The evening times., 1898-08-15
IMAGINATION IN EAGLlAD
A Measure With a conscience
Clause" EXcileS Doctors.
MEDICAL COLLEGES PROTEST
The Proposed LAW Allows Parents
to Object to the Treatment OF
Ckfldl en-Ph ysicians Declare the
Country IL MeDEced by q Smallpox
Epidemic-Objeets Of the Bill,

Paris. Aug. 15.-!The European edition
under a London date:
The ant-vaccinationists in England
have. in a measure. gained a triumph be
cause the vaccination bill, conscience
clause and all. has got through the third
read ng in the House of Commons. not
withstanding that it was once rejected
by the Lords.
For a considerable time this conscience
clause. which runs as follows. THAT Eno
parent or otner person shall be liable to
any penalty under the vaccination act
of 1861 IL he satisfies justices in petty ses-
sions that he conscientiously believes
health OF the child" created no end of
controversy, chiefly among the medical
profession. and that even the Royal Col
lege of Physicians departed from its
usual attitude of dignified silence and
met to discuss the vaccination bill with
particular reference to the conscience
clause may be taken as evidence in itself
that the clause was looked upon as
very serious matter. and that 1t was cal
compulsory vaccination which medical
evidence and health statistics from all
parts of the world have SO conclusiveIy
proved has in some countries driven the
smallpox away entirely, and in others
reduced i to a minimum.
No better example, leading physicians
point out, can be taken than the case of
India. Not many years ago the country
was terribly ravaged vita smallpox. but
since Ihc enforcement of vaccination.
the disease has been gradually stamped
out.
There is, no doubt, much to be said in
favor of the bill. There has been no OBJ
lection raised to such clauses as to post
pone the da:e Of the vaccination of in
fants. those providing for the treatment
being carried out at home, supplying calf
lymph and taking advantage of DR..
COpe!ands valuable discoveries regard
ing the special security afforded by gly-
cerina;ed lymph. but this conscience
clause seems TO the minds of many strong
advocates Of vaccination to upset all
that is good in the BILL and to create a
very grave danger.
1, was pointed out in the debates in the
House of Commons that the retention OF
the conscience clause would be putting
a powerful weapon into the hands of the
Observation-Disclosures. 1t is contended
mitted those who were working the asi-
tation against vaccination would make
house 10 house visitations and show peo-
pie how to file petitions in order to en-
able them to avoid vaccinating their
children
To local authorities really is due the
bringing in of this bill at all. 1t was be-
cause a large number of these local au-
thcrities positively and absolutely de-
clined to enforce the law as it stood that
the new bill was introduced.
The object of the bill, or, rather OF this
particular clause, was to get more people
to consent to vaccination. Some members
urged that the English race was one
which would not be driven along any
direct path. but give them a rope and
they might be led.
Medical London as represented by the
the two royal colleges. has protested in
no uncertain voice against the measure.
and now that its warning have been dis
regarded they are angry and indignant.
The doctors say sarcastically that small
pox in the future will be in the care OF
politicians and their amateur friends who
have usurped the functions of the medi-
cal profession. They charge the govern
ment with weakness in yielding to what
they term fiabby sentimentalism, and they
predict that Parliament will only learn
wisdom in the matter of vaccination
through the horrors of smallpox epi-
demic.
Some prominent London physicians are
impressed with their responsibility in the
matter, and feel that further statements
from the profession will arouse the senti-
ment of the country, which. they say.
was rather Indifferent to the vaccination
bill when it was before Parliament
Doubtless there are many other leading
practitioners at present on their holidays
who will aid in the agitation in the au-
turnn. For the time being ii Is sufficient
to present the views of representative
gentlemen who have not yet gone out
of town.