VACCINATION VERSUS TUBERCULOSIS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 145, 13 March 1908, Page 5

VACCINATION VERSUS TUBERCULOSIS.

, Sir,—An International Congress has been, summoned to' meet in Washington in September for the sole purpose of :tha study of tuberculosis; Now, the; study of -tuberculosis includes the study of vaccination, for .itvhas'.been proved that the latter isj'.or may be, a direct cause of the. former. It was -shown by a report made to the English Government-about 15 years ago:— (1) That immunity from small-pox: does ' not'necessarily follow vaccination. (2) That, vaccination-is'infinitely more ; . to ' be;'dreaded than small-pox. Small-pox ;is a filth disease. The absence of filth means. ..the, absence'of small-pox. In other words, strict 'sanitation is the true preventative of this disease. . On, the other hand, many constitutional and hereditary diseases.' have 'resulted from.vaccination. Among :those we have syphilis, cancer, and tuberculosis... Physicians . know that smallpox is a mild. discaso compared to, ahy of. these.. .. -- ■ .- . / Someorie. may ■'that such evil, results v followed ; vaccination, . only when : ■/.'human'? lymph' was used.; Tho .reply, is (1), that there, is ino.known': means of acquiring absolutely pure lymph.from any source ;, (2) that cancer/.and- tuberculosis , have both made rapid strides.; since ..tho adoption of "calf" lymph.-:' It has been proved 'that' the germ of tuberculosis exists- in the milk of Jtubercul-' ous' cows, and in .lymph' 'taken, from tuberculous VMilk may bo sterilised, but lymph -.cannot 'without destroying it's, active principle. Vaccination, therefore,may be, and often, is; a direct' cause of- tuberculosis. * The skilled; scientist relies only upon the microscope as a .final means of •; determining the presence of tho germ, of - tuberculosis. For many ,years the tuberculin ' test - has been relied-lipon in Now' Zealand. ,'But' this, ■test-has failed'in.-the hands of competent mon'. ' ■ -For -' maiiy animals: condemned and killbd aipoii the; strength of this test' were proved to" bp free, from :tuberculosis. ' And many' that/were declared sound were shown to be-teeming "with, "tbis'disease." Yet .in 1 the . faco of •thescS'i.'facts our. -vaccination. law •is ■ coriipiilsoryj and" parents have been . fined 'for refusing to, their • childrpn vaccinated with lymph;taken';-from- animals' declared sound;ori' the tuborculin testiYlt is saitl that, ""tuberculosis claims' more victims : than tl all •oth'er'-lmown^sda&te*^^^ fore, according ; to the best available scientific knowledge,, to''insist upon- vaccination, as a preventative of ,'Smallrpox is not; only an sabsurdity,;but a'crime. - Sinc'o"'vaccination" is compulsory-by-law- iii ' New V.Zealand,' it is' fair to ; 'coiioludo" that. it lias tho support of the Government. But since tho Government appears t'o. liavo no fixed place' of. abode, it may bo that ,tho j.now-, Icdgo'-of' the fact 'that'vaccination is a prolific 'source of. tuberculosis has "not' yet reached,.headquarters. Wo : hope, .that: the Government may soon'bo in: possession of tile .'facts; and' decide to send'"a.-.delegate :to tlio International: Congress. Iguoranco in this' case is. not bliss.-- i: r am, etc.,' - M.D. ' ■ March 7. " .