The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1884.

Kumara Times, Issue 2567, 13 September 1884, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1884.

It will he observed that the Medical Officer of the district announces that vaccinations may be effected every Monday morning, between 11 and 12 o’clock, at his surgery, Seddon street. By an Act of tlie General Assembly of New Zealand, it is made compulsory upon every parent to take his child, within six months of its hiith, to the Medical Officer appointed by Government for the district, or to some qualified medical practitioner, to have the child vaccinated, and on the eighth day following to take the child hack again for inspection. [The word “parent” means father, mother, or other person having the care, nurture, or custody of the child.] For breach of this law a fine not exceeding 40s may be recovered before any Bench of Magistrates. If the child be properly vaccinated, the Medical Officer or practitioner is to give a certificate of the fact. If the child he not susceptible, or unfit to endure the process, another certificate is to be given, which will clear the parent of the consequences. Children, although vaccinated, whose vaccination certificates are not forwarded to the Registrar of the district are still liable to a fine of 40s.

It is universally admitted that the discovery of vaccination, by which small-pox is deprived of its danger, is

the greatest triumph of modern medicine. Inoculation protected the individual, but increased rather than diminished the total number of deaths ; while vaccination has the advantage of protecting both the individual and the community. Statistics too voluminous to be repeated here have proved the truth of this, and it is sufficient to adduce one record by stating that where it was uncontrolled by vaccination, in the Brazils, one epidemic of small-pox swept of 40,000 people out of a population of 70,000 ; and on the other hand in the London Small-pox Hospitals, where the nurses and servants are vaccinated before admission, not one of them has ever been known to contract the disease, though constantly in contact and exposed to special chances of infection. -The above facts have been challenged and been the subject of parliamentary inquiry, which proved their truth.

With regard to adults and the question of re-vaccination, it has been amply demonstrated that its utility and necessity stand upon no speculative reasoning, but upon the broad basis of observation. Eminent physicians say that this operation should be performed with the same care and pains as primary vaccination; nor should it be left to periods when small-pox is epidemic, but should be performed on all persons after puberty, this being the more necessary as the primary operation is often very imperfectly performed. During an epidemic of small-pox, even young children, if the marks of the primary vaccination are at all imperfect, should most decidedly be re-vaccinated. Next comes the question of lymph : and here we may say that while Dr. Hacon, of Sunnyside Asylum, Christchurch, and Dr. Neil, of the Dunedin Asylum,have cultivated a supply of pure animal lymph in a public spirited manner, and though in doing so they have been put to considerable inconvenience and expense, yet instead of acknowledging their services, the late Government invited offers from the rest of the profession to in fact “jump their claim ” to cheapen and possibly dirty the article required. Experience has shown that injurious results from vaccination, through the exercise of care and discretion of competent men, have become infinitesimal, and the quality of the lymph used may be safely left in the hands of those most capable of judging. It is essential that all persons, and especially the heads of families should accept the means provided by the Government for saving themselves and their children from extreme danger or lasting disfigurement if the scourge be really imported, of which there is some reason to doubt; but there is no necessity to wait till the horse is stolen before the stable door is locked.