Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-31
VACCINATION.
Aasu. the Charges Made-Public vsccin-
ators Asked For.

Complaint has been made through the
| columns of the RECORD UNION that the
Sacramento physicians of one school of
medicine charge 81 so for vaccinating in
each case, and that this is an excessively
heavy tax, especially for those of limited
means with large families. Inquiry being
made into the matter, it developed that the
| physicians referred to are organized as
medical society for study, improvement
and mutual benefit, and that their agreed
schedule of prices for the exercise of their
skill in vaccination has long been 81 80
| case. But it is stated that when one is
called to vaccinate family, the per head"
charge is not made, but whatever the ply
! stefan chooses less than that figure. Look
| lug upon the act of yaccinatiDg as one of as
| much importance as writing prescription,
| these gentlemen make the same charge. 1t
! is certainly their right 10 charge just what
they please, and If one is dissatisfied With
/ it he can seek elsewhere. Physicians in
/ the city of another medical school have
| different schedule of charges, and one of
| IT'S membership, by communication, states
| that the fee they ask for vaccination is 81.
As between the two, or any other classes of
| DOCTORS we have no concern in the matter.
| What does concern the public, however, is
| that the vaccination shall be general, and
be performed by competent persons.
Most citizens prefer to employ for this pur-
| pose for their households the physicians
who generally attend upon their families
| and IN these cases, we apprehend, there is
no special difficulty about adjusting the
fee to the capacity to pay within the maxi
NUNS named. But it is of the highest i'm
poriance that vaccination should be gen.
orally resorted to, and at once. 1t is the
only known means of stamping out that
| loathsome disease, smallpox, and where
1t is epidemic all around US, il is the proper
| means TO employ 10 prevent ii fixing upon
| Sacramento. Itwould find nothing here to
feed upon. To that end, while the very
poor are vaccineted without charge by the
| City Physician, there should be appointed
| two or three public vaccinatoIs, to be paid
| jointly, perhaps, by the county and the CITY.
As it is, the City Physician is applied to by
numbers who cannot be classified as poor,
and have no right to free vaccination,
| while others are compelled to pay. The
public concern is superior TO individual
convenience; it is matter of general
public interest that all the people should
be vaccinated, as much so as that sanitary
| regulations should be provided. and cleanli-
ness OF the city encouraged. In San Fran
cisco there are many public vaccinators
! pau out OF the municipal purse, because
the preventive act is for the benefit of all
the people. Nearly all the Eastern cities
have public vaccinators, who vaccinate all
corners without fee. There is no reason
why the rule should not be established
here, and the people of the city and the
| county be enabled to secure vaccination at
the expense of their common treasures.
1t is marvellous that Sacramento has es.
capped heavy visitation of the pest thus far.
but fortunate exemption to this date should
not encourage any delay in making vacci-
nation general, and to that end let the local
government appoint public vaccinators at
| once