The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-04-09
The Question of Vaccination.

The Question of Vaccination.
The discovery of smallpox in this coun-
ty, not very far from the county seat, has
caused some apprehension and has called
attention to the fact that the school laws
of the state provide for the vaccination of
pupils, making a penalty of exclusion
from school of pupil who has not con-
formed to the statute.
The Board of Education of Northamp-
ton Township held a meeting on Tuesday
evening and considered the subject. A
resolution was adopted that "all pupils
who have not been yaccinated within the
past five years shall be vaccinated not
later than April Is, 1901"
In order that this resolution might be
brought to the attention of every parent
notices were sent out, on which were an
extract from the law, and copy of the
resolution.
There are some who contend that vac
cination is not necessary and that the
school authorities have no power to com
pei it, but the law does give the author
ity to exclude from school any child whose
The legality of this act is beyond question.
1t was before the Supreme Court of Penn
sylvania and the decision was favorable.
The following article from the Philadel.
phia Inquirer, strikes the entire situation.
1t says: 1T is not surprising that the Su-
preme Court should have decided in the
case of Field vs. Robinson that the act of
June IS, 1895, is constitutional, and that
vaccination may legally be made condi-
ton of the admission of children to the
public schools of the State. The sur
prising thing is that at this late day
there should still be found intelligent peo-
pie to dispute that the effects of vaccina-
tion are beneficial aud to oppose the appli-
cation of principle which has been of
such Unreasonable benefit to humanity.
1t is quite possible that in isloated cases
the seeds of some other disease have been
introduced into the system of the subject
through the medium by means of which
vaccination is accomplished. In the earl
Ter practice the precautions which are now
observed were not taken. There was no
assurance that the vaccine would be pure
and that in some instances it may have
been contaminated with deleterious mat
erial is more than likely.
SAT the same time it is impossible for any
fairminded and ordinarily intelligent man
who has not obstinately closed his ears
against conviction to doubt after an ex-
animation of the record that vaccination
against smallpox has been real boon to
the human race. To be convinced of this
it is only necessary to compare the situa-
ton as regards the prevalence of this loath
some disease as it is to-day with the situa-
tion which existed prior to DR.. Jenner's
great discovery. The extent to which
small pox prev allied in England century
and half ago is something of which few
people have any adequate idea. It was
The rule to have suffered the disease, it
was the exception to have escaped it, and
the SCARED faces which indicated its malig
nant activity were too common to excite
remark How different is the situation
to-day The occurrence of small-pox has
become so rare that every isolated case
causes surprise and arouses apprehension.
The malady has been practically stamped
out, and the mortality tables might be
searched from one years end to the other
without finding single death attributed
to this cause
Chow has this happened? 1t cannot be
accounted for in any other way than by re-
ferring to the influence of vaccination, and
it is therefore not only legitimate but i'm
perative that this influence should be ex
tended as much as possible by those whose
duty is to guard the welfare of the COM
munity. Reason indicates and experience
has demonstrated that the public schools
are centres from which disease is readily
communicated, and therefore in this and
other cities the school officials have adopt
ed the rule that no children shall be admit
ted to the schools who have not been pro-
tected from varioloid by the most efficient
preventive which human ingenuity has
discovered. Some parents, considering
that this regulation constituted an invas
ion of their personal rights, have sought
to have it set aside. The Supreme Court
has now decided that their contention has
no legal basis We are glad of it. =