Report on an epidemic of small-pox at Sheffield during 1887-88 / by Dr. Barry ; with an introduction by the Medical Officer of the Local Government Board ; presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of Her Majesty.

  • Barry, Frederick W. (Frederick William), 1850-1897.
Date:
1889
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on an epidemic of small-pox at Sheffield during 1887-88 / by Dr. Barry ; with an introduction by the Medical Officer of the Local Government Board ; presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of Her Majesty. 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.

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    Under the general circumstances of the Sheffield epidemic, therefore, the vaccinated children had as compared with the unvaccinated children living in the town a twenty-fold immunity from attack by small-pox; and had a 480-fold security against death by small-pox. The above relates to the general children-population of the Borough. Children living in houses actually invaded were of course exposed to an intenser and more continuous infection; and, be it well remarked, the vaccinated were to a nicety, exposed to identical external conditions for infection and for death with the unvaccinated ; being common inmates of the very same infected houses. Per thousand of the number of children of each class living in invaded houses, the attack-rate of the vaccinated was 78 the attack-rate of the unvaccinated* was 869 the death-rate of the vaccinated was 1 the death-rate of the unvaccinated* was 381 Under these extreme yet identical circumstances, therefore, the vaccinated children had as compared with the unvaccinated an 11-fold immunity from attack by small-pox, and a 381-fold security against death by small-pox. B. Next, concerning persons over 10 years of age living in Sheffield during 1887-88 under the common conditions of infection of the Borough. The vaccinated and unvaccinated members of this class are found to have always differed to a con- siderable degree from each other; both in regard of attack and of death, and also whether the Borough as a whole or its component sab-districts be examined. But this degree of difference (considerable though it has been) has not been nearly so large as in the class of children. Per thousand of the number of persons over 10 in each class, the attack-rate in persons twice vaccinated]* was 3 the attack-rate in persons once vaccinatedj was 19 the attack-rate in persons not vaccinated§ was 94 the death-rate among persons twice vaccinated'}* was 0 ■ 08 the death-rate among persons once vaccinatedJ was 1 the death-rate among persons not vaccinated § was 51 [Let me state the difference in other terms :—For 100,000 persons over 10 years old and twice vaccinated, the rate of small-pox mortality actually observed would give eight deaths. For 100,000 persons over 10 years old and once vaccinated, the rate of small-pox mortality actually observed would give 100 deaths. For 100,000 persons over 10 years old and not vaccinated, the rate of small-pox mortality actually observed would give 5,100 deaths.] Under the general circumstances of the Sheffield epidemic, therefore, the twice vaccinated persons over 10 years of age as compared with the unvaccinated persons of the same age living in the town, had a 31-fold immunity against attack by small-pox, and had a 640-fold security against death by small-pox. Re-vaccination apart, the people over 10 years living under these general circum- stances had, if they were vaccinated' at all, a 5-fold immunity against attack by small- pox, and a 51-fold security against death by small-pox, compared with the unvaccinated people of the same age. * See note § on previous page. t That is revaccinated before the recent epidemic began. Facts as to those revaccinated during the epidemic are given by Dr. Barry, but they often have reference to operations performed during the incuba- tion of small-pox, and they do not readily admit of being summarised. x Including the comparatively small class of twice vaccinated. § Persons who had previously passed through an attack of sinall-pox were attacked at the rate of 1*3 and died at the rate of 0-3 per 1,000 of their number. E 53588. „ living in invaded houses. [p- 173, table.] B. For persons over 10: generally ; [pp. 172, 201.] [p. 202.]