SCHOOL VACCINATION.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2443, 3 February 1882, Page 3

SCHOOL VACCINATION.

To the Editor of the fflobe. Sib, —As the Colonial Secretary in accepting my resignation of the office of Public Vaccinator for the Christchurch District has given me permission to publish the correspondence which took place between us in reference to the subject of school vaccination, I have to ask that you will be good enough to insert in your paper the following correspondence, which will sufficiently explain my position in the matter. I osk you to publish only the essential part, as the whole is so voluminous that it would encroach too much upon your space. Yours, &0., COUBTNET NhhWXLL. Christchurch, Feb. 2nd, 1882, “ Christchurch, December 6ih, 1882. " Sir, —Referring * • ♦ to the vaccination of children attending the public schools in the Christchurch district, I beg to call your attention to the following facts : “ That I received a circular from the Registrar-General, dated Bth September, I 1881, stating that it was the desire of the Government that I should take the necessary steps to vaccinate those children attending the public schools who had not been previously vaccinated, and that with this object I should put myself in communication with the School Committees in the district. “ That, after receiving this circular, I wrote to the Board of Education asking them to invite the different schools to give ms facilities for carrying out the wishes of tha Government. “ That I then communicated with about twenty-five school committees, and chat the answers received from some of them putserious difficulties in the way of carrying out my purpose of examining all children attending tha public schorls to see whether they had been vaccinated- “ That on October tbe 17ch I wrote to the Colonial Secretary, a letter from a school committee, which raised the question whether there *aa any power ‘to compel stripping the children for purposes of inspection or vaccination,’ and saying that I must aw<R further instructions from the Government before proceeding. “ That- having received no reply, I addressed another letter to the Colonial Secretary on November the 12th, reminding him ‘that school vaccination in the district is remaining in abeyance until I receive a reply in answer to some of the questions contained in the letter above mentioned.’ “ That I have received no reply to this lastletter, and that in consequence I have been unable to proceed in the matter of school vaccination. “ That I am placed in the light of having appeared to give the school committees unnecessary trouble, of having created alarm, and of having caused large numbers of children to absent themselves from school. “ That the school committees, not knowing the real cause of the delay, probably attribute it to my neglect. * * * “ O. NHDWXin. “The Hon. the Colonial Secretary.” The following is the letter above referred to : “ Sir, —I have the honor most respectfully to inform you, before I answer your letter, £ should be glad to know what coarse yon purpose taking re vaccination. The committee believe that they have no power to compel stripping the children for purposes of inspection or vaccination of children against the will of their parents. The head-master requests me to point out that the present tima is inopportune, as the children are shortly expecting their annual inspection. “ Great caution will be necessary in the matter of vaccination, as some weeks ago on a falsa rumor of a visit from the vaccinator, a large number of children absented themselves by direction of their parents. “ I have, &0., “H. B. Cocks, “ Chairman of Sydenham.” “Dr. 0. Ned will.”

“ December 22nd, 1881, “ Colonial Secretary’s Office. " Sir, —I have the honor * * * to inform you that, as the Pablio Health Act provides no penalties, the children, as school children, cannot be vaccinated in cose oP their refusal, and as it is not •zpedient te insist upon examining the children in schools in direct opposition to the will of the school committees, the Government regret they are not able to put you in a position to carry out your recommendations. * * * " I have, Ac., “Q. 8, Ooopkb. “O. Ned will, Esq., M.D.” “ Christchurch, Jan. 22nd, 1882. “ Sir, —I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of December 22nd, and to inform you that after mature consideration, I desire to be relieved of my appointment of Public Vaccinator. “ I do not feel justified in holding any office that I cannot fill efficiently, and I do not see that I can act efficiently as public vaccinator unless I am armed with the authority I sought from Government. “ Section 164 of the Public Health Act provides ‘that every child admitted to any school which shall be maintained in whole or in part by grant, or from rates, or any public funds, or by any endowments, whether colonial, provincial, municipal or district, shall be vaccinated by a public vaccinator, unless such child shall have been previously vaccinated.’ “ I therefore'reoommended to the Government in reply to their circular requesting me to take the necessary steps to vaccinate those children attending public schools who had not been previously vaccinated * that the only safe course for a public vaccinator to follow was to visit the schools without previous notice so as to ascertain the names of all those unvaccinated ; that the parent* or guardians of uavaccinated children should be served with notices calling upon them to have vaccination performed within a specified time, and that failing to comply with the provisions of the Public Health Act they should be summoned beiore a magistrate for disobedience of the law.’ “ Since the Gorornmsnt, in reply, tell me that ‘as it is not expedient to insist upon examining the children in schools in direct opposition to the will of the school committees, the Government regret they are not able to put you in a porition to carry out your recommendations,’ I consider I should be placing myself in a false position if I continued to act any longer as Pablio Vaccinator. “ I beg, moreover, to add that I regret that the Government were unable to undertake the responsibility of insisting on the examination of children attending public schools, as smallpox has already reached the colony, and seems to be approaching us from several directions. “ As I have been seriously taken to task in one of the local newspapers respecting my apparent neglect in this matter, I trust the Government will make no objections to my publishing this <0 respondenoo. “In conclusi- 0, 1 beg to say that I shall be willing to act as Public Vaccinator until my successor is appointed. “ I have, io., “ COUBXICBT NttDWttl.”