§ MR. MONSELLsaid, he wished to ask the Vice President of the Privy Council Committee whether his attention has been called to the fact that, out of 1,636 deaths reported to have taken place from all causes in the quarter ending the 31st March, 1858, at Burton-on-Trent, Sheffield, and Merthyr Tydfil, 419 are reported to have been caused by Smallpox, and whether he proposes to introduce any Amendment of the Vaccination Act?
§ MR. ADDERLEYsaid, it was unfortunately but too true that the number of deaths which the right hon. Gentleman stated had taken place, and there were other places in the United Kingdom where a similar proportion of deaths had taken place from Smallpox. In several places not less than one-third of all the deaths during the quarter had taken place from Smallpox. He believed that the cause was owing both to bad vaccination and to neglect of vaccination. With regard to the last part of the question of the right hon. Gentleman, whether he intended to introduce any Amendment of the Vaccination Act, there were only two modes by which the object could be attained. One 1197 was to render more stringent the penalties, and the other was to make provision for carrying out more effectually the provisions with regard to vaccination. He was not prepared to introduce any measure for making the penalties more stringent, but he thought that a clause in the Public Health Bill which enabled the Board to issue regulations on the subject, might effect the desired object.