REPORT OF THE ROYAL VACCINATION COMMISSION. 691 



annihilating small-pox by vaccination appear to have superseded, in the 

 minds of many, the plans of Haygarth and others. Some vaccinators, 

 however, like WiUan and Ring, still looked to methods of quarantine and 

 to national and municipal regulations promoting isolation to exterminate 

 the small-pox. 



It is worthy of notice, too, that Haygarth himself, in a letter quoted 

 by Dr. Cappe of York in a communication to the London Medical and 

 Physical Journal (vol. iv., p. 429), dated October 13th, 1800, remarked, 

 '' An introduction of the vaccine still more than of the variolous inocula- 

 tion would effectually promote the great object of my publications." 



Prior to the year 1866 there was no provision made by law for enabling 

 sanitary authorities to estabUsh hospitals for infectious diseases, and thus 

 to promote the isolation of such cases. The only institutions of that 

 description then existing were the result of private effort. So far as 

 regards small-pox there was, practically speaking, no provision for its 

 treatment by means of isolation. 



The Sanitary Act of 1866 empowered, though it did not compel, 

 local authorities throughout England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland, 

 to provide or to join in providing isolation hospitals for the use of the 

 inhabitants of their districts. There was further legislation on the 

 subject by the Public Health Act, 1875 ; the PubUc Health (London) Act, 

 1891 : the Public Health (Scotland) Act, 1867 ; and the Public Health 

 (Ireland) Act, 1878, into the details of which it is not necessary to enter. 

 The most recent Act relating to the matter is the Isolation Hospitals Act 

 of 1893, which applies to the small towns and rural districts of England 

 and Wales. 



Stamping-out System in Leici-^ter. 



Leicester suffered severely from small-pox in 1872, 346 deaths having 

 been registered as caused by it. Two deaths from that disease occurred 

 in 1873, but no other until 1877, when there were six, and one in the 

 following year. The next year in which small-pox deaths were registered 

 was 1881. There were two in that year, and five and three in the follow- 

 ing years. Xo other death took place until 1892 and 1893, in which 

 years the fatal cases numbered 21. 



Prior to 1875 the vaccination laws were well observed in Leicester. 

 In that year the number of children bom who were unaccounted for was 

 only some 4 per cent. Since then there has been, as we have seen, a 

 marked and prc^essive decline in the number of vaccinations, especially 

 since 1883, until at the present time 80 jier cent, of the children born 

 remain unvaccinated. 



The borough hospital for infectious diseases was erected in 1871-2 

 outside the town ; though within the last few years houses have been 

 built in proximity to it. It appears to have been with Dr. Crane, the 

 Medical OflScer of Health in 1875, that the quarantining the inmates of 

 an infected house, in addition to isolating the patient, originated. His 

 successor. Dr. Johnston, established it in 1877 as a regular system. He 

 was aided in this, after 1879, by the notification of infectious diseases 

 Ihen rendered compulsory by a private Act which Leicester, anticipating 



