The opinion prevalent in th settlement, that an unusually serian: epidemic of smallpox has broker out, is wrong in one sense, right in another.
As a matter of fact, there are exceptionally few cases, so far as the actual figures show, but what must by emphasized is the num ber of cases among the comparative ly small population of foreigners a: compared with the Chinese During the week ended on Sun day, five cases among the foreign Population of 14,600 were notified while among a population of half million Chinese only four death" were reported.
The rercentore reveals the grent need that exists for vaccination: amongst foreigners, particularly among there of the poorer classes and those who are in daily contact with the Chinese. The effect of the vaccination crusade by thr Health Office with the Chinese just making itself felt, and it is highly satisfactory to know that as compared with a few years ago the number of cases has very considerably decreased.
We understand that a large proportion of the foreign cases notified are among comparatively new arrivals in Shanghai, and this would point to the necessity of im Pressing upon fresh men the ad. visability of getting vaccinated. The remark also applies to those older hands who have not recently been vaccinated.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.