The New Zealand Herald. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1869.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1843, 10 December 1869, Page 3

The New Zealand Herald.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1869.

SPKCTEMUR AGENDO. Give erery man thine ear, but fovr thy voice; Take e.ich man's censure, but reserve thy Judgment, This abovo all,—To thino own solf be true And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou cans't not then bo false to any man.

It is more than probable that the subject of vaccination will be brought before the new Provincial Council. The subject is one of no ordinary importance, for it is most intimately connected with the health of the people generally, of all classes and all conditions. The small-pox scourge knows little of respect of persons ; but the prosent generation has scarcely any knowledge of the baneful effects of that disease. Jenner, by his groat discovery, saved vast numbers of lives, prevented millions from being stricken by the disease, and large numbers of the population, both male and female, from being permanently disfigured. So far, then, surely this is most important: Jenner has been one of the greatest benefactors of mankind. As we all know, Jenner vaccinated the human subject with matter taken from the cow. But there has arisen a feeling of great dissatisfaction with tho present mode of performing the operation of vaccination. It appears to be proved, without possibility of doubt, that it may be so performed as to sow the seeds of dreadful diseases in the constitution of the child operated upon; seeds which will bear fruit not only in the system of that particular child, but in his descendants for generations to come.

The conviction that vaccination is liable to be a medium of spreading disease—really in some cases more to be dreaded than that which, it is designed to prevent —has caused a considerable number of intelligent people to absolutely refuse to have their children -vaccinated, preferring to suffer tho penalty of the law, il enforced, which it very properly has not been in New Zealand, rather than risk the chance of their child contracting, through vaccination, diseases of a loathsome character. And as mankind are apt' to run from one extreme to the other, there is danger lest vaccination according to Jenner should cease to be believed in, instead of vaccination according to the loose system which now prevails in England as regards the selection of lymph. Let medical men carry out tho principles and practice of Jenner, and the prejudice against vaccination will speedily disappear. It is the abuses connected with it which have justly raised the cry against it. A return to the original mode of operation will put matters to right again. In the Medical Times ctjjoJ Gazette for September last, is an account of a paper read by H. Blance, M.D., before the Britisb. Association for the advancement of Science, on " Human " Vaccine and Heifer Lymph Com- " pared." Dr. Blance contended that though there was exaggeration as to the amount and variety of disease that was spread through vaccination with impure lympb, yet that it was established beyond a doubt that certain diseases were introduced into the human system through such a cause. And he proceeded to quote an array of medical testimony to the fact, which appears to be quite sufficient to prove it beyond all possibility of doubt. But evenin such a serious case as that of the possibility of spreading disease among a number of babes in arms by a medical operation, the public have surely a right to demand that every possible care should be taken to prevent such a dire calamity. Dr. Blance said that the declared enemies of vaccination were far less dangerous than those who persistently argued in the face of the strongest evidence to the contrary, the impossibility of transmission of disease, and of the actual degeneration of the vaccine lymph. T?ully convinced of these two points, it becomes a public duty to devise means to prevent evil consequences from the operation of vaccination, and that is, by securing vaccine Imyph which shall be as pure as possible. " The present " vaccine, he most positively declared, " did not possess that condition." The doctor then proceeded to show that disease can be transmitted with humanised vaccine lymph, and that humanised lymph, of long standing is not a reliable prophegLactic against small-pox. Having established theae points by a host of witnesses and facts, advice was given as to the proper courso to be pursued, and that is a recourse to the system of Jenner.

Vaccination from the heifer would remove all fears, all distrust and opposition. Pure lymph could then be obtained in unlimited quantities. It is certain in its operation, and permanent in its effects, •while it is absolutely free from possibility of conveying into the human system certain dire diseases peculiar to humanity, and from which animals are free. In bhe largeet cities on the continent of Europe, it appears this practice prevails. It is found to be easy of practice, and to answer the desired end. Prejudices in the profession against change will hare to give way. The innovation must be discarded, and a return to the pure faith and practice must be insisted upon. The conservatism that would entail endless misery must be swept on one side. The pure lymph can be obtained; the public must insist that it is obtained, and exclusively I used. They make a law through their

representatives that vaccination shall be compulsory ; let them carry the point further, and make a law that only pure vaccine matter taken from the heifer shall be used.

This is the proper plan to be pursued, and we trust that the members of the Provincial Council will inform themselves on the question, and be prepared to carry out the principle we have indicated. To quote the conclud ing words of Dr. Blance, " In adojjting " the animal vaccination they would " be doing their duty as men of science " and as honest men." Finally, we must improve, not abandon, compulsory vaccination, complete Jenner's great work, and restore to his immortal discovery all its former usefulness, glory, and prestige.