An anti-vaccination leaflet titled, 'Pock-marked faces: A curious illusion'.

This eight-page leaflet informs the reader that 'pock-marked faces' were a 'curious illusion' and had disappeared before vaccination was introduced but were now making a comeback.

In 1883 smallpox vaccination was made compulsory in Great Britain for children under three years of age, and then in 1867 for children under 14 years. The National Anti-Compulsory Vaccination League was founded in 1874 to protest against these laws. They felt that the government was interfering too much in their private lives.

Those in favour of vaccination argued that the pock-marked faces of the survivors of smallpox would be a thing of the past when the disease had been eradicated. Vaccination ceased to be legally required in 1909.