returns
from which I extracted it. Seeing, as I have, frequently, the manner in which
these statistics are recorded, the amount of intelligence amongst the men to whom
they are entrusted, and over whom no guidance or control in this respect seem to
be exercised, I cannot wonder at any result they may lead to. That small-pox
did exist in these districts and to a' greater extent than these returns show I am
fully aware, but what the mortality from it was, I cannot do more, than give a
mer e conjecture. Probably the 13 percentum before alluded to would be a fair
estimate; but considering that the sufferers are not submitted to skilled treatment
in most instances, it would be found rather under the exact rate of mortality if
that were attainable. Taking as correct the total number of deaths recorded in
this circle from small-pox, viz. 1,568 that will give a death-rate from this one disease
amongst the entire population of about 52 for every 100,000 of population. This
rate of destruction is startling indeed, and should call of itself for some remedy,
more especially when it is placed beside the fact that in countries where vaccination
is made compulsory the rate of people who are merely attacked by small-pox aver-
ages about 2.3 for every 100,000 of the population as shown by the Irish Census
Commissioners in their report for 1872-73.
Inoculation practised.
10. Having said so much regarding small-pox I would here offer a sugges-
tion as to the best means, under existing circum-
stances, of mitigating its ravages. Of course the only
effectual mode of doing this, would be to make vaccination compulsory, but in the
absence of compulsion, on the expediency of which opinion seems to be divided,
though none differ as to the good which would result therefrom, it is necessary to
caste about for some other means possessing more favour. First, I think, the pro-
hibition of inoculation is a matter for the consideration, of which I make bold to
say, the time has fully arrived; and notwithstanding that Government in their
resolution on last year's report were pleased to view coldly any suggestions to
this effect, I am emboldened by the fuller conviction another. year's experience
has forced upon me of the want of such a measure, to again refer to it here. I
entirely base my convictions regarding this want on the fact that practisers of
inoculation wherever they carry on. their operations establish foci of contagion to
the imminent danger and sometimes utter destruction of many people in the neigh-
bourhood. In saying this, I am not giving vent to any thing new, but am
merely repeating a fact already but too well known. As early as the opening of
the present century the college of Physicians, London, in their report on the prac-
tice of inoculation pointed out that, the receiver of it, though enjoying a protection
for himself, acted as a contagious centre from which others become affected. Now,
it is also a fact, pretty widely known, that the recipient of the natural disease by