The Daily News. FRIDAY, MAY 30, 1902. VACCINATION – ITS IMPORTANCE AND EFFICACY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 126, 30 May 1902, Page 2

The Daily News. FRIDAY, MAY 30, 1902. VACCINATION - ITS IMPORTANCE AND EFFICACY.

In view of the n cent outbreak of smallpox in London and the possibility of its spreading even to this colony, the subject of vaccinal ion is rightly receiving prominent attention. To most rightthinking people the gnat value of vacillation is matter of roo*ed conviction based on irrefutable evidaure, but there are always some faddists who do their utmost to resist all compulsory measures for ensuring the health of the many, and thus has arisen the antivaccination crusade, based on the ob - jection that humanised lymph forma a medium for the transmission of dueasa from one child to another. Persevering attsmpts have bean made ta discover a method for cultivating vaccine lymph apart from the animl body, in some medium or media not otherwise zymotic, in such a way that the contagium may by means of it be multiplied to an indefinite extent in successive generations, and itill prove of identical potency with standard vaccine lymph. Unfortunately, however, although a priza of .£IOOO was offered for this much-desired method, success has not yet attended the efforts of researchers in this important field of werk, consnquently pure calf lymph has to be used, and thi Sew Zetland Government have made it illegal to use ether than this contagiun, which is supplifld by the Department free ef charge. Dr. Mason has just issued a circular, in which the efficacy of vaccination is shown as exemplified in the London outbreak of 1901-2. Parents will do well to Dote seriously the lesson which is to be learnt from the figures quoted. It appears that aaaong vaccinated children under one year old not one was attacked with this frightful disease, but among unvaccinated infants of the same age thera were 17 case? of smallpox, about 15 of which proved fatal i In the next grade, children from one] to five, there was only one case amongst those vaccinated, while 44 of the unvaccinatei were attacked, and 5-9ths fatally. Of the children between ive and ten the disease attacked eleven vaccinated children and 34 unvaccinated, all the former recovering, but only two-thirds of the latter. Prom 10 to 15 there were, 42 cises amongst vaccinated children and 41 amongst unvaccinated, but of the former only two died, while of the latter only twothirds recovered, A similar experience was met with in the class of ages from 15 to 20. Naturally, in the face of such statistics, the Chief Medical Officer of Health in the colony urges parents to protect their children, who, being unable to protect thems°lv?s, would fall a victim to the disease should it obtain a foothold in the colony. As children can be vaccinated with pure! lymph any day on application to the! public vaccinator of tbe district, parents have no excuse for neglecting what has I proved to be such an effective protection against the ravages of one of th most virulent diseases that can be con- J tracttd. When Dr. Valintine was; here lately he aleo spoke very strongly' on this question, srating he dreaded' smallpox far worse than the plague,! at<d considered every effort should be' marl" to rou>e peop'a to a sense of t!e[ <\\agw rf thn riiseass obtaining a foot-: ing in this colony.