VACCINATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1899, 16 February 1870, Page 3

VACCINATION.

"We would draw the attention of our readers to the able letter of Dr. Stratford exposing the terrible results of arm-to-arm vaccination as attempted to be forced upon the people of this province by the present Executive. The authorities dare not venture on the work of prosecuting all those who have neglected to have their children vaccinated, but the public vaccinator has suggested a plan by which it is sought to indirectly force parents into submitting in the future,» to have their children's blood poisoned according to law; namely, by refusing to register the birth of any child until after it shall have been vaccinated. We venture to state that this plan would simply have the efl'ect of causing parents not to register their children at all, since for all matters of succession to property, &c., &c., they would rely upon the parish books and clerical certificates."

The fact is, the Provincial Government, or perhaps we should say the Provincial Secretary, is acting with very bad taste in this matter of setting up his will against public feoliug and public opinion, not in a mere question of politics, but in a matter relating to the physical and domestic happiness of every family in the province. He refuses to provide a supply of lymph from the heifer, even though a committee of the Council should reccommend such a course, and in doing so virtually says to the public, " either accept vac- ■ $•

" cination, with all the horrible risks " which science declares may be the " consequence of the use of impure " matter, or leave your children ex- " posed to the ravages of small-pox, " should that scourge visit Jfew Zea- " land."

Now we maintain that no Government, no member of a Government has a right to place the public, in such a position. There is a wide spread well-founded aversion to the use of matter taken from the human subject for the purpose of vaccination. This feeling of aversion to its use is so wide-spread, that thousands of European children in this province, we believe, remain unvaccinated, and no law could compel parents to have their children vaccinated in such manner. The fines might be levied, but the children would still remain unvaccinated.- Thus the obstinacy which insists on arm to arm vaccination the law of compulsory vaccination — good and useful in itself—to become a dead letter. Let the Government use lymph taken from the heifer direct, and the public vaccinator will have plenty to do. Even the most bigoted of the faculty admit that the virus taken from the heifer is efficacious and perfectly safe. The people believe this, and why then should any Government attempt to force a different system— and one which, to say the least of it. is condemned by a large portion of tho faculty, and distrusted by the people—down the throats of the latter. If the vaccine matter from the lieifer is admittedly efficacious, why not gracefully yield to public opinion, and provide it ? If the Council be willing to make provision for the cost, why should the Government stand in the way ? Is it not a duty to assist in i every possible way in causing the laws of the land to be obeyed ? Yet,' in refusing to consult the verdict of science, and the feelings of the people, the Provincial Executive, in providing nothing other than arm-to-arm vaccination, is causing the law to be disobeyed daily. As we have said, there are large numbers of young persons and children unvaccinated— unvaccinated not from carelessness or indifference, but because of the wellfounded dread of falling into other dis ease, as foul anriloathsome aa that they would shun, and, with Dr. Stratford, all must admit, that should sinall-pox visit this province, the Executive would have a grave responsibility to bear.