Hawaii holomua = Progress. [volume] (Honolulu) 1893-1895, 1894-04-23
Compulsory Vaccination.

The government has seen it TO
enforce the Law that provides for
compulsory vaccination Of school
children. That law was made by
q Legislature, composed of men
who In no way were competent to
Judge Of the possible effects of
such an Act. The Hawaiians
dread vaccination. That may be
through ignorance or misrepre-
sentation, but a large number OF
foreigners refuse to comply with
the law because they are convinc-
ed that the arm-to-arm yaccina-
ton is opening fearful chances
for incubation of leprosy. The |
yirus 50 far imported here has not |
proven a success and the results
have been far from satisfactory.
We have carefully studied the
subject and we can quote the best
medical authorities in the world
in backing the opinion that vac
| ciuation in a country where lepro-
sv is so prevalent as here is more
than dangerous, yes it is an out
rage. 1t is hardly for a daily
paper like the HoLoMUA to enter
into an exhaustive discussion on
this subject or to produce the
lengthy observations of men like
Drs. Aiming, Mouritz, Hansen,
| Hills, Blackwell. Unna, Gard
nier and Sir Randall Martin. But
we believe that the views OF most
of these prominent men, who have
made the subject of leprOsy and
vaccination their speciality, can
be embodied in the following ex-
tract from a letter written by DR..
Charles E. Taylor, the official
physician at st. Thomas of the
Danish West Indies. a man whose
ability, medical training and
careful Investigations place a
GREAT authority on his opinion.
r DR.. Taylor writes lin 1891:
[ have read the report of the
evidence given before the Royal
{ Commission on vaccination In
London with much interest, and
with regard to the connection be-
; tween vaccination and leprosy
t an experience in these islands
West Indies) of over twenty
: wears enables me to confirm the
:. ! truth of this terrible indictment.
On more than one occasion cases
have come before my notice OF
] leprosy in families which could
n only have been inocalated with
q the vaccine virus. none of the
family having, previously to vac
cination, been afflicted with this
=. malady -. The possibility
+ of spreading such dire disease
T nv means OF the lancet is one toe
) grave to be longer disregarded
and, it is needless to say seri-
Gus matter for these islands, the
most lovely in the world, where
!, children whose parents may be
1 the most healthy, are liable
T to leprosy through arm to-Grn1
a compulsory raccination. May |
venture to hope that the English
! Press will have the humanity
g and courage to speak out, and
t compel colonial authorities tc
d withdraw the vaccinations enact
. ments, which on these grounds
alone are so dangerous to our.
i selves and our families.
8 The law is of course, on oul
statues and we believe that law
should be enforced as long as i
? is there. But We do believe that
A the government would do great
a deal better if would either re-
6 peal or at least amend that law
a Make vaccination optional anC
not compulsory. Even fit is ad
:, mitted that vaccination is pre-
. ventive against lsmall pox, Is i
4 not better for the country ant
/. for the people to run the risk of be
n ing infected by that disease than b,
a spreading and contracting lepros,
h through official incubation b,
4 vaccination ? With Us many In
. tellisent and sensible peopl
- decline emphatically to alloy
!, children under their care to b
;s submitted TO the compulsor.
: arm-to-arm vaccination. Bette
;, for the kids" to go without &c
a ucation tas given in our public
"a schools) than receiving tn