SAFEGUARD AGAINST DISEASE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3004, 11 October 1911, Page 82

SAFEGUARD AGAINST DISEASE.

TO VACCINATE OR NOT TO VACCINATE. (Fkom Oub Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, October 3. The annual discussion on the question " To vaccinate or not to vaccinate "was started in the House of Representatives to-night on the Hospital Estimates by Mr Taylor, who said the public had revolted against the quackery of vaccination. It was no protection against smallpox, and was in itself a prolific source of scattering disease around. Mr Laurenson, another anti-vaccina-tionist, suggested that the act, which had lost the confidence of the people, should be wiped off the Statute Book. A country like New Zealand did not want vaccination. Roughly, 20,000 children were born in New Zealand last year, and of these 16,000 were not vaccinated. Mr Hardy differed from the previous speaker®, and. Dr Te Rangihiroa (Northern Maori), in a speech, demolished their statements from the scientific point of view. 'The remarks made by Messrs Taylor and Laurenson had filled him with amazement. He could not understand the silly conservative ideas of the men who argued that a treatment that saved thousands of lives should be done away with. The great bulk of responsible medical opinion was in favour of vaccination, and the few who were against it were regarded as freaks, or men with a mental kink. We in New Zealand had lulled ourselves into a sense of false security in this matter. Mr Isitt also advocated the doing away with vaccination in New Zealand.

Mr Witty said five of hie children were not vaccinated, and be hoped they never would be. The five that had not been done were just a« healthy as the five that had.

Mr Buddo said he did not think the department was behind in keeping thie matter to the front.