CHAP. xvm. VACCINATION A DELUSION. 309 



motics remained very high, indicating general insanitary 

 conditions. And this case was specially brought before 

 the Commission as a proof of the benefits of vaccination ! 

 In their " Final Keport " the Commissioners omit to 

 point out that it really indicates the very reverse. 



We then come to the two cases that afford most con- 

 clusive tests of the absolute uselessness of vaccination 

 Leicester, and our Army and Navy. 



Diagram VIII. shows the death-rates from small-pox 

 and from the other zymotics in LEICESTER during the 

 period of official registration, together with the percent- 

 age of vaccinations to births. L T p to 1872 Leicester was 

 a fairly well-vaccinated town; yet for thirty-four years 

 its small-pox mortality, in periodical epidemics, remained 

 very high, corresponding generally with the other zy- 

 motics. But immediately after the great epidemic of 

 1872, which was much worse than in London, the people 

 began to reject vaccination, at first slowly, then more 

 rapidly, till for the last eight years less than 5 per cent, 

 of the births have been vaccinated. During the whole 

 of the last twenty-four years small-pox deaths have been 

 very few, and during twelve consecutive years, 1878-89, 

 there was a total of only eleven small-pox deaths in this 

 populous town. 



Diagram IX. is equally important as showing a re- 

 markable correspondence, if not a causal relation, be- 

 tween vaccination and disease. From 1848 to 1862 

 there was a considerable decrease of both general and 

 infant mortality, and also in infant mortality from small- 

 pox. This, Mr. Biggs tells us, was when important 

 sanitary improvements were in progress. Then the 

 more thorough enforcement of vaccination set in (as 



