Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1882-02-23
VACCINATION.


The compulsory vaccination OF several
hundred Cinnamon upon their arrival In
San Francisco recently. very naturally
suspes,s a discussion Of the question as
to the right Of the Board Of Health Of
that city, or Of the State, or OF the au-
thorities anywhere to compel persons TO
submit, to vaccination. II tho question
Of the efficacy Of vaccination as . pre-
yentiys OF smallpox was settled. and do.
termiued in favor Of vaccination, there
would then DO q good reason why society
should compel unwilling persons to sub
NIT to the unpleasant and undesirable
process Of vaccination. But 30 long ~
the question Is still an open one. and 30
long az It 10 an u~ndisputsd fact that
thousands Of persons have lost their
lives by vaccination. and hundreds OF
thousands have been inoeulated with
loa,hsome diseases by the process. 1t
would certainly seem that In free Amer.
lea Csueasians III not Chinamsn) should
not be vaccinatsd against their will.
That vaccination protects against
smallpox to some extent Is claimed BY
almos. all physicians and scientific men
who have Investigated this matter. That
it is not o certain preventive Of smallpox
is very generally admitted. Hysisnic
living Is also admitted to be % good pre-
vsntivo against smallpox as vaccination,
aud that 1t will not only fortify persons
against the disease. but will enable them
to pass through the disease safely II
taken.
In the February number Of the North
American Rsrie,c, o very interesting ar
tiels upon this question may be found,
entitled, Tho Lancet and the Law" by
Henry Bergh. in which Mr.. Bsrgh
argues against vaccination. and presents
many strong arguments in support OF
his position. Among other very posi-.
lively stated propositions. MIR. Bsrgh
says: ''In the period OF less than one
hundred years that have elapsed since
the introduction OF this practice wac
cinaiiop) millions upon millions Of
sound and healthy human beings have
been inoculated with the most loath.
some pestileuce. doomed to carry to the
grave bodies wasted BY consumption, or
marr.d and deformed by scroiula, can-
Ger and innumsrable other ills. What
Is worse, they have transmitted these
diseases to posterity." Again, Mr..
Bergh says: wherever vaccination is
generally and risidly enforced there the
death.raie from tuberculosis 10 highest.
and that where vaccination is but en-.
forced laxly. or not at all. the deaths are
least numerous" Mr.. Bsrsh continues;
From official statistics collected In
England. 1t plainly appears that vaccina'
ton has no mitigating influence on this
malady; on the contrary. the mortality
from smallpox has steadily increased,
and, furthermore. q host Of other phys
icai ills directly produced by the vaccine
treatment. have been eratuitously add
ed" In the city OF Berlin, during the
year 1871, there were 1920 cases Of
smallpox. whereof 1i.2s7 were Of vac
cinst.d persons and 1858 Of unvsccin'
a.ed." 'In England the. Parliamentary
Return No. 500. Session II. 1880. states
that mortality rom i~nfantils syphilis
has increased four.fold. scrofula has
tr.bled, while skin diseases. py@mia
and mesentrie diseases have increased
coincidently with increased vaccination"
Quoting from the Vaccination Inquirer
OF London. Mr.. Bergh continues: "a
company OF French soldiers were vac
cinated last December. fifty.sight OF
them. by tho reeimental doctor. from q
Spanish child. In a few days the whole
OF them. without exception. were infect
ed with syphilis"
In concluding his ably written article
Mr.. Bergh says: ''Nsver before did q
free and intelligent people Voluntarily
mako so dangerous a concession to o
small minority Of their fellow country
men rs when the enactment Of vaccina-
ton laws were permitted. Since the
dark ages no Law has been sanctioned
by any government pretending to be
popular which surpassss in atrOeiiy the
vaccination ukase."
Whatever exceptions may be taken to
the opinions and conclusions OF Mr..
Bereh. his arguments throughout the
article are so we'll fortified by facts.
drawn from unimpeachable authorities.
as to make the article q very strong one
against the practice Of vaccination. and
one that cannot be successfully assailed
by any person who is not in possession
Of much special knowledge with regard
to the matter. The article should be
read by all physicians-in fact. by all
persons who are interested in this vitality
important question.
Rabbi =. T. Williams. in q sermon
preached in New York respecting the