VACCINATION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2644, 22 June 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

VACCINATION.

[r.V 01,' li SYDNEY CJIUiKSt'OVIIIiS'T.J FuoM a medical report presented to Parliament, it appears that the foolish ami revolting practice of cow-boxing children, commonly called vaccination, is falling into the desuetude which it deserves, and from which it would never have emerged had not the interests of the medical profession been engaged in agitating lor compulsion. As J have before pointed out those interests are engaged in advocating the practice both directly or indirectly, and seldom indeed, is it that any one, other than a "duly qualified ' tnjdical man is found lifting up his voice in iis favour. Geitainly, fathers and mothers, whoso children have been killed, or have had their constitutions ruined by the poisonous scratches, don't come forward in any large numbers in its defence. Jiut this by the way. in a case like this, it is evident that the men who profit by indicting the scratch, and who further protit by the post of virulent diseases which it inseminates or calls into activity, are not the safest guides on the subject. An increasing number of medical men, to their great honour be it said, are beginning to recognise the true nature of the supi'islitiOiis, but lucrative practise, in whieii during the whole of their professional training, they have been so induslrioiuly indoctrinated. A good representative of this class is Dr. Ooighton, the author of the article on " Vaccination" in the new Kncyciopie iia Dritaunica. Dut they have not yet got the car of those who enact medical Jaw, and consequently in countries where vaccination is comptil::ory, there is every year a groat, si itighter of the innocent-, by the mandate of the pmfes-uoiril ilerols. In this colony, however, it is not so. Dr. Manning reports to tho (.lovtrninent that the rising generation is virtually unvaecinited, and that out of o'Xi medical men, to whom circulars were sent, requesting them to furnish reports on the subject, iiO(> had not even troubled to answer the oilicial letter, lie might also have added that in this unvacciuated condition the colony has had several outbreaks of small-pox, and lias come out of them with quite as little damage as neighbouring colonies in which the modioli profession are allowed to reap the rich harvest of compulsion. He, might lurther have added that in these outlnvaUs it transpired that nearly every patient who was attacked by small-pox had been vaccinaled, proving that the lisle which he bad undertaken had been futile. Dr. Manning all'ects to think tiiat by and by smallpox of a diiiercnt character to any as yet, known will make its appearance, and that for this yet unknown disease it will be found that pre'ious cow-poxing, with its attendant dingers of syphilis, erysipelas, and other tonus of bloodpoisoning, is the only prophylactic. For my own part I don't believe that any disease will appear except by persistent violation of the laws of health, and that the consequences of that violation cannot, in the nature of things, be evaded by a drop of magic lilth on the point of a lancet. We live i:i an age which is bobinning to recognise the reign of law. When a learned profession assumes to ignore the laws of health and to advocate tin: compulsory dissemination of disease, it is on the high road to public obloquy. I need hardly say that although it is not yet f ishionable to discuss this subject in the public press, it is one which deeply concerns the health of the rising generation, and one which no conscientious father or mother can afford to ignore.