From 1629 to 1881, the number of smallpox deaths each year in London fluctuated greatly, with the number generally increasing and then decreasing year-on-year, or every two years; the first case of an increase or decrease over three consecutive years was not observed until the 1780s. The lowest number of smallpox deaths in any of the years given was in 1666; this was the year after the Great Plague of London, and the same year as the Great Fire of London, therefore the actual number of smallpox deaths in this year was likely to be much higher. The highest number of deaths recorded was in 1871, where it reached almost 8,000 deaths during the Great Epidemic of the 1870s.
Smallpox in Glasgow
In the final decade of the eighteenth century, the population of Glasgow was estimated to be around 75,000, and smallpox was responsible for just under nineteen percent of all deaths. When compared with London, smallpox was responsible for just over nine percent of all deaths in the same decade. Scientists do not have a concrete explanation why smallpox was responsible for almost one fifth of all deaths in pre-vaccination Glasgow, whereas it caused just under one tenth of the deaths in London during the same period (as both cities had similar overall death rates).
Number of smallpox deaths in London and Glasgow between 1629 and 1882
Characteristic
London
Glasgow
1881
2,371
-
1880
475
-
1879
-
-
1878
1,417
-
1877
2,551
-
1876
736
-
1875
46
-
1874
57
-
1873
113
-
1872
1,789
-
1871
7,912
-
1870
973
-
1869
450
-
1868
597
-
1867
1,345
-
1866
1,391
-
1865
640
-
1864
547
-
1863
1,996
-
1862
366
-
1861
217
-
1860
898
-
1859
275
-
1858
242
-
1857
156
-
1856
531
-
1855
1,039
-
1854
694
-
1853
211
-
1852
1,159
-
1851
1,062
-
1850
499
-
1849
1,158
-
1848
1,620
-
1847
955
-
1846
257
-
1845
909
-
1844
1,804
-
1843
438
-
1842
360
-
1841
1,053
-
1840
-
-
1839
-
-
1838
-
-
1837
-
-
1836
536
-
1835
863
-
1834
334
-
1833
574
-
1832
771
-
1831
563
-
1830
627
-
1829
736
-
1828
598
-
1827
616
-
1826
503
-
1825
1,299
-
1824
725
-
1823
774
-
1822
604
-
1821
508
-
1820
792
-
1819
712
-
1818
421
-
1817
1,051
-
1816
653
-
1815
725
-
1814
638
-
1813
898
-
1812
1,287
-
1811
751
-
1810
1,198
28
1809
1,163
159
1808
1,169
51
1807
1,297
97
1806
1,158
28
1805
1,685
56
1804
622
213
1803
1,202
194
1802
1,579
156
1801
1,461
245
1800
2,409
257
1799
1,111
370
1798
2,337
309
1797
522
354
1796
3,548
177
1795
1,040
402
1794
1,913
235
1793
2,382
389
1792
1,568
202
1791
1,747
607
1790
1,617
336
1789
2,077
366
1788
1,101
399
1787
2,418
410
1786
1,210
348
1785
1,999
218
1784
1,759
425
1783
1,550
155
1782
636
-
1781
3,500
-
1780
871
-
1779
2,493
-
1778
1,425
-
1777
2,567
-
1776
1,728
-
1775
2,669
-
1774
2,479
-
1773
1,039
-
1772
3,992
-
1771
1,660
-
1770
1,986
-
1769
1,968
-
1768
3,028
-
1767
2,188
-
1766
2,334
-
1765
2,498
-
1764
2,382
-
1763
3,582
-
1762
2,743
-
1761
1,525
-
1760
2,187
-
1759
2,596
-
1758
1,273
-
1757
3,296
-
1756
1,608
-
1755
1,988
-
1754
2,359
-
1753
774
-
1752
3,538
-
1751
998
-
1750
1,229
-
1749
2,625
-
1748
1,789
-
1747
1,380
-
1746
3,236
-
1745
1,206
-
1744
1,633
-
1743
2,029
-
1742
1,429
-
1741
1,977
-
1740
2,725
-
1739
1,690
-
1738
1,590
-
1737
2,084
-
1736
3,014
-
1735
1,594
-
1734
2,688
-
1733
1,370
-
1732
1,197
-
1731
2,640
-
1730
1,914
-
1729
2,849
-
1728
2,105
-
1727
2,379
-
1726
1,519
-
1725
3,188
-
1724
1,227
-
1723
3,271
-
1722
2,167
-
1721
2,375
-
1720
1,440
-
1719
3,229
-
1718
1,884
-
1717
2,211
-
1716
2,427
-
1715
1,057
-
1714
2,810
-
1713
1,614
-
1712
1,943
-
1711
915
-
1710
3,138
-
1709
1,024
-
1708
1,687
-
1707
1,078
-
1706
721
-
1705
1,095
-
1704
1,501
-
1703
898
-
1702
311
-
1701
1,095
-
1700
1,031
-
1699
890
-
1698
1,813
-
1697
634
-
1696
196
-
1695
784
-
1694
1,683
-
1693
1,164
-
1692
1,592
-
1691
1,241
-
1690
778
-
1689
1,389
-
1688
1,318
-
1687
1,551
-
1686
1,062
-
1685
2,496
-
1684
1,560
-
1683
2,096
-
1682
1,408
-
1681
2,982
-
1680
689
-
1679
1,967
-
1678
1,798
-
1677
1,678
-
1676
359
-
1675
997
-
1674
2,507
-
1673
853
-
1672
1,116
-
1671
696
-
1670
1,465
-
1669
951
-
1668
1,987
-
1667
1,196
-
1666
38
-
1665
655
-
1664
1,233
-
1663
411
-
1662
768
-
1661
1,246
-
1660
354
-
1659
1,523
-
1658
409
-
1657
835
-
1656
823
-
1655
1,294
-
1654
812
-
1653
139
-
1652
1,279
-
1651
525
-
1650
184
-
1649
1,190
-
1648
400
-
1647
139
-
1646
-
-
1645
-
-
1644
-
-
1643
-
-
1642
-
-
1641
-
-
1640
-
-
1639
-
-
1638
-
-
1637
-
-
1636
127
-
1635
293
-
1634
1,354
-
1633
72
-
1632
531
-
1631
58
-
1630
40
-
1629
72
-
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*This data was compiled using information from two sources; these were "A Concise History of Small-pox and Vaccination in Europe" by E. J. Edwardes (1902), and "Expectations of Life" by H. O. Lancaster (1990). Both of these sources used data from the same 1882 study from W. A. Guy.
For the years between 1687 and 1700, measles deaths are also included in this data.
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Royal College of Physicians, & Springer Science+Business Media. (December 31, 2018). Number of smallpox deaths in London and Glasgow between 1629 and 1882 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 04, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107510/smallpox-deaths-london-glasgow-historical/
Royal College of Physicians, und Springer Science+Business Media. "Number of smallpox deaths in London and Glasgow between 1629 and 1882." Chart. December 31, 2018. Statista. Accessed November 04, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107510/smallpox-deaths-london-glasgow-historical/
Royal College of Physicians, Springer Science+Business Media. (2018). Number of smallpox deaths in London and Glasgow between 1629 and 1882. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 04, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107510/smallpox-deaths-london-glasgow-historical/
Royal College of Physicians, and Springer Science+Business Media. "Number of Smallpox Deaths in London and Glasgow between 1629 and 1882." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 Dec 2018, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107510/smallpox-deaths-london-glasgow-historical/
Royal College of Physicians & Springer Science+Business Media, Number of smallpox deaths in London and Glasgow between 1629 and 1882 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107510/smallpox-deaths-london-glasgow-historical/ (last visited November 04, 2024)
Number of smallpox deaths in London and Glasgow between 1629 and 1882 [Graph], Royal College of Physicians, & Springer Science+Business Media, December 31, 2018. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1107510/smallpox-deaths-london-glasgow-historical/