Davenport, Schwarz and Boulton have analysed smailpox deaths in the parishes of St Martin-in-the-Fields and St Dunstan Stepney in an attempt to understand changes over the eighteenth century
Peter Razzell has contributed to the discussion with his analysis of deaths in St Mary, Whitechapel for the periods 1743-8 and 1760-1812 and the importance of inoculation.
[Table 29 SMALLPOX MORTALITY IN ST MARY WHITECHAPEL, 1760-1812]
The pioneers of inoculation in Britain were Robert Sutton [bap. 1708-1788] DNB and his son Daniel [1735-1819] DNB. Robert opened his first inoculation house in 1757 in Suffolk. Subsequently, his son aggressively developed forty-seven authorized partnerships by 1768 in England, Ireland, Wales and overseas. In 1769 he had inoculation houses in Kensington Gore and Brentford, both far from Whitechapel. In addition his charges of 20, 10 or 5 guineas meant that the service would not have been available to the poor in Whitechapel.
Inevitably, doctors appeared who were prepared to charge more reasonable prices than Daniel Sutton; who boosted his profits by insisting on a preparatory period with a residential regime of diet, purging and exercise before inoculation. In 1770 a Dr Perry of Fleet Street advertised his inoculation service with subscribers paying three guineas with a reduced charge of ten guineas for a party of twelve people. In addition he was willing to inoculate any number of the poor without charge if supported by the recommendations of parish officers as Objects of Pity,
But where did young children in Whitechapel get inoculated against smallpox? Some were undoubtedly inoculated by local doctors and nurses, but as yet we have no evidence for this. There were also unqualified practioners some of whom were thought to be gypsies.
The policy of the London Hospital was not to treat children under the age of seven years, and not to admit "Persons suspected of smallpox". Instead they made arrangements with the Smallpox Hospital, established in 1746, "to receive such sick Persons under this Complaint as shall be recommended by this Charity".
The Smallpox Hospital was specifically for the relief of poor distressed housekeepers, labourers. servants, and strangers, seized with this unhappy distemper, who will here be immediately relieved in the best manner without expense. The Smallpox Hospital maintained a house for inoculation in Islington and in 1752 opened a new building in Cold Bath Fields on the site of the present-day Kings Cross station. It also had an out-patient service and this may have involved doctors in Whitechapel.
~ Derek Morris, Whitechapel 1600-1800: a Social History of an Early Modern London Inner Suburb