TOXIN-ANTITOXIN

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 124, 23 February 1928, Page 12

TOXIN-ANTITOXIN

Sir, —Allow me a small space in your paper to acid my views on toxin antitoxin. We read much about the immunity derived from its use. How does anyone know what the result would have been without the injection? It is purely surmise. Why do we depend on all things unnatural and expect good results? Nature's resistance should be enough, and if as much time and thought were spent on building natural resistance as is spent on building hospitals we would be a better race. Hundreds of years ol experience and experimenting bring us back almost to where we started from. There is as much ill-health to-day as ever. Toxin anti-toxin • cannot build healthy bodies. Statistics, long lines of figures, etc., sound and read well and blind the vision of well-meaning parents, and the result may be the tragedy ot a lifetime. I have found several cases during my tour through New Zealand which were treated with vaccine for diphtheria—where no diphtheria existed, and with distressing results. The Health . authorities give parents the option of vaccination until a "scare” conies. Then between fear and love the parents follow the line of authority —and is that authority right? An authority should have no middle ground, or it is not an authority on the thing it stands for. There must be a decisive power. Let us have it now. Are we to vaccinate or are we to build resistance?—l am, etc.. AL w IN. Wellington, February IS.