§ SIR J. CLARKE JERVOISEsaid, he wished to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education, Whether he has noticed a paragraph in a Medical Journal relating to a recent outbreak of small-pox at Woolwich, in which it is stated that "four new" and "eleven fresh cases were vaccinated;" and how this statement is to be reconciled with that of the Vice President of Council on Education, on the Vaccination Bill of 1867, that "small-pox is absolutely preventable by vaccination?"
§ LORD ROBERT MONTAGUsaid, in reply, that he had not spoken of an imperfect vaccination of individuals, or of a partial vaccination of the population. By a perfect vaccination of the whole people the disease could be stamped out. As an example he might mention that this had been done in one district by the energy of Dr. Hughes, of Mold, in North Wales. The paragraph from the British Medical Journal, which the hon. Baronet had sent him, was favourable to that view. It commenced thus—
Arrest of the Small-pox at Woolwich.—We are very glad to learn that the careful measures of vaccination and visitation instituted on the advice of Dr. Seaton, at Woolwich, are really telling now.He was happy to be enabled to say that small-pox was nearly eradicated at Woolwich.