Subsequently to 1801 there was little smallpox in Copenhagen, and from 1811 to 1823 not a death from the disease was recorded; but in 1824 smallpox reappeared; and in 1835 there were 434 deaths in the city; when it began to be admitted that vaccination did not prevent smallpox, and that revaccination was necessary for complete protection; but, if requisite, how was the miraculous extinction of the disease by the primary vaccination of less than a tenth of the population in the early years of the century to be accounted for?
Here we have the record of Copenhagen smallpox for seventy-five years, 1801-75—
| Years. | Deaths. | Annual Average. | Years. | Deaths. | Annual Average. | |
| 1801-10 | 639 | 64 | 1841-50 | 245 | 24 | |
| 1811-20 | — | — | 1851-60 | 160 | 16 | |
| 1821-30 | 119 | 12 | 1861-70 | 168 | 16 | |
| 1831-40 | 568 | 56 | 1871-75 | 518 | 103 |
Thus the number of deaths in the five years, 1871-75, was nearly equal to the deaths in the preceding thirty years, 1841-70; whilst at the same time the more or less smallpox had no apparent influence in raising or lowering the general mortality.
Iceland, as a dependency of Denmark, is often cited as evidence for the virtue of vaccination. Speaking in the House of Commons recently, Mr. T. W. Evans proclaimed, “Vaccination has extinguished smallpox in Iceland! There has not been a case in the island for thirty years.” Could aught be more conclusive? and the assertion is re-asserted with triumph: yet, under examination, we shall see the statement and the inference vanish like smoke.
First, the absence of smallpox from Iceland for series of years was nothing uncommon. Iceland’s history is singularly copious and accurate; and from Schleisner’s Iceland from the point of view of Medical Science, Copenhagen, 1849, we have the following list of smallpox epidemics during five hundred years—
1347—A great epidemic.
1380—Ditto.
1430—Terrible epidemic—8000 deaths.
1511—A great epidemic.
1555—Ditto.
1574—Ditto.
1580—A kind of variolous disease.
1590—Smallpox epidemic.
1616-17—Ditto by importation.
1632—Smallpox epidemic.
1636—Ditto.
1655—Ditto.
1658—Ditto.
1670-1—Varioloid and Smallpox.
1707-9—A dreadful epidemic by importation—18,000 died.
1742—A small epidemic from case brought in Dutch vessel.
1762-3—A mild epidemic.
1785—A small epidemic—73 deaths.
1786—Epidemic—1237 deaths.
1787—Epidemic—113 deaths.
1839-40—Smallpox again brought to Iceland, but prevented from spreading by strict quarantine.
From this list it will be seen that for centuries Iceland has had long terms of immunity from smallpox. Thus—
| Dates. | Immunity. | Dates. | Immunity. | |
| 1347 to 1380 | 33 years. | 1671 to 1707 | 36 years. | |
| 1380 ” 1430 | 50 ” | 1709 ” 1742 | 33 ” | |
| 1430 ” 1511 | 81 ” | 1787 ” 1839 | 52 ” | |
| 1511 ” 1555 | 44 ” |
Inasmuch then as vaccination could have nothing to do with the years of immunity in former times, on what ground of reason can vaccination be set forth as the cause of immunity at this day? Schleisner observes—