Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-01
TIE QUESTION or COMPULSORY VAC
CINATIoN.


impure lymph. These cases, however,
have been very much exaggerated by
public apprehension, and close exam
nation of the data of the subject does not
justify any withdrawal of confidence from
vaccination, when it is properly per-
formed. At the same time it is entirely
reasonable for the public to complain of
the law if it does not afford them guaran-
tees against careless or futile vaccination.
The law is founded on the theory that the
State has right to protect itself against
epidemic diseases, and that to secure this
protection Il must be empowered to en-
ploy somewhat arbitrary measures. 1t
does not require much reflection to per-
ceive the justice of this position. There
are always great many people i'll a
community who, from ignorance, obstinacy,
selfshness, or some other motive, would,
if left to themselves, neglect all precautions
during the prevalence of an epidemic.
Those who are simply ignorant are often
the hardest to convince of the necessity of
such an operation as vaccination. They
revolt at the idea of taking matter from
the body of calf and introducing it into
| the blood of their children or themselves.
They do not perceive that it is much
more serious matter to take the germs of
perhaps fatal disease from the atmosphere,
from contact with diseased persons, or in
other ways. It is therefore necessary that
the State should uye its authority in the
case of such people, not only for their
good, but for the protection of the COM
munity. But if the State has ample justif.
cation for interference in such matters it is
also under obligations and restrictions, any
neglect of which transforms, or may trans
form, its exercise of legitimate authority
into an act of intolerable and stupid
despotism. Thus it is undeniable that the
State has a right to insist upon general vac
cination but it is by no means the case
that it has right to insist upon general
vaccination without guaranteeing the ef-
fectiveness and completeness of the
| methods employed. For vaccination is not
all the same. It may be bad as well as
good. 1t may be ineffective, and it may
even be deleterious, if proper precautions
are not taken. The State therefore is
bound, when it DEGREES general vaccina-
ton, to see that only the very best methods
are employed, and it is not justified in leav-
ing this important consideration TO chance
There should be State machinery for pro-
curing and distributing the lymph, and
every precaution should be taken to insure
the Use of that which had been supplied
through this machinery. Nothing less
than this can be regarded as fulfllment
of the States duty, and if this is not done
the public has right to complain.
In regard to the efficiency of vaccination
it may be interesting to state a few facts.
Fortunately the statistics of the subject
are very full, aud the conclusions of science
have been based upon such broad researches
that they are quite trustworthy. The
Investigations of DR.. Seaton, a standard
authority on the question, embraced half
million cases Of children. He says that
with good lymph and the observance of all
proper precautions there should not be
more than one failure in l70 cases. In 1868,
during an epidemic of small pox in London,
he examined $4,000 cases. He found that
of every 1000 children who had been vac
cinated the percentage of disease was but
LIS. His general conclusions were that
the best vaccination was more than 80
| times as protective as the worst, but that
the worst was more than AZ times better
than none at all. Another physician, DIR.
Marson, found, from the study of Is, 600
cases, that while the unvaccinated died at
the rate OF 81 per cent, the deaths among
those who had been vaccinated were only
81 per cent. The average risk which vac
cinated persons run is estimated by him at
one-sixth of that incurred by unvac-
cingted persons, while the risk of
those who are ,ceU vaccinated is less
than one-seventieth of the others. These
demonstrations could be multiplied indefi-
nitely from the valuable researches which
have been made by army surgeons in all
parts of Europe. The evidence is cumu-
lative, and it is really almost all one way.
There is no sufficient reason to doubt the
usefulness of vaccination, in fact, and the
contrary notions which just now find
expression are based upon exaggerated
estimates of exceptional cases. Vaoci-
nation, well performed, must be regarded
as the one trustworthy protection against
smallpox. When it fails it viii almost
certainly appear that it was not well per-
formed, or that it was performed too long
ago. Seven years is quite as long as it
should be trusted to, and then revaccina-
ton should be performed. With good
lymph and intelligent application, how
ever, this is the beat guarantee that can
possibly be had against smallpox, and
those who fear bad results from it have
only to look well to the character of the
lymph and the competency of the physi-
clan who performs the operation, to be as
safe as science can make Them OF course
carelessness and negligence are dangerous,
but these the State ought to guard against.
THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM
The Chicago Tribune, while admitting
that /" there are sound and weighty argu-