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Evening Star, Issue 12882, 3 August 1906, Page 11

It may be recalled that the first object of tfie society is to commemorate the name and work of Dr Edward Jenner, of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, and to bring home again to the mind of the nation the immense benefit he conferred by vaccination upon mankind. Established in 1896, the society have done much to demonstrate the etlicacy of vaccination as a preventive of smallpox and other forms of communicable disease, and the Committee appeal for aid in promoting tnis educational work “to all who recognise how largely the opposition to vaccination is founded on ignorance and nurtured by misrepresentation.” The Earl of Dueie is the president of the society, while the honorary vice-presidents are Lord" Lister, Sir W. Huggins, Sir William Turner (Principal of the University of Edinburgh), and Dr Ferguson, former pre sideut of the British Medical Association) —lnquiry Desired,— In discussing toe present situation, the report says thatr in considering the possibilities of puliamentary action “it is well to bear in mind that the Vaccination Act of 1898 was avowedly an experiment, and on that account was enacted for only five years. It would have.ceased to operate last year by efflux of time had it nor. been kept alive for another year by its having been included in the Expiring Laws Continuance Act. Had this not been done all the procedure instituted by it would have lapsed, and the machinery of public vaccination would have practically come to a stop. It is clear, therefore,” the report continues, “ that the Govern*menb must take action of some kind dur ing the ensuing session, for it cannot be supposed that they will shirk their responsibility in the matter by allowing the act to drop altogether. Thu time of the present session is so completely mortgaged for more pressing questions that there is little hope of any being found for the discussion of a Vaccination Bill, it is therefore reus enable to assume that the Act will be kept alive for auother year, but with an explicit promise of legislation in regard to it during 1907. During the interval the Government will have ample opportunity lor informing themselves of the weak points of the Act, and of othe matters involved in the administration of vaccination with which the Act did not deal, but which call for amendment in any measure wnich is intended to settle this vexed question for at least a generation, as it is to be hoped will tuen be done. As a preliminary to suoh legislation the Government wid do well to institute a formal inquny, pre:erably by a special commission, into the whole subject of vaccination administration. For lt is much more to the deiects of its administration than to any disbelief in tne protective value of vaccination itseli that the practice owes any unpopularity it may have acquired.” —Belief in the great Discovery.—

In the cjneiuding part of the report it is urged that, whatever may be thd issue of the actiou which Parliament may take in regard 10 compulsion, there cau be no question as to me uecessity of meeting the agitation ag-uuat. vaccmition itself* " I'ha.t the country which give birch to this great discovery, and from which it has spread throughout the world, to the iuestimable benent of the whole human race, should be left a prey to the unchallenged vituparatioo of deuher and to the

mischievous depredatibb. bf his beneficent work, would be m gi*ve;fc disofedit to it as it would be a deplorable. Abnegation of dttiy. And the more: so because the bppbnehts -of VBccinfttiob ate. generally as bigoted in their oppositibiti *b other mode> of ptayedthre ttfedibajl treatment as they are tx> fascination, which is the foundation stone on which: these late* develop-